236 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



70,000 people at Buffalo. 1 Lockport is a specially interesting 

 case, because the original water power at that place was arti- 

 ficially created by the construction of the Erie canal. 



At Kochester the conditions were also somewhat forbidding. 

 An extensive black ash swamp occupied the area now covered by 

 the original first, second and third wards of that city, and which 

 is now largely the business part of the town. 



Because of its location on Lake Ontario, and at the mouth of 

 Oswego river, Oswego may be possibly considered a natural town 

 site, although considerable amounts of money have been expended 

 to construct a harbor there, while not very far away the fine 

 harbors of Sodus bays are still practically unutilized. By way 

 of comparing the Sodus bays harbors with Oswego, we may refer 

 to the annual report of the Chief of Engineers for the fiscal year 

 ending June 30, 1898, from which it appears that the total amount 

 expended for the harbor at Great Sodus bay from May 23, 1828, to 

 June 3, 1896, inclusive, was $475,646.80 ; at Little Sodus bay from 

 August 20, 1852. to June 3, 1896, the total amount expended was 

 $332,941.77, and at Oswego from March 20, 1826, to June 3, 1896, 

 the total amount expended was $1,902,612.87. Had it not been for 

 the water power at Oswego it is quite possible that the chief 

 town of the east end of Lake Ontario might have been located 

 at some place other than the mouth of the Oswego river, although 

 in considering these figures as to the cost of harbor we may prop- 

 erly take into account that Oswego has become a large town, while 

 there are still only very small towns on Sodus bays. 



At Watertown the conditions for building a city may be con- 

 sidered fairly favorable and the advantage of the Black river 

 water power has been accentuated by the admirable site. 



At Little Falls rocky ledges in a narrow river gorge have 

 operated to make the cost of building a town expensive, and the 



l For account of water supply of Lockport, see the following reports: (1) 

 Report on the Water Supply of the Western Division of Erie Canal, dated 

 April 15, 1896. (2), Report on a System of Domestic Water Supply in the 

 Vicinity of Lockport, N. Y., dated Nov. 27, 1003. 



