The Old Brutus Historical Society, Weedsport- Lock 52 Historical Society, Port Byron- and the Montezuma Historical Society, will present an all day canal sites tour as part of the statewide Canal Splash day. “Following The Flow: The Tale of Two Erie Canals- A Narrative Driving and Walking Tour Featuring Historic Canal Sites and Villages Along the Erie Canal in Cayuga County, NY, will be a day long celebration of the Erie Canal following its route through the three canal villages of Weedsport, Port Byron, and Montezuma.
Participants will learn about the original Erie Canal, and its replacement, the Enlarged Erie. We will tour five canal sites and see the remains of canal structures. We will also learn about the canal side businesses, a murder, the largest grain mill in the state (in 1830) and even a little about the Montezuma Swamps (and much more).
The tour is organized so that you can do it at your own pace, or, by joining one of two guided groups. The tours consists of two walking segments- one in Montezuma and the other in Port Byron- and driving between other stops that are located alongside the road. Both walking tours cover about 1.6 miles.
The guided tours are structured so that you can pick and chose what stops you wish to see. There is no cost for attending the tours. The organizers are asking that people pre-register if they wish to attend the guided tour.
Details on times and stops are available on the blog site at http://www.canalsplash.blogspot.com/
This event is part of a yearly Canal Splash Celebration of the extraordinary history and culture of the New York Canal System and the Erie Canalway Trail that is coordinated by the New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Corridor.
Photo: Erie Canal’s Centreport Aqueduct, West of Weedsport in Cayuga County. Courtesy http://www.eriecanal.org/