Immigrants and the D&H Canal

Immigrants and the D&H Canal

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

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

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

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 »
The Life and Times of a Canal Boat Cook

The Life and Times of a Canal Boat Cook

Educator Derrick Pratt's biography of Oliver Wendell Petrie, a worker on early 20th century canals By Derrick Pratt, Erie Canal Museum Educator Oliver Wendell Petrie was born into a large family on November 18, 1899 in Oswego, New York. His mother was an avid reader and named her son after Oliver Wendell Holmes, whom she Read More »
Designing and Constructing a Replica of DeWitt Clinton's Seneca Chief

Designing & Constructing A Replica of DeWitt Clinton’s Seneca Chief

By John Montague, Buffalo Maritime Center Join the Erie Canal Museum on Facebook Live, 10 a.m. May 7, to learn more about this project. In anticipation of the bicentennial of the opening of the Erie Canal in 2025, the Buffalo Maritime Center has undertaken a project to construct a replica of DeWitt Clinton’s packet boat Seneca Read More »
Western Terminus of the Erie Canal: Buffalo or Black Rock?

Western Terminus of the Erie Canal: Buffalo or Black Rock?

By Ashley Maready, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Erie Canal Museum  At the time of the original Erie Canal’s construction, in the early 19th century, the big question to be answered was, “Where will the Canal connect to Lake Erie?” A fierce battle ensued, between the villages of Buffalo and Black Rock. The winner of Read More »
Aboard the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad

Aboard the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad

By Jeff Ludwig Guest writer Jeff Ludwig wrote the following article about the historic Auburn and Syracuse Railroad, which began operating in 1839. In late morning on June 4th, 1839, New York Governor William Seward left his home in Auburn to board the 10.5 ton locomotive, the “Syracuse,” for the inaugural ride on the new steam-powered Read More »
March 14 Family History Research Workshop at the Erie Canal Museum

Museum hosts family history research workshop

By Pamela Vittorio, guest writer Visit https://eriecanalmuseum.org/store/product/family-history-workshop/ for more information and to register. Over the last twenty years, the digitization of genealogical records has become the mainstay of online sites like Family Search and Ancestry. The ability to retrieve and download records from the comfort of one’s home has allowed millions of family historians to Read More »