Stop 15- Amos Mills: The Mill and the Disaster

GPS- 43.050723, -76.158248

This unassuming brick building that once stood on the banks of the Erie Canal

has a story that goes back to before the founding of Syracuse...

before Syracuse was barely a crossroads to the catalyst to update the Erie Canal and its infrastructure that would lead to the Erie Canal through Syracuse being abandoned through Syracuse for the Modern Barge Canal we use today.

So let's step back in time...a time where water power would be necessary 

to help grow a community...

On the 1810 James Geddes map, you can see mills already along the creek

On this 1834 map, several mills had been along Onondaga Creek, harnessing the power of  the creek to mill grain, wood, and anything else that needed the power of water to move.

Enter Syracuse Mills, then Empire Mills, then still later Amos Mills

The original owners of the mill not only saw the waterpower potential to grind grain, but the ready made market of both producers (local farmers) and consumers (locals, canalers, and breweries)
It's next store neighbor, Greenway was a ready-made client

...As was Bartels!

When Clinton's Ditch was enlarged to accommodate larger boats, 

a new limestone aqueduct was replaced the original sandstone one in 1838.

Years went by, but as time passed, the canal infrastructure aged along with it.

The mill was so successful under Amos in the late 1800s, he built a fancy new office!

The Canal Corporation knew the old canal was aging. 

Even with regular maintenance each fall winter and spring, it really needed to be rethought. 

Boats were getting too big to fit into locks. Things were breaking or in danger of breaching.

The railroads were dominating the transportation of goods. 

But people wanted to hold onto the past...
But on July 30, 1907, a section of one of the arches in the aqueduct gave way. Twice the amount of water that is is in the Westcott Reservoir today, drained from the canal in a matter of a couple of hours. It was reported that the force made the water appear to flow upstream in Onondaga Creek. The water drained from Lock 48 in Lock Square to Gere's Lock to the first lock on the Oswego Canal...it was a huge disaster!

It was a disaster of unprecedented proportions! 

Part of the north facing wall of Amos Mills collapsed. 

Canal boats were destroyed!

Water flowing from the mill races still poured into the hole from 
Onondaga Creek

It was a HUGE mess!

Slowly the canal bed had to be cleared of debris, 

broken boats were burned to get them out of the way, 

and then the repair could begin!

Boats were backed up to the east and to the west and to the north 

of Syracuse for SIX WEEKS waiting for the repair to be completed. 

It couldn't have happened at a worse conjunction.

Some more info:
https://reflections.eriecanalmuseum.org/towns-people-city-dwellers/the-great-canal-break-of-1907/?fbclid=IwAR1pMosLind3u_FvMmIg53yof2dYlhOohZLbfnvrSqoRJUERzkORU01EaL8

And that repair remained in place for over 100 years. This bridge graduated from carrying boats to carrying cars on the "new' Erie BLVD. Over time, this stone structure needed repairs once more by 2014 so it could continue to carry loads across the creek.

https://www.syracuse.com/kirst/2014/10/in_syracuse_the_most_beautiful_erie_canal_bridge_no_one_ever_sees.html?fbclid=IwAR1tqMLgbSNtbzk7gFPEyFDvVa0MdthYo_0xjinNICXaoy6knmo4g8wFhuw

Eventually the aqueduct was patched with concrete and metal patch and reopened in September, leaving only about one month for canal captains to complete their work 

until the canaling season closed for the winter.

If you look closely, you can see where Amos Mills' brick was repaired as well. 

Over 100 years later, it still looks good

The walls were trussed for stability.

And still has a place to tie up your boat!

But after this disaster, and with mechanized boats being commonplace, 

engineers and surveyors began to look seriously into utilizing and connecting natural waterways to transport goods across the state.

And so with this disaster, the beginning of the end of the Erie Canal was set in motion.
In less than 10 years, the Modern Barge Canal would replace this one,

 and the Erie Canal would be buried under the streets of Syracuse.

But for now, we continue on the Towpath to our next stop...