Creating the Erie Canal

 A Film by Tom Garber 

 Before steam engines and the Industrial Revolution, when progress relied on little more than muscle, grit, and imagination, a group of pioneers and immigrants dared to dream big. Against staggering odds, they engineered and built one of the world’s longest hand-dug canals, the Erie Canal.

What these builders lacked in formal training, they made up for in sheer determination and creativity. Their work not only transformed Upstate New York into a hub of agriculture and industry but also propelled New York City into becoming the nation’s premier port. Considered the first and most transformative public works project in American history, the Erie Canal became a lifeline for trade, culture, and opportunity.

 Creating the Erie Canal is a powerful new documentary written, produced, and directed by Tom Garber, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker from Syracuse, NY. Garber’s award-winning documentaries have aired nationally on public television and been screened at festivals and museums across the country.

Through dramatic storytelling, rare archival images, and expert insight, the film explores how pioneers and immigrants discovered the intersection of ambition and opportunity in Upstate New York. It’s a story of vision, struggle, and triumph that still resonates today.

 Join us for a special screening:

Samuel Center for Canal History
38 Rochester Street, Port Byron, NY

Thursday, September 25, 2025
7:00 PM

Admission is free, and donations are welcome to support ongoing educational programming CSNYS - Creating the Erie Canal.