Monadnock Moment No. 103

Era 4: Expansion and Reform - 1800 to 1860

The Surry-Keene Canal

In the early 1830s Keene was a rapidly growing town of 2,500 residents. A growing number of mills and factories were being built to serve these people.

In 1832 four of Keene's most influential citizens developed a grand scheme to encourage industrial growth in the town. Thomas Edwards, James Wilson, Abijah Wilder, and Josiah Colony proposed the construction of a canal from the northern part of Surry into the village of Keene. The purpose of the canal was to provide water power for mills that would be located along its route.

The canal was to begin at the Ashuelot River at the north end of Surry Mountain. From there it was to run southward between the mountain and the river to a point near the stone arch bridge on Upper Court Street in Keene. The water would then be conveyed to the southeast into a small reservoir and then into a large swamp, which would become a mill pond, just to the north of Cross Street. Another canal would convey the water across Court Street and back toward the Ashuelot River.

Engineer Hoyt prepared a detailed report and map of the canal. The waterway was to be 7 ½ miles long and 33 feet wide. The cost of construction was estimated at $23,000. Hoyt concluded that the canal was entirely practical, but for some reason it was never built. Consequently, this elaborate plan to encourage industrial growth is virtually unknown to today's residents of Keene.