Chemung Canal Excerpt

The Chemung Canal, completed in 1833, connected Seneca Lake with the Chemung River and, ultimately, the Susquehanna River. The canal allowed the shipment of Pennsylvania anthracite coal, lumber, and agricultural products to the Erie Canal system, leading to the growth of Elmira as a regional center of manufacturing. The canal had a short life, rendered obsolete by the coming of the railroads in the late 1840s and 1850s.

The distance from the southern tip of Seneca Lake to the Pennsylvania border is only about twenty-five miles as the crow flies. In this short distance, Chemung Canal builders had to climb almost 500 feet. Forty-four locks climbed from the lake level to Horseheads. There the canal split. One leg went to the Chemung River at Elmira, descending five locks; the other went west, climbed four locks to reach the Chemung River at Gibson, near Corning. Here at Gibson, back in the 19th Century you were ninety-five miles by barge from the Erie Canal.

There is very little remaining of the canal system. Several miles remain open as part of the barge canal system between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls. You can follow it, on-road, on NY 14. Both communities are great stopping points. One of the main tourist attractions of Montour Falls is the 165-foot Chequagua Falls, which you can view from the foot of Main Street.

Queen Catharine Montour, for whom the town of Catharine and village of Montour Falls were named, was a descendant of Madame Montour. Adopted by Frontenac, the French Governor of Canada, she married an Oneida Chief. In September 1779, as part of the campaign against the Iroquois, soldiers led by Sullivan and Clinton destroyed the Seneca village known as Catherine’s Town. She escaped, but all buildings were burned.

From Montour Falls, southward to Horseheads, a rail-to-trail conversion of the old PRR branch line is underway. It is called the Catharine Valley Trail. A five-mile stretch is open (unpaved) between Montour Falls and Millport which is a great out-and-back ride. The on-road route is NY 14.

There are plans are to extend the Catherine Valley rail trail from Millport to Horseheads and the next stretch, including a bridge over NY 14, is under construction. The community organization, Friends of the Catherine Trail (see Resource Guide) is actively leading efforts to improve and expand this wonderful trail system. It’s worth a ride.

The balance of the Chemung Canal path from Millport through Horseheads and Elmira to Corning is very hard to follow and the roads are busy. Just east of Corning, the canal entered the Chemung River at Port Gibson — this may very well be the farthest “port” ever founded on the vast New York State canal system. In addition, beyond Elmira to the southeast, a privately-financed canal was built in 1854 alongside the Chemung River. Eleven wooden locks and two aqueducts were constructed. This canal was closed in 1871, sold to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and tracks remain atop the old canal bed today. However, until the Caroline Trail is extended, I suggest that you avoid riding south to the Elmira/Corning area. If your long-distance goal is to reach New York’s “Bike 17” in Elmira, you should contact local bicycle clubs for route advice; you can locate them through the links on the New York Bicycle Coalition website.