1 Building Little Falls

The River

What once was a path for flooding glacial waters has since been used as a convenient navigable passage for people. The rushing river in Bartlett’s print is the Mohawk; flowing through New York state it has been a valuable resource for traders and travelers throughout history. Before European settlers arrived the valley was home to the peoples of the Iroquois Nations. The eastern most group was the Mohawk Tribe for which the river got its name. Iroquois tribes navigated the river on boats of birch^[8] and recognized the rocky rapids at Little Falls, New York as “Astenrogan” which means tumbling waters, or place of rocks^[9]. European settlers recognized these rapids as the “Little Falls” distinguishing them from the “Big Falls”, further East, in Cohoes, New York^[10]. This area of the river caught the attention of those who navigated here, becoming a geographic landmark that has been documented throughout the history of the area. The “Astenrogan” forced boaters to stop and carry their vessels around on foot. During the 18th Century the first group of Palatine settlers came to the Little Falls area to farm their own land. The first signs of permanent settlement in Little Falls included taverns, small storage buildings and a grist mill powered by the flowing water of the river. The rushing waters at Little Falls were treacherous, but the power of the river held opportunity for travel, trade, and industry if the power could be harnessed^[11].

The Mohawk River Valley became known as the Great Passage West, connecting the eastern shore to the Western Region of the continent^[12]. The convenient route was a great resource of trade and expansion in the early years of America. Just like America itself, as a newly established country, Little Falls was only beginning to expand and industrialize, and the first industries had their ups and downs. The original grist mill, the first to harness the power of the Mohawk River at Little Falls, was attacked and burnt down in 1782^[13]. Eventually, the grist mill was rebuilt, many industries thrived, and Little Falls was well on its way to becoming a booming industrial town.

The Infrastructure

A whole decade before Bartlett’s illustration of Little Falls, the Erie Canal was completed. This system of locks was built to make an easily navigable route through the natural valley and to expand the manufacturing and trade potential of the nation. As seen in Bartlett’s illustration the Erie Canal ran along the south bank of the river and was bordered by a towpath; mules and men would pull boats along the canal to access the locks^[14]. Not seen in the illustration is the series of 4 locks that raised and lowered boats to compensate for the 40 foot drop in the river elevation at Little Falls^[15]. Following the flow of natural rivers and streams, the Erie canal was a catalyst for the boom of industry that Nathanial Parker Willis described in his annotation to Bartlett’s drawing^[16]. The ability to easily move goods along the canal system opened possibilities for manufacturing, business, and global markets in river towns along the Mohawk. Many mills and factories were built on the riverbanks to take advantage of the natural energy source of the river and the accessible trade route of the Erie Canal, which increased the need for laborers. European immigrants arrived in America and worked in the factories; these people made up a large percentage of Little Falls’ population during this era^[17]. Little Falls banks filled with many successful industries including wool, leather, shoes, and bicycles. For a time Little Falls was exporting cheese to England and called the cheese capital of the nation^[18].

Increased population, business and activity in Little Falls made for other necessary modifications of the waterway; each making the town more accessible. In 1841, the year Bartlett’s print was published, the Erie Canal was expanded to accommodate increased traffic and larger boats. Not long after a navigable aqueduct was built bridging the river to a boat basin above its north bank^[19]. The aqueduct has since been washed away by the rushing river; a great example of the Mohawk River’s natural fury constantly testing manmade infrastructure. In the early 1900’s the need for a larger canal, to accommodate increasingly larger vessels, was apparent. In some locations the Erie Canal was enlarged to become part of the Barge Canal; at Little Falls the original canal footprint was deserted and the Mohawk River was expanded to become part of the Barge Canal. Lock 17, at an impressive 40.5 feet high, has replaced the original lock series at Little Falls and is functional to this day^[20]. Visible remnants of the Erie Canal and aqueduct still stand as a reminder of the River’s persistent strength, and man’s sequential engineering feats to tame the waters of the Mohawk River.

Conclusion

Little Falls, New York holds a piece of American History that tells a story of nature and man coming together to achieve great things. William Henry Bartlett and other traveling artists have played an important role in this part of the nation’s early history. Artistic representations, like this sketch of Little Falls, provide an opportunity to reflect and interpret that past. The natural landscape, the physical location, and the infrastructure that Bartlett captured are all instrumental building blocks of the town of Little Falls and the American story.