In 1828, a survey for the Black River Canal Company proposed of traffic canal, of feeder canal, and of navigable river from
Rome in
Oneida County to
Carthage in
Jefferson County to allow the communities of northern New York access to an inexpensive mode of transportation for commerce. Originally the Canal Commission's intent was to complete a route that would terminate at the
St. Lawrence River in
Ogdensburg at the northern edge of
St. Lawrence County. The canal when finished only went to Carthage and yet still possessed all of the traits proposed in 1828 and rose a modest . One hundred nine
locks were required to raise and lower the barges over this relatively short distance. 109 locks were needed because, along the course of the canal, the elevation changes 1073 feet. Some of the locks were in consecutive series of four and five due to steep grades, these locks were known as "combination locks". The summit of the Black River Canal ("BRC") passed through
Boonville in Oneida County, where it met with a feeder canal that originated in
Forestport. The northern end of the canal proper terminated at
Lyons Falls in
Lewis County while canal boat traffic continued through to Carthage by way of improvements to the navigability of the Black River itself and the assistance of steamboats. Two additional locks and four dams on the river were needed to accomplish this feat. ==Brief history of construction and partial abandonment ==