Editing Cohoes, New York (section)

===Growth===
Until after the Revolutionary War, Cohoes was a small quiet hamlet with isolated farms. After the Mohawk and other Iroquois allies of the British were forced to cede their territory, New York encouraged new settlement. Thousands of Yankee settlers came from New England. Cohoes was linked to the larger settlements of [[Lansingburgh, New York|Lansingburg]] and Albany. In 1795 the first bridge across the Mohawk River was constructed at Cohoes. It was 900 feet long, 24 feet wide, 15 feet high, and was based on 13 stone piers. It cost $12,000 to build and was a toll bridge. This bridge provided access to Cohoes as one of the main routes north.<ref name=Masten/> The bridge was rebuilt in 1806 by the Cohoes Bridge Company, which raised the tolls to cover the cost.<ref name=phelancarroll/>

Another major transportation improvement, construction of the [[Erie Canal|Erie]] and [[Champlain Canal|Champlain]] canals were begun in 1817. The section in Cohoes was finished in 1823, stimulating trade for the city. Cohoes was known as Juncta because of being served by the two canals, which improved water traffic north to [[Lake Champlain]] and west through the Mohawk Valley. One or both of the canals crossed every farm in Cohoes.<ref name=Masten/> Even with the canals and the bridge bringing easier access to larger markets, Cohoes was a sleepy place prior to 1831. The nearest post office was at Waterford; fresh meat and produce were available mostly by residents raising their own. A United States post office was built in Cohoes in 1831.<ref name=Masten/>