Monadnock Moment No. 113

Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation - 1763 to 1820

The Bellows Falls Canal

The village of Bellows Falls, across the Connecticut River from Walpole, New Hampshire, was the site of an important 18th century engineering project, the construction of one of the first canals in the United States.

The Vermont state legislature chartered the canal in October of 1792. The purpose of the canal was to allow for navigation around the impassable channel and dangerous falls. Three brothers of the Atkinson family of London were granted exclusive rights to build the canal and erect a dam across the river.

The work proved difficult and the construction of the canal required ten years to complete. By the time the first boat passed through the canal in 1802, the Atkinson brothers had spent $105,000 to build the dam, canal and locks.

This was one of a series of six canals built on the river to allow for the continuous movement of freight and passengers along the waterway. The canal was a busy place. During the year of 1828, 103 boats weighing more than 7,000 tons passed through the canal.

The development of railroads and improved highways after 1850 was the beginning of the end for the river's canal system. The Atkinson family sold the canal to two Keene men in 1866 and it was used mainly for water power for local mills after that time. The dam and canal were rebuilt for hydro-electric purposes between 1926 and 1928, and the old Bellows Falls canal became a footnote in Connecticut River history.