A Musical Journey Along the Erie Canal w/ Cosby & Tom
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host musicians Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle as they take you on a journey along the historic Erie Canal through music. Gibson and Staudle have developed this terrific program to provide the history of the grand old Erie through the music it inspired. The program begins at 6:30pm on Saturday, September 30th at the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter.
Learn some interesting facts about the canal, sing along to a few tunes you probably already know, and hear some that you may not. This well researched program about the canal era and its music brings alive the soul of what it was like to travel on, work on, and live alongside the artificial waterway during it’s heyday from the 1820s to the early 20th century. Come enjoy the music and check out some of the amazing historic canal features at Schoharie Crossing.
This event is free and perfect for families.
For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516 or email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. For more information about New York State Parks, visit the website at www.nysparks.com.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by more than 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
Indiana Jones and Fort Plank: The Cleaner Side of Archaeology
Join Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Tuesday, September 26th as researcher Ken D. Johnson delivers his presentation, “Indiana Jones and Fort Plank: The Cleaner Side of Archaeology.”
The program takes the audience along with Ken on a search for the fortress in which his ancestors served during the American Revolution. From this fort, one of them was taken prisoner on August 2, 1780, and their father and sister were killed. His program also presents to the audience the first step in locating a site for a possible historical dig.
Johnson has served as the Fort Plank Historian since 1984 and is the author of “The Bloodied Mohawk: The Revolutionary War in the Words of Fort Plank’s Defenders and Other Mohawk Valley Partisans”. He also operates a free web-site that contains biographical and historical data on the Colonial Period in the Mohawk Valley of New York.
This free program will be held in the Enders House adjacent to the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter, New York. There will be a brief Friends of Schoharie Crossing meeting prior to the presentation and there will be refreshments available.
For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516; email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will be hosting a Work the Walk program in recognition of National Responsible Dog Ownership Day on Saturday, September 16th starting at 10am. This program is in partnership with Run By Dogs, a local dogsledding and dog training business.
Bring your well-mannered dog and come out to the Visitor Center to watch or be a part of “Work the Walk” and stick around for a Q&A session with dog trainer, Kate Walrath. The focus of the training is on how to use energy and intention as well as socialization, leadership, and confidence building for your pet. Also covered is the use of equipment and training tools such as a proper collar, leash and correct forms of praise.
All dogs must be leased but not a flexi or retractable leash. Work the Walk is a regular Saturday morning structured class focusing on all basic obedience and any questions in between. This class is used for continuing education for our graduates of formal training, not as a starter class. The exception is for this special program with Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site
What to bring to class: 20′ leash for recall, shorter leash for walks. No flexi leashes or flip flops. Free for the public, however a suggested donation of $5 would be appreciated.
Run By Dogs is a professional company serving people and their dogs. They offer family dog training, AKC Certification and STAR Puppies Certification, dog sledding excursions, educational programs and boarding. They welcome all dogs to their training center- from puppies to nervous, insecure and aggressive dogs who need extensive education. For training our goal is to teach behavior, energy, intention, leadership, how and when to praise and correct behaviors, and how to positively advocate for your dog so they can make awesome choices.
For information about this event and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
The Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community is bringing together award-winning and up-and-coming Haudenosaunee Filmmakers to showcase some of their work on Saturday, September 2 starting at 6pm. Good weather permitting, the film screening will be outdoors and attendees should bring blankets or lawn chairs. Rain will move the festival indoors, which seating provided. Admission costs are: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children, FREE for children 5 and under. Traditional and modern foods will be available for low cost.
Films at the festival will be shown in three groupings, which are as follows:
Film group 1: Experimental and Student Shorts
30 minutes of film shorts from Katsitsionni Fox’s Native Film Students
20-30 minutes of film shorts from the Rotinonshonni Storyteller’s Collective
Film group 2: From Haudenosaunee Territory to Standing Rock
The Spirit of Standing Rock, Kahsto’sera’a Paulette Moore (English, 30 minutes)
Senecas to Standing Rock: An Environmental RedVolution, Part I, Jason Corwin (50 minutes)
Film group 3: Protecting and Maintaining Cultural Traditions at Home
Ohero:kon – Under the Husk, Katsitsionni Fox (English/Mohawk, 2016: 26 minutes)
Give and Take, Terry Jones, Govind Deecee, and Erin Perkins (English, 2015: 14 minutes)
Soup for My Brother, Terry Jones (English/ Seneca, 2016: 10 minutes)
Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The program is also supported by Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, the Akwesasne Cultural Restoration Program, and the Johnstown Walmart Distribution Center.
