Press

ALBANY, NY - The New York State Museum will sponsor a series of free presentations on the history of the Erie Canal, as part of its continuing Museum Series, which offers a peek at the groundbreaking work being done by museum scientists and historians.
The presentations will take place each Wednesday at 7 p.m. over a four-week period January 16 through February 6.

The four presentations are:

Wednesday, January 16

Water Ways West: The Antecedents and Origins of the Erie Canal

Philip Lord, Jr., director of the Division of Museum Services, will discuss inland navigation 200 years ago and the experimental engineering works of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company. This private enterprise helped to open the canal age in New York between 1792 and 1803.

Wednesday January 23

The Erie Canal in Saratoga County

John Scherer, state museum curator of decorative arts and historian for the Town of Clifton Park, will present a slide lecture on the Erie Canal in Saratoga County. Those attending can explore the canal through historic photographs contrasted with present day views, and learn about the local characters that lived and worked along the canal.

Wednesday January 30

The Erie Canal's Most Important Vessel - The Day Peckinpaugh

Craig Williams, the museum's senior curator of history, will describe the story of the Peckinpaugh, a 1921 motorship that became the last regularly scheduled commercial vessel on the state's canal system.

Wednesday February 6

The Stand at the Lock, Fort Plain

Ron Burch, senior historian and curator of art and architecture, will present a slide lecture discussing the architectural and social history of the Fort Plain lock "stand," a combination grocery, tavern, hotel, and residence built in the 1840s.

For further information about this exciting roster of programs, call (518) 474-5877.