In the 19th century, the Genesee Valley Canal passed through the lands which would become Letchworth Park. Although the Canal was abandoned in 1878, those who hike along the old canal bed can still find traces of that engineering wonder, especially along Trail #7.

Until their death, J. Hayward and Emily Madden of South Livonia were considered to be the leading experts on the Genesee Valley Canal. Among their extensive research files and resources were notebooks documenting each section of the old Canal.

In June of 1978 I visited with the Maddens and took the notes found below, which identify important landmarks of the Canal in the sections in or near Letchworth Park.

Please note that the comments found in parenthesis are the Madden's notes or comments describing the features as they existed in the 1960's and 70's. There may have been some changes since that time.

Modern photographs of some of the features listed below are found in Part II

SECTION 53 (starts in Oakland, east of Oakland Road and extends to a point east of the Deep Cut)

• Lock 54 (first lock west of Oakland Road - shows wooden quoin post)
• Lock 55 (shows grooves for timber posts)
• Pound Reach (storage of water to supply lock)
• Lock 56 (most photographed of all, very good condition)
• Lock 57 (composite lock)
• Lock 58
• Lock 59

SECTION 54 (starts at Deep Cut and extends to point on William Road)

• Lock 60 (marks eastern end of Deep Cut - last lock on Canal for nine miles)

SECTION 55 (starts at point in William Road and runs to point near River Road)

• Prism (canal bed still visible with water and towpath)

SECTION 56 (starts near River Road and runs to a point near the Parade Grounds)

• Prism (still visible)

SECTION 57 (starts near the Parade Grounds and extends to the Slide Area by Middle Falls)

• Abandoned Portage Tunnel
• Canal bed pinning to edge of cliff
• RR Culvert of Pennsylvania RR
• Site of Hornby Lodge (nothing visible)
• Location of south entrance to Portage Tunnel (nothing visible?)
• Stone wall along towpath of Canal
• Waste Weir
• Slide Area

SECTION 58 (starts at Slide Area and extends to point near Railroad Bridge)

• Slide Area (once site of wooden trunk aqueduct and contractors (?) building)
• Prism visible
• Some Remains of stone walls (may not be related to Canal
• Portage High Bridge

SECTION 59 (starts at Railroad Bridge and extends to Portage Aqueduct)

• Rock cut (section from Bridge to point just before aqueduct)
• Portageville Aqueduct (wooden, one support left in river bed, stone walls still visible at both ends)

SECTION 60 (starts at Aqueduct and extends in Portageville)

Tom Cook
March 2002

Also see our Glimpse of the Genesee Valley Canal

Sources

Notebooks of J. Hayward and Emily Madden, South Livonia, New York