For more information, please contact Kanatsiohareke at: 518-673-4197 or: Kanatsiohareke@gmail.com
On Tuesday, August 22, The New York State Canal Corporation will be presenting a talk on the Mohawk River Moveable Dams. The talk, which begins at 6:30pm, is sponsored by the Friends of Schoharie Crossing. It will be held at the Enders House, close to the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center in Fort Hunter, NY. Refreshments will be served following the event. The program is free, and all are welcome.
The presentation will showcase the eight movable dams between Schenectady and Fort Plain which regulate water flow on the Mohawk River for navigation of the Canal as well as water control. Dam gates are lowered into the river to form navigable pools during the summer but are pulled out of the water in the winter to clear the way for ice and debris filled flood waters. This engineering marvel has been a focus of attention since they were built in the early 20th century. The talk will give some of the history and engineering information about this remarkable innovation to the waterway.
For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516; email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Nationally known storyteller Elizabeth Ellis will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, August 6th at 6:00pm. Her performance entitled “Deniable Plausibility/Plausible Deniability: Tales True and Not So True” will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street. The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to linger, chat, and enjoy refreshments after the show. The event is free.
Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and learned to tell stories from her grandfather who was a circuit riding minister. As a storyteller, Ellis doesn’t mince words. Filled with hilarious and poignant honesty, her stories deliver downhome wisdom, southern style. Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the National Endowment for the Arts, Ellis has been sharing her stories since 1979. She is a frequent favorite at the National Storytelling festival and is the recipient of both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. Both witty and wise, her stories are often about seeing the extraordinary in our everyday experience.
Guests are also encouraged to participate in Schoharie Crossing’s Chalk Our Walk event happening that same weekend. To expand the creative reach of Schoharie Crossing’s Views and Vista’s Art show, adults and children are invited to create their own artwork on the sidewalk leading to the Visitor Center. Participants will be eligible for a drawing for a gift certificate.
The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Peter Cook, Aug. 13, Michael Reno Harrell, Aug. 20, Joe Bruchac, Aug. 27 and Becky Holder, Sept. 10.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The program is also supported by Stewart’s Shops, L’Ultimo Restaurant, MaryJane’s Market, the Garden Bug and Karen’s Produce.
For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Nationally known storyteller Jeannine Laverty will be performing at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site on Sunday, July 30 at 6:00pm as the kickoff event of the annual Not Just for Kids Storytelling series. Her performance will take place outdoors in front of the Schoharie Crossing Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. The show will move indoors in case of rain. Guests are invited to linger, chat, and enjoy refreshments after the show. The event is free.
Jeannine Laverty is a gifted storyteller, who has been performing since 1979. Her wide range of stories spans the world from the Adirondacks to Asia giving her audience a deeply satisfying understanding of the world through the eyes of another. She also uses her storytelling talent to teach other tellers, and she has been the recipient of many awards including a leadership award from the National Storytelling Network.
The Not Just for Kids Storytelling series continues throughout August and into September. The following artists will be part of the series: Elizabeth Ellis, Aug. 6, Peter Cook, Aug. 13, Michael Reno Harrell, Aug. 20, Joe Bruchac, Aug. 27 and Becky Holder, Sept. 10.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The program is also supported by Stewart’s Shops, L’Ultimo Restaurant, MaryJane’s Market, the Garden Bug and Karen’s Produce.
For more information about these events and more, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 829-7516, email: SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov, or visit our Facebook page Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will be screening the 1935 classic film, A Farmer Takes A Wife starring Henry Fonda and Janet Gaynor on July 22nd starting at 7:30pm, outside the Visitor Center on Schoharie Street in Fort Hunter. Join in the fun as we watch this wonderful and charming love story set on the Erie Canal in the mid-19th Century.
A farmer works on the canal to earn money to buy a farm. He meets a cook on a canal boat, but she can’t even consider leaving the exciting life on the canal for a banal one on a farm. Jotham Klore is the leading canal boater on the Erie Canal. He’s also a bullying braggart. His cook, Molly Larkins, loves working on the canal. Young Dan Farrow signs onto another boat, owned by Samson Weaver, with plans to save enough money to buy a farm. Dan and Molly fall in love, but their romance runs aground on the conflict between his love of farming and her devotion to the canal.
This film is adapted from the play that was based on the book Rome Haul by Walter D. Edmonds.
The viewing moves inside the Enders House if raining. This is a free event open to the public. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating. Popcorn and other refreshments will be available.
As part of a statewide commemoration of the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary, the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter and the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse will host a lecture by Dr. Carol Sheriff, author of The Artificial River, Sunday, July 23, at 4:00 p.m. inside the newly renovated Visitors Center at 129 Schoharie Street.
Reflections on Erie’s Waters is a collaboration between The Erie Canal Museum and The Canal Society of New York State to commemorate the waterway’s bicentennial and examine its legacy and future through diverse viewpoints. Reflections presents an inclusive view of the Erie Canal, examines its relevance and importance and heightens awareness of its historical impact, current significance and future potential through a series of workshops, lectures and exhibits.
