Scene on the Erie Canal, 1842; wash drawing.

The canal was a major achievement that improved the nation’s transportation infrastructure and provided great economic
benefit for much of the country.

The Erie Canal opened, connecting the Great Lakes with the
Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River. Governor DeWitt Clinton
of New York, the driving force behind the project, led the
opening ceremonies and rode the canal boat Seneca Chief
from Buffalo to New York City.

Work began on the waterway in 1817. Teams of oxen plowed
the ground, but for the most part the work was done by
immigrants, among them Irish diggers who had to rely on
primitive tools. They were paid $10 a month, and barrels of
whisky were placed along the canal route as encouragement.

Erie Canal Opening with Governor Clinton (1769-1828).

John Allan Jones (January 14, 1938 – October 23, 2024)

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning
crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song,
has died.

Jones died Wednesday night at a hospital in Rancho Mirage,
California, after battling leukemia for more than two years.

CARLATA BRADLEY

Before Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak
served as a disc jockey during the
Vietnam War in Vietnam on the
Armed Forces Radio.

TV game show host Patrick Leonard
Sajak is 78 today.

Phil Lesh, one of the founding members and bassist for the
band Grateful Dead, has died. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked
him as the 11th greatest bass player.

His death was confirmed on his official Instagram page, which
said he "passed peacefully this morning. He was surrounded
by his family and full of love." He was 84 years old.