Chair, the program committee. Dave and i thank you all for coming this evening to our lecture series. A nice turnout, a lot of different competition out there, but who can compete with this man right . Bill merchant, a great friend of mine, but of course, hes a great historian and hes really wheel and bringing forth the true history of a great story known as the delaware and hudson canal. So tonight, bill will give you a chock full of new information, great insights and wonderment bill merchant everyone. Thank you very much for coming this evening. Im the Deputy Director for collections historian and here at the dean Canal Historical Society and im the chair or president of the delaware and hudson transportation heritage council. Now that ive gotten over the most difficult part of the talk, im really delighted to do this particular presentation. I have never done it here for the Canal Society. My general history of the dredge. Im working on a book on the topic and itll probably be call
Lecture series. A nice turnout, a lot of different competition out there, but who can compete with this man right . Bill merchant, a great friend of mine, but of course, hes a great historian and hes really wheel and bringing forth the true history of a great story known as the delaware and hudson canal. So tonight, bill will give you a chock full of new information, great insights and wonderment bill merchant everyone. Thank you very much for coming this evening. Im the Deputy Director for collections historian and here at the dean Canal Historical Society and im the chair or president of the delaware and hudson transportation heritage council. Now that ive gotten over the most difficult part of the talk, im really delighted to do this particular presentation. I have never done it here for the Canal Society. My general history of the dredge. Im working on a book on the topic and itll probably be called the dutch canal 19th century engine of prosperity, because indeed it was. This is a
Company and innovations that made the Brooklyn Bridge in new york and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco a possibility. Back in 2008 the Brooklyn Bridge had its 125th Anniversary Party and mayor bloomberg presided over it. He said that the Brooklyn Bridge would be an icon of new york city. He is absolutely correct because if you look at television or read magazines its very hard to watch tv and repeated images of the Brooklyn Bridge. It really is the icon of new york city and it originated here in trenton. John roebling was worn in 1806 impression which later became part of germany and the town he was born in mule houston is about 100 kilometers southwest of berlin. When he came here he had a firstclass Engineering Education in germany by some of the best architects and engineers in europe. He arrived here just as america was taking off in terms of the Industrial Revolution and there were very few train engineers here. He showed up with tremendous skills and was able to you know r
Graduatean and Harvard School of architecture. We always like to ask everyone off cell phones and beepers and now lets give barry lewis a warm welcome. You. Dont need wis i that. You know me. Im all over the stage. Interesting i had people talking to me about the lecture. About theally talking whreuBrooklyn Bridge ands as brooklyn. New york would never admit it needed rooklyn but it it. Again, just in case people were series of three lectures i did the first one bout a month ago and in recouping that remember new york and Staten Island becomes a by the 1820s and 180s. In phafrpblt and 1875 one Manhattan Island. That is called growth. 1860s upper left is an print of the built up part of manhattan and new york. Those days new york city feels Manhattan Island and when river you ross the were in the independent city of brooklyn. By the time you get to the 1860s the bridge will begin in 1869. Reason it was needed by the ime you get to the late 1860s downtown new york is the Central Business
He is best known throughout new york for the series of video walking tours presented by channel 13, including the Emmy Award Nominated shows 42nd street, broadway and harlem. He lectured at numerous vienna venues, including columbia, university of pennsylvania and smithsonian and Harvard Graduate School of planning and architecture. We always like to ask everyone to turn off cell phones and electronic beepers. Now lets give barry lewis a warm welcome. Thank you. [applause] professor lewis i dont need that. You know me. Im all over the stage. Actually it is interesting there it i had people talking to me about the lecture. Im not really talking about the the Brooklyn Bridge as much as brooklyn. New york would never admit it needed brooklyn but it needed it. Again, just in case people were not here, its a series of three lectures. I did the first one about a month ago. Remember new york and Staten Island becomes a premier city by the 1820s and 180s. 1830s. 60,000 in manhattan in 1800 and