NEW SIGNS FOR THE OLD CANAL

At long last the public will be able to find and trace the original pathway of the Clinton and Kalamazoo Canal. This canal was started in 1838, the year after Michigan gained
statehood.

New colorful signs showing the route of the canal will be placed in Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Utica, Shelby Township and Rochester Hills. In some places the remains of the canal are still visible.

The purpose of this canal was to open up the heavily forested land for settlers and commercial boat traffic. The canal route was from the mouth of the Clinton River near Mt. Clemens, to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River near Saugatuck. After being dedicated by the first Governor of Michigan, Steven T. Mason on July 20, 1838 in Mount Clemens, work began in earnest near the now extinct community of Frederick in Clinton Township. There were hundreds of Irish workers on the project working for 65 cents a day from sunup to sundown. Work on the canal was carried out in one-mile sections. Each section was a separate bid project. Several of these sections also included the building of locks to lift and lower the boats over the 220-foot elevation difference over the length of the canal.

Financing of the canal was done by the sale of bonds by the State of Michigan. This was known as the Internal Improvement Act. A total of $5,000,000 worth of bonds were sold in order for the state to fulfill its dream of building three railroads and two canals to open the vast inland of Michigan.

Unfortunately, the Panic of 1837, which lasted several years, wiped out hundreds of banks and caused the default of many bonds and loans. Money was in short supply for the building of the Clinton and Kalamazoo Canal and work was often suspended for weeks. Eventually the state legislature became disenchanted with the project and abandoned any further improvements in 1848.

For a short time there was some boat traffic on the canal from Utica to the Village of Frederick in Clinton Township. Grain, whiskey, lumber and passengers were the main items of transport. However the small receipts never came up to the expectations of the state.

After the canal building was abandoned, the canal did serve some useful life in supplying water for several mills. This lasted until the 1940’s. Eventually, the canal property was sold to local farmers.

At various places along the route of the canal, local historical commissions have made some improvements that can be seen by the public. In Clinton Township, Canal Park, at Canal Road and Clinton River Road, has some remains of an old lock and a wood dam used to create a slack water pond for the canal boats to cross the Clinton River.

In Shelby Township there is a nice stretch of the canal, with water in it. This can be seen at Holland Pond Park at 22 Mile Road and Ryan.

Rochester Hills has the remains of an aqueduct that was used for the canal boats to cross the Clinton River. This was much like a railroad bridge crossing a river, except that in case of the aqueduct the bridge is an enclosed “tub” filled with water for the boats. The remains of this aqueduct can be seen at the Yates Cider Mill near 23 Mile Road and Dequindre. The canal is well preserved throughout Bloomer Park.

In the late 1700’s and the early 1800’s, dozens of canals were built in the United States. The railroad was not developed until after 1825 and it took years before it was popular with the public. The canals, however, were an accepted means of transportation. They had been in use in Europe an Asia for centuries. People understood them and trusted canal transportation.

The Erie Canal of 1825 was the best known canal and was highly successful. It accounted for much of the growth of Michigan. Thousands of early settlers traveled the Erie Canal for their move to this new territory. The major promoter of the Erie Canal was New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. It was because of his popularity that we have the names of Clinton Township and the Clinton River.

For further information about the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal, contact the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm at 248.656.4663 or rhmuseum@rochesterhills.org.

Contact Persons
Patrick J. McKay
Supervisor of Interpretive Services
Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm
248.608.8262