Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal
Encyclopedia
The Clinton–Kalamazoo Canal is an abandoned canal
in Michigan
that was only partially completed. The canal was to connect Lake St. Clair with Lake Michigan
. The inspiration came from the success of the Erie Canal
in New York
, which was completed in 1825. Michigan had just achieved statehood in 1837 and its first governor, Stevens Thomson Mason, initiated an ambitious program of internal improvements
which included three railroads and two canals.
on the banks of the Clinton River
and continue through Utica
, Rochester
, Pontiac
, Howell
, Hastings
, and finally to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River
. In all, the canal was to span 216 miles.
Construction began in 1838 with much fanfare. Financial troubles related to the Panic of 1837
caused funding for the canal to disappear and all construction stopped in 1843 after only 13 miles had been completed. Many workers who were unpaid destroyed parts of the canal and stole supplies. Engineering miscalculations also contributed to the canal's failure as the canal was dug too shallow and too narrow for heavy freight barges.
After construction ended, the canal quickly fell into disrepair. Portions were used as a millrace to power watermill
s that operated until the 1940s. The canal was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The route of the canal has been marked by signs and historic markers.
in Oakland County
and in Shelby Township
Utica
and Clinton Township
in Macomb County
. Much of the canal is clearly visible in parks and along Canal Road in Clinton Township. The remains of the aqueduct built over the Clinton River can be seen in Yates Park, and two wood dams can be seen in the river in Canal Park and Bloomer Park. No locks are visible along the canal but the locations of a few are known.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
that was only partially completed. The canal was to connect Lake St. Clair with Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The inspiration came from the success of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, which was completed in 1825. Michigan had just achieved statehood in 1837 and its first governor, Stevens Thomson Mason, initiated an ambitious program of internal improvements
Internal improvements
Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, canals, harbors and navigation improvements...
which included three railroads and two canals.
History
The Clinton–Kalamazoo Canal was to begin in Mount ClemensMount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...
on the banks of the Clinton River
Clinton River
The Clinton River is a river in southeastern Michigan in the United States.The main branch of the river rises from wetlands in Springfield Township, Oakland County, northwest of Pontiac. A series of dams create a number of small lakes west of Pontiac, the last of which is Dawson's Millpond. The...
and continue through Utica
Utica, Michigan
Utica is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,577 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 4,924.- History :...
, Rochester
Rochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
, Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
, Hastings
Hastings, Michigan
Hastings is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, the county seat of Barry County as well as the county's only city. The population was 7,095 at the 2000 census. The city borders Hastings Charter Township on the north, east, and south, and Rutland Charter Township on the west...
, and finally to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River
Kalamazoo River
The Kalamazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. The river is long from the junction of its North and South branches to its mouth at Lake Michigan, with a total length extending to when one includes the South Branch...
. In all, the canal was to span 216 miles.
Construction began in 1838 with much fanfare. Financial troubles related to the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
caused funding for the canal to disappear and all construction stopped in 1843 after only 13 miles had been completed. Many workers who were unpaid destroyed parts of the canal and stole supplies. Engineering miscalculations also contributed to the canal's failure as the canal was dug too shallow and too narrow for heavy freight barges.
After construction ended, the canal quickly fell into disrepair. Portions were used as a millrace to power watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s that operated until the 1940s. The canal was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The route of the canal has been marked by signs and historic markers.
Today
Remnants of the canal are still visible in Rochester HillsRochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is an affluent city in northeast Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 70,995. The city of Rochester is bounded on the north, south, and west by Rochester Hills...
in Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
and in Shelby Township
Shelby Charter Township, Michigan
-Demographics:The U.S. Census Bureau has also defined Shelby Township as a census-designated place in the 2000 Census so that the community would appear on the list of places as well on the list of county subdivisions...
Utica
Utica, Michigan
Utica is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,577 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 4,924.- History :...
and Clinton Township
Clinton Charter Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Clinton, usually referred to as Clinton Township, is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a part of Metro Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 96,796, and is Michigan's most populous township...
in Macomb County
Macomb County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 788,149 people, 309,203 households, and 210,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 320,276 housing units at an average density of 667 per square mile...
. Much of the canal is clearly visible in parks and along Canal Road in Clinton Township. The remains of the aqueduct built over the Clinton River can be seen in Yates Park, and two wood dams can be seen in the river in Canal Park and Bloomer Park. No locks are visible along the canal but the locations of a few are known.
External links
- Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal from Shelby Township Historical Committee
- The Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal from the State of Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries
- Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal City of Rochester Hills Museum
- Clinton and Kalamazoo Canal & Dexter Branch from 1880 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN
- An Economic Lesson From Michigan's Early History from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy by Burton Folsom, Jr.