1  Gilbert J. Clark  b: 1815 New York  Events: ca  1835 [Erie Canal worker] NY  Note:
      possible death 1884 Chicopee, Hampden, MA  Locations: BEFORE 1835 Massachusetts; ca
      1835 Ogdensburg, NY;  1850 [30yrs?] Westville, Franklin, New York; 1880 Westville,
      Franklin, New York;  Note: Protestant
      +Eliza Leonard  b: ca  1821  d: Bef. 1880  Locations: 1850 Westville, Franklin, New
      York; 
    2  Elmer Clark  b: Westville, NY 
    2  Meville Clark  b: Westville, NY 
    2  Sue Clark  b: Westville, NY 
    2  Isabella "Belle" Clark  b: ca  1844 Westville, NY  Locations: 1850 Westville,
       Franklin, New York; 1880 Westville, Franklin, New York; 
    2  Leslie Leonard Clark  b: 11 Mar 1845 Ogdensburg, NY  d: 22 Sep 1922 Cicero, Cook
       Co., Illinois  Events: 25 Sep 1922 [buried] Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Chicago, Cook Co.,
       IL  Note: His marriage says b.11Mar1853 but 1850 census shows him at 4.  Occupation:
       Carpenter, baseball player, bar/hotel ownr  Locations: Ogdensburg [Malone?], NY;
       Canada; 1850 [4yrs] Westville, Franklin, New York;  1889-1901 Chicago, IL;  1900 [as
       Leon] Chicago, Cook Co., IL;  1910 Chicago Ward 13, Cook Co., IL;  1920 Tract M3
       Part Of 13, Cook Co, IL;  Notes: Catholic/Agnostic Englsh/Frnch/Dtch/Canadn
       +Bridget O'Halloran  b: Jan 1866 Cork County, Ireland  d: 12 Jun 1902 Chicago, Cook
       Co., IL  Cause of death: Puerperal fever  m: 14 Dec 1888 Chicago, Cook Co., IL
       Events: 1885 Emmigrated to USA, Chicago, Il;  14 Jun 1902 [buried] Mt. Carmel
       Cemetery, Chicago, Cook Co., IL  Occupation: took in washing, hired out as domestic
       Locations: 1900 Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois  Note: Catholic 
     3  ? Clark  b: Bef. 1889 Chicago, IL  d: [infancy] Chicago, Il  Locations: Chicago,
        Illinois 
     3  Anastasia "Anne" Clark  b: 18 Jul 1889 Chicago, Il  d: 25 Mar 1960 Shelby, Oceana
        Co., MI  Events: ca  1902 [St Joseph's orphanage] Chicago, Il;  ca  1914 [40 acre
        "Roselawn" farm] Coffee Co, Tn  [buried] Mt. Hope Cem. Section A lot 36 Shelby,
        Oceana Co., MI;  Occupation: housewife, antique sales  Locations: 1900 [census]
        Cook Co., IL; c1907-1908 [cash girl] Sears & Roebuck, Chicago, IL;  c1908-1909
        [waitress] Ravisloe Country Club, Chicago, Il;  1910 [census] Cook Co, Il; 1917
        Chicago, Il;  1918 [RFH draft] 4820 W 24th St., Cicero, Ward 6, Cook Co., IL:  1920
        [census] Cook Co, Il; 1930 [census] Cook Co, Il;  ca 1946 Shelby/Hart, Mi
        +Rolland Francis Hatfield  b: 12 Jan 1886 Hamilton Twp., Gratiot Co., MI  d: 14 Aug
        1955 Hart, Oceana Co., MI  Cause of death: stroke  m: Oct 1909 Chicago, IL  Events:
        ca  1914 [40 acre "Roselawn" farm] Coffee Co, Tn;  1932 [Helena death] Cicero, Cook
        Co., Il;  [buried] Mt. Hope Cem. Section A lot 36 Shelby, Oceana Co., MI;
        Occupation: farmer, railroad worker, WestrnElecCo  Locations: ca 1889 [farming] La
        Porte, In; 1900 W.Point, White Co, In; ca 1901 Chicago, Il;  1908-1909 [bookkeeper]
        Ravisloe Country Club, Chicago, Il;  1910 [Montgomery Wards] Chicago, IL; 1910
        [census] Ward 35, Cook Co, Il;  ca 1916 [railroad] Chattanooga, Tn; ca 1917
        [WestrnElecCo] Chicago, Il;  1918 [draft] 4820 W 24th St., Cicero, Ward 6, Cook
        Co., IL;1920 Cook Co., IL;  1930 [census] Cook Co, IL; ca 1946 [retired]
        Shelby/Hart, Oceana Co., Mi;
     3  Walter L Clark  b: Jul 1893 Chicago, IL  Locations: 1900 Chicago, Cook Co., IL;
        1910 Chicago Ward 13, Cook Co., IL; 
     3  Genevieve Clark  b: Jul 1896 Chicago, IL?  Events: ca  1902 St Joseph's orphanage,
        Chicago, Il  Locations: 1900 Chicago, Cook Co., IL;  1910 Chicago Ward 13, Cook
        Co., IL; 
     3  Betty Clark  b: 1902 Chicago, IL  Events: ca  1902 foster home, Chicago, Il
        Locations: Los Angeles, California 
        +? Fox 
    2  Cornelia Clark  b: ca  1848 NY  Locations: 1850 Westville, Franklin, New York; 
    2  Ernest Clark  b: ca  1853 Westville, NY  Locations: 1880 Westville, Franklin, New
       York; 
    2  Eugene Clark  b: ca  1854 Ogdensburg, NY?  Occupation: farmer?  Locations: Malone,
       NY 
     3  Chester G. Clark  Locations: 1965 Los Angeles, Ca 
    2  Gordon Clark  b: ca  1863 Westville, NY  Locations: 1880 Westville, Franklin, New
       York; 
    2  Carrie Clark  b: ca  1866 Westville, NY  Locations: 1880 Westville, Franklin, New
       York; 

Per www.eriecanal.org: 

Proposed in 1808 and completed in 1825, the canal links the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. An engineering marvel when it was built, some called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

In order to open the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to carry produce to a market, the construction of a canal was proposed as early as 1768. However, those early proposals would connect the Hudson River with Lake Ontario near Oswego. It was not until 1808 that the state legislature funded a survey for a canal that would connect to Lake Erie. Finally, on July 4, 1817, Governor Dewitt Clinton broke ground for the construction of the canal. In those early days, it was often sarcastically referred to as "Clinton's Big Ditch". When finally completed on October 26, 1825, it was the engineering marvel of its day. It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, and floated boats carrying 30 tons of freight. A ten foot wide towpath was built along the bank of the canal for horses, mules, and oxen led by a boy boat driver or "hoggee".

In order to keep pace with the growing demands of traffic, the Erie Canal was enlarged between 1836 and 1862. The "Enlarged Erie" was 70 feet wide and 7 feet deep, and could handle boats carrying 240 tons. The number of locks was reduced to 72.