as reported by M. M. Tirion
In the 1850s and 1860s a series of open ditches protected Potsdam from flooding. By the 1890s these ditches were covered with sandstone or with wooden troughs or with different sorts of pipes, becoming the “crosstown canal system” and quickly forgotten. Now, over a hundred years later, extensive parking pavements, as at the high school and hospital, are flooding the canal system itself so repairs are needed. Clarkson students are mapping out the location of the old drainage system and guiding village efforts to improve this old hand-me-down.
This photo taken on Depot St near its intersection with Constitution St.
Local Government Matters 