Dr. Sheriff’s lecture, Becoming Second Nature: The Erie Canal’s Early History, examines how the new waterway initially symbolized the young republic’s technological and economic progress, and was even hailed as a divinely ordained mission. She will discuss how the Erie Canal redefined daily routines, livelihoods and values for thousands of New Yorkers, and remapped the region’s physical and human geography.
Dr. Sheriff is author of The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862, which was honored by the New York State Historical Association in 1996. She is a Professor of History at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and co-author of several American history publications and textbooks.
The Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Erie Canal as one of the 19th century’s greatest commercial and engineering projects. The Visitor Center exhibit traces the history of the Erie Canal and its impact on the growth of New York State and the nation. Within the site’s boundaries are many structures dating from the three eras of the canal’s development. For more information, call (518) 829-7516.
Committed to preserving the only existing weighlock building in the United States, the Erie Canal Museum collects and conserves Canal material, champions an appreciation and understanding of Erie Canal history through educational programming, and promotes an awareness of the Canal’s transforming effects on the past, present and future. The Museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free with a suggested $5 donation.
For more information on the Reflections on Erie’s Waters program or any of the artist-led workshops or statewide lecture series, contact Vicki Krisak, Director of Communications and Outreach, Erie Canal Museum, vicki@eriecanalmuseum.org, (315) 471-0593, ext. 15, or visit the Erie Canal Museum website Eriecanalmuseum.org.
Reflections on Erie’s Waters is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Replica 1862 Canal Schooner Lois McClure on the Champlain Canal – Stern. Courtesy Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s (LCMM’s) replica 1862 canal schooner LoisMcClure (opens in a new tab) will be in port at Riverlink Park in Amsterdam on Thursday, July 13 from 12-6pm and Riverfront Park in Canajoharie on Friday, July 14 from 4-7pm during her 2017 Legacy Tour commemorating the Erie Canal Bicentennial. The World Canals Conference, which celebrates canals as “agents of transformation,” inspired the 2017 “Legacy Tour” of Lois McClure. The tour pays tribute to the legacy of the canals, which celebrate 200 years in 2017, and the legacy of the Northern Forest trees, which built the thousands of wooden boats that plied our waterways. Visitors can board the schooner free of charge to explore the 88-foot long boat and a special exhibit.” “The Lois McClure has a unique capability to bring 200 years of canal history to life, while engaging people to appreciate and protect our legacy waterways,” says New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton. “It can also help inform how the canal system can best serve the evolving needs of present and future generations.”
During the Legacy Tour the schooner crew will share with community members and students a maritime perspective on the relationship between waterways and trees, canal boats and forests through an initiative called Stem to Stern. “The forests and the waterways are a key to understanding how America transformed into a powerful and prosperous nation,” says Erick Tichonuk, LCMM Co-Executive Director. “Using human and animal power, the canal builders cleared a pathway 60 feet wide and more than 400 miles long, much of it through forested lands, to create the water highway that brought an economic boom. Almost overnight, natural resources too bulky to ship overland became valuable commodities.” The canals opened a floodgate of trade between the Champlain Valley, ports along the Hudson River and the Atlantic Seaboard, and through western New York to the Great Lakes.
However, the transformation also brought some unintended consequences. Stem to Stern is designed to spark insight into the impact of deforestation: eroded soil, silted waterways, loss of habitat for fish and wildlife, and the arrival of invasive species. Marking the transition to an era of habitat for fish and wildlife, and the arrival of invasive species. Marking the transition to an era sustainable forestry and environmental stewardship, the schooner will transport a cargo of white oak and white pine seedlings provided by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Trees for Tributaries Program, to be planted in communities along the canal.
Further information and the full itinerary of the 2017 Legacy Tour can be found at www.lcmm.org (opens in a new tab) . Travel conditions for this traditional wooden vessel are weather dependent, so the schedule is subject to change.
Lois McClure was built by LCMM shipwrights and volunteers on the Burlington waterfront, based on two shipwrecks of 1862-class canal schooners discovered in Lake Champlain. Since 2004, Lois McClure has cruised Lake Champlain, the Hudson and St. Lawrence Rivers, and the Erie Canal System, and has visited over 200 communities and welcomed aboard more than 225,000 visitors. As an authentic replica, Lois McClure has no means of propulsion other than sail, so 1964 tugboat C. L. Churchill serves as power. As with all wooden vessels, constant care and maintenance is needed to ensure safe and effective operation.
Schooner Lois McClure is an educational outreach program of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM), Vermont. A museum with a difference, LCMM brings underwater discoveries and lake adventures to the public in exciting and imaginative ways. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 15, 2017. For more information visit www.lcmm.org (opens in a new tab) or call (802) 475-2022.
