Syracuse NY: Revitalized Former Erie Canal Town

News
The Erie Canal Museum was included in the Getaway Mavens Syracuse area post. "WHY GO: A 'port' town, Syracuse NY was sophisticated and open to the outside world from the get go, despite its remote Central NY location. The Erie Canal actually coursed right through downtown: old photographs convey a Venice-like panorama. But the the waterway Read More »
Congratulations, Model Canal Boat Contest Winners!

Congratulations, Model Canal Boat Contest Winners!

Community, Exhibit, News , , ,
Online contest attracts entries from four states Congratulations to the winners of the Erie Canal Museum's Brick-a-Boat model canal boat contest! In this contest, partner museums across the state judged model boats of all kinds according to overall appeal, originality, difficulty, and creative use of materials. The contest was completely online, free to enter, and Read More »
Model Boats Make a Splash

Model Canal Boats Make a Splash

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Digital exhibit features entries in Erie Canal Museum’s Brick-a-Boat model canal boat contest. Works go on the museum website August 28.  By Vicki Krisak, Erie Canal Museum A steam-powered cargo boat, a tugboat that traveled the Great Lakes, a railroad barge, and a replica of the Independence, a packet boat built for the Erie Canal Read More »
Through the Mire: A Look at the Environmental History of the Erie Canal

Through the Mire: A Look at the Environmental History of the Erie Canal

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By David Brooks, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site An examination of the environmental history of Upstate New York and its impact on the Erie Canal The waterways of New York State have been utilized for hundreds of years but with the arrival of Europeans and the age of colonialism, their ability to effectively support commerce Read More »
CNY Hops: The Birth, Death & Rebirth of an Industry

CNY Hops: The Birth, Death & Rebirth of an Industry

Event, News, Program, Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,
Images of the hops industry in Central New York The Erie Canal Museum's July 9 Quarantine Coffee Hour features Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz discussing the history of the hops industry in Central New York. The program will be streamed on Facebook Live beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It's free and open to all. Hops Read More »
Erie Canal Museum Reopening Survey

Erie Canal Museum Reopening Survey

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Syracuse museum seeks public input on reopening during COVID-19 pandemic On March 16, 2020, the Erie Canal Museum closed its doors to protect visitors, volunteers, and staff from the deadly coronavirus that swept the nation. We canceled or postponed until further notice all in-person programs and events. We continued to offer numerous resources and programs Read More »
Syracuse's First Fourth of July Celebration

Syracuse’s First Fourth of July Celebration

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A look at Syracuse's 1820 Fourth of July celebration By Derrick Pratt, Erie Canal Museum Educator The Erie Canal totally transformed the state of New York. In few places was that transformation as clear as in the Erie Canal Museum’s hometown, Syracuse. Prior to the Canal, what became the City of Syracuse was a small, Read More »
The History of the Morris Canal

Exploring New Jersey’s Morris Canal

Feature article, News, Program, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,
Courtesy of the Canal Society of New Jersey A brief overview of New Jersey's historic Morris Canal In 1824 the Morris Canal & Banking Company (MC&BC) was chartered to build a canal that would carry coal, mined in Pennsylvania, to developing markets along the eastern seaboard. The canal would pass through the heart of New Read More »
Immigrants and the D&H Canal

Immigrants and the D&H Canal

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By Bill Merchant, D&H Canal Historical Society (The author and the D&H Canal Historical Society express their gratitude to the Ulster County Community Grants Fund of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for their financial assistance towards our on- going research on this topic) America is a country of immigrants. They have always been Read More »
The Weighlock Building: There's No Place Like Home

The Weighlock Building: There’s No Place Like Home

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Working at the Weighlock Building on the Erie Canal in Syracuse, New York   New York State employees occupied the Syracuse Weighlock Building beginning on July 22, 1850. There was a high turnover rate among them. It’s not known how many employees worked at the Weighlock, but at least in the beginning, they were Read More »
"21st Century Kids Along the Erie Canal" available free online

“21st Century Kids Along the Erie Canal” now free online

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Erie Canal author and boatman Robert Graham just released a new book, 21st Century Kids Along the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal Museum is partnering with the author by making this book of photographs available for free on our website. Click here to access 21st Century Kids. The book features 102 photographs documenting the lives of Read More »
Syracuse's First Fourth of July Celebration

Early Months of Erie Canal Navigation in Syracuse

Community, News, Uncategorized , , , , , ,
By Derrick Pratt, Erie Canal Museum Educator Earlier this year, we looked at the early months of 1820 in Syracuse and on the fledgling Erie Canal, which, with the arrival of the Montezuma on April 20, began to offer the small community a taste of the astounding opportunities presented by its waters. This was only Read More »