Historical News and Views from the Empire State
Amateur and professional photographers have been invited to submit entries for the 14th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest.
Photos should convey the wealth of things to do and see along the waterway and express the beauty and unique character of the canal and canal communities. Winning photos will be featured in the 2020 Erie Canalway calendar. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Photo Contest Call for Entries
On June 17, 1909 the Broadalbin Herald newspaper reported on a canal boat that sunk in Fort Hunter that was loaded with 240 tons of salt. The barge, George Bleistein had been hauling the salt in a “double header” (both barges being towed together) along with the Col. J.H. Horton. Both barges were from Buffalo and captained by George H. Ray of Port Byron. The George Bleistein sank ON the Schoharie Creek Aqueduct.
Reportedly, a steam pump and diver were required to raise the boat and the cargo was thought to be a total loss. The bags of salt were consigned to The International Salt Company of New York, which continues today in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. [Read more…] about A Sunken Buffalo Canal Barge, A Coal Baron, A Canal Diver & A Publisher
A “little short of madness.” That is how Thomas Jefferson responded when two delegates from New York approached him with the idea to build the Erie Canal in January 1809.
Jefferson’s comment did not discourage New Yorkers. On January 4, 1817, New York State began building a 363-mile long canal to link the Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes and the Midwest. [Read more…] about A Visit To Schoharie Crossing (Liz Covart Podacst)
The Saratoga Country History Roundtable is set to sponsor a walking tour of the Vischer Ferry Historic District on Saturday, July 27 at 10 am. The Tour will be led by Clifton Park Historian John Scherer. [Read more…] about Vischer Ferry Historic District Walking Tour July 27th
The Rockefeller Institute of Government is set to launch a series of community engagement sessions throughout July for Reimagine the Canals, a state-sponsored initiative to identify new uses for the Erie Canal and reimagine this historic waterway for the 21st century.
The initiative, launched in May by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, builds on last year’s Reimagine the Canals competition, which sought innovative ideas to boost local economies, increase recreation and strengthen environmental resilience along the Erie Canal. [Read more…] about ‘Reimagine the Canals’ Community Meetings Set
The annual Canal Day event at Schoharie Crossing has been set for Saturday, July 6 from 11 am to 4 pm.
This year the festival is being held in conjunction with the Tri-County Old Power Associates Engine Show as well as the Metis Nation St. Kateri PowWow. All events are happening on the grounds of the historic site, 129 Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. Parking is free. [Read more…] about Canal Day at Schoharie Crossing
After visiting almost every state, Museum on Main Street is making its New York State debut with the Water/Ways exhibit this June at the Erie Canal Museum.
The Erie Canal Museum and the surrounding community has been chosen by the Museum Association of New York to host Water/Ways as part of the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program ― a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. The exhibition will tour six communities in New York State through April 2020. [Read more…] about Exhibit at Erie Canal Museum Explores Water’s Enviro, Cultural Impacts
Opened in 1841 to carry canal boats over the Schoharie Creek, Schoharie Aqueduct was one of the major aqueducts of the enlarged Erie Canal. This impressive structure is a centerpiece of the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter. But years of deterioration threaten the stability of the aqueduct and only six of its original 14 stone arches remain. [Read more…] about Steps Taken to Preserve Schoharie Aqueduct
Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit entries for the 14th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Photos should convey the wealth of things to do and see along the waterway and express the beauty and unique character of the canal and canal communities. Winning photos will be featured in the 2020 Erie Canalway calendar. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Photo Contest Call for Entries
More than 125 paddlers are set to fill the Waterford Flight of locks with colorful kayaks, canoes, and SUPs on Sunday, June 2 from 9 am to noon, to kick off the Canalway Challenge in the Capital Region.
The half-day trip takes participants on an easy 2.7 mile flat water stretch through the towering Erie Canal Locks 2-6, a set of five locks with a lift of 169 feet in just over 1.5 miles. [Read more…] about Waterford Flight Paddle Kicks-off Canalway Challenge