Constructed in 1835, the Oneida Feeder Canal replenished water lost from the Erie Canal as boats were locked through the old Oneida Lake Canal between Higginsville and Oneida Lake. The feeder stretched 3 miles and was 12 feet wide, running from Oneida Creek near Oneida Castle to the Erie Canal in Durhamville, where it brought convenient access and strong shipping potential to the community. After the old Oneida Lake Canal closed in 1863, the feeder was deepened to carry cargo from Durhamville to a dock north of Elm Street. It also became part of everyday life in Oneida: in early winter it turned into a busy skating rink through midtown, when snow covered the ice it served as a road into Durhamville, in summer it hosted bathtub races during July 4th celebrations and allowed small boats to float down the channel, and homes on the east side of Main Street had small bridges crossing it. Its banks were graded and lined with trees to beautify the area, and it played an important role in supplying water during fires, with citizens at times forming bucket brigades, including at a fire across from the Allen House Hotel. As railroads became more widely used, the feeder's practical and aesthetic value declined, and in 1925 the city began filling it in for use as a storm water drainage system, a process completed in 1936.