Welcome to 40x4x28, a visual exploration of the most consequential public infrastructure project in American history. The Erie Canal, originally completed nearly 200 years ago, forever altered the face and character of the United States. These landscapes capture glimpses of places along its path at specific moments in time.
Blog
Goodbye, for now
This will be my final post here at 40x4x28. Within a few weeks this blog and the rest of the website will be taken down.
Roughing in the river
A nearly forgotten report published in 1866 helps us chase down the historic outlines of the Genesee River and reconstruct the terrain underlying the early village of Rochester.
Taming the Genesee
The Genesee River became an increasingly unruly neighbor as the city of Rochester grew and encroached on it. In the early twentieth century, steam power and dynamite helped to put an end to its annual rampages. In the process, the river’s historic appearance disappeared forever.