Wausau: History Speaks: Building the Eerie Canal

Two hundred years ago the Erie Canal was completed, a 363-mile waterway that connected the Great Lakes and the Hudson River. It revolutionized American commerce; shifted national trade patterns; fueled the growth of New York City; and helped spark the Transportation Revolution. Yet this great work of labor and innovation is largely forgotten today. Join us as the Marathon County History Society welcomes Brett Barker to tell the story of this “Great Ditch” and the way it changed American history from then until today.

Dr. Brett Barker is Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History and International Studies at UW-Stevens Point and a member of the Board of Directors of the Marathon County Historical Society. He has been giving presentations at the MCHS for over twenty years.

This event is free and open to the public—no registration required—and is presented in partnership with the Marathon County Public Library and sponsored by Janke Bookstore. For more information, please call 715-842-5750.