Mohawk Valley Erie Canal Symposium at the Arkell Museum
Mohawk Valley Erie Canal Symposium Slated to be Held at the Arkell Museum
Fort Hunter, NY – Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will join other local organizations for an Erie Canal mini-symposium on November 9, 2024, at the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie, New York. This program will begin at 2:00pm and last about two hours, featuring speakers from the Mohawk Valley to discuss the history of the waterway.
During this symposium there will be presentations by Old Fort Johnson, the City Historian for Schenectady, Montgomery County Department of History and Archives, as well as the Arkell Museum and Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site.
Each will feature an aspect of canal history, from a transportation way to strange characters and art that it inspired.
Scott Haefner from Old Fort Johnson will discuss “Transportation in the Mohawk Valley” to set the stage for the evolving history of the canal and economic infrastructure. Chris Leonard, City Historian for Schenectady will offer his presentation, “Ne’er-do-wells of the Erie Canal in Schenectady” exploring some of the rough and tumble characters along the artificial river. Montgomery County Historian and Records Management Officer, Kelly Farquhar will discuss canal records and ways to research history in the Mohawk Valley. She’ll explore some fascinating first-hand accounts and audio recordings from interviews conducted over sixty years ago with old time canallers.
Rounding out the program will be Mary Alexander of the Arkell Museum at Canajoharie, showcasing and highlighting works of amazing Erie Canal art from their collection. David Brooks from Schoharie Crossing will add insights as well as act as the emcee for this mini-symposium.
This program is free and open to the public. If you’d like to explore the Arkell exhibits, they will be open from 10:00am to 5:00pm that day. Admission for the exhibits is $9.00 for adults, $6.50 for seniors. For more information, please contact David at Schoharie Crossing via email david.brooks@parks.ny.gov or call (518) 829-7516.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 79.5 million visits in 2022. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Joins us in celebrating our Centennial throughout 2024, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the OPRHP Blog.