Read more about the article The Erie Canal: A New York Venture Helped Shape North Carolina

The Erie Canal: A New York Venture Helped Shape North Carolina

The Erie Canal across New York State was a marvel. The concept was visionary. The business plan was revolutionary. The engineering was inspiring. The Erie Canal forever changed New York State and the Midwest. It also taught far-away North Carolina lessons that helped the "Rip Van Winkle State" rouse itself from crippling economic stagnation.

Read more about the article The Dismal Swamp Canal – Genesis

The Dismal Swamp Canal – Genesis

With no quality seaports available to them in North Carolina, colonial plantation owners looked longingly at the bustling port of Norfolk as a jumping-off point for external markets. But how could they transport goods north? Hey, why not dig a canal? All that stood in the way was 2,200 square miles of "... a vast Body of mire and Nastiness."