Canal Society of New York State

06/22/2026

https://dispatchesfromsamuelcenter.org/2026/06/22/correspondent-post-seneca-chief-b2bv-wayne-county/

Bob Stopper followed the Seneca Chief flotilla on her Back to Buffalo Voyage last week and shares these great photos at a series of locks. Entering lock 27 At top of lock 27 Bob writes, “In t…

06/17/2026

https://dispatchesfromsamuelcenter.org/2026/06/16/correspondent-post-seneca-chief-b2bv-baldwinsville/

Lisa Best Wiles shares these photos from Dutchman’s Landing near Baldwinsville, where Seneca Chief made a brief landing on the “back to Buffalo voyage.” The unusual traffic was sp…

06/16/2026

Travel back 200 years and discover how the Erie Canal changed everything when you grab a copy of the Erie Canalway Junior Ranger book!

Before the canal, traveling across New York took weeks. But when the Erie Canal opened in 1825, people and goods could float from Albany to Buffalo in just days.

In Activity 1: Dig the Canal, kids trace the original canal route and color the lakes and rivers it connected. It’s hands on, visual, and the perfect way for families to explore how this incredible waterway shaped New York and the United States.

✨ Family Challenge: Grab the booklet, sit down together, and see who can trace the canal route the fastest. Then compare your colored maps!

📘 Download the FREE Junior Ranger Booklet at the link in bio!

06/14/2026

Buffalo Maritime Center’s Erie Canal boat Seneca Chief continues their trip back to Buffalo!

Michael Bopp sent along these images from Little Falls, referred to in these previous posts. Lock 17 provides the largest lift along the current canal, a feat said to “go down in history& #822…

06/13/2026

https://dispatchesfromsamuelcenter.org/2026/06/13/live-track-seneca-chief-return/

The image below shows the location of Seneca Chief as of 1230, June 13, 2026. Click on the image to see the “livetrack” location. Screenshot Dispatches is looking for photos of the retu…

06/11/2026

https://dispatchesfromsamuelcenter.org/2026/06/11/hiawatha-and-salt-barges/

Many thanks to Bill Hecht for sharing this photo of Hiawatha, said taken at Salt Point, near Lansing NY on the east side of Cayuga Lake. Any wagers about the approximate era of the photo? Answer fo…

06/09/2026

https://dispatchesfromsamuelcenter.org/2026/06/09/faces-and-voices-9-mike-byrnes/

I got to know Mike in the 2014 season when I was the green deckhand on Urger, a tugboat on the NYS Canal System. He had worked on Urger for years before and then continued until 2017. I interviewed…

06/07/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Fried Dough Fundraiser Benefiting the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park today!

We greatly appreciate your SWEET support of the park!

Old Erie Canal Heritage Park- Port Byron

06/05/2026