The Navigators a Journal of Passage on the Inland Waterways of New York 1793

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Navigators a Journal of Passage on the Inland Waterways of New York 1793 The Navigators A Journal of Passage on the Inland Waterways of New York 1793 Philip Lord Jr. NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 2003 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of The University ROBERT M. BENNETT, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. ................................................................... Tonawanda ADELAIDE L. SANFORD, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., P.D. ............................................... Hollis DIANE O’NEILL MCGIVERN, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. ............................................................. Staten Island SAUL B. COHEN, B.A., M.A., Ph.D..................................................................................... New Rochelle JAMES C. DAWSON, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. ...................................................................... Peru ROBERT M. JOHNSON, B.S., J.D. ......................................................................................... Huntington ANTHONY S. BOTTAR, B.A., J.D. ........................................................................................ North Syracuse MERRYL H. TISCH, B.A., M.A. ........................................................................................... New York GERALDINE D. CHAPEY, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ....................................................................... Belle Harbor ARNOLD B. GARDNER, B.A., LL.B. .................................................................................... Buffalo HARRY PHILLIPS, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ................................................................................. Hartsdale JOSEPH E. BOWMAN,JR., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D. ............................................ Albany LORRAINE A. CORTÉS-VÁZQUEZ, B.A., M.P.A. .................................................................. Bronx JUDITH O. RUBIN, A.B. ....................................................................................................... New York JAMES R. TALLON,JR., B.A., M.A. .................................................................................... Binghamton MILTON L. COFIELD, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. .......................................................................... Rochester President of The University and Commissioner of Education RICHARD P. MILLS Chief Operating Officer RICHARD H. CATE Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education CAROL F. HUXLEY Director of the New York State Museum CLIFFORD A. SEIGRIED The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital sta- tus, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its edu- cational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contacting the Publications Sales, Room 3140, CEC State Museum, Albany, NY 12230. The Navigators A Journal of Passage on the Inland Waterways of New York 1793 Philip Lord, Jr. New York State Museum NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM BULLETIN 498 2003 iii Copyright © The New York State Education Department Published 2003 Printed in the United States of America Copies may be ordered from: Publications Sales New York State Museum 3140 CEC Albany,NewYork 12230 Phone: (518) 402-5344 FAX: (518) 474-2033 Web address: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/publications.html ISSN: 0278-3355 ISBN: 1-55557-142-5 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002115697 This book printed on acid free paper Cover Image This engraving of boats navigating the Mohawk, including a Durham boat passing through one of the WILNC wing dams, was done in 1810 from an eyewitness account from 1807. iv “At night I have often hunted for a stone or a stick for a pillow, and in the morning, when I took hold of the oar or setting pole, I had to do it as gently as I could by reason of the soreness of my hands, which were much blistered, &c, in rowing the boat.” 1 Rev. Elijah Woolsey, on the Oswego River, 1794 v “This volume commemorates the bicentennial of the completion of the works of the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company in 1803, which opened a continuous waterway westward for large Durham boats and transformed the transportation history of the Nation.” CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................................ viii INTRODUCTION ........................................................ 1 PROTOCOL ............................................................ 2 CHAPTER ONE —TheEmbarkation....................................... 3 CHAPTER TWO —TheLowerMohawk .................................... 9 CHAPTER THREE —TheLittleFalls ...................................... 21 CHAPTER FOUR —TheUpperMohawk................................... 29 CHAPTER FIVE —TheGreatCarryingPlace ............................... 37 CHAPTER SIX —UpperWoodCreek ..................................... 43 CHAPTER SEVEN —LowerWoodCreek ................................... 47 CHAPTER EIGHT —OneidaLake......................................... 59 CHAPTER NINE —TheOneidaRiver ..................................... 65 CHAPTER TEN —TheOswegoRiver ..................................... 75 CHAPTER ELEVEN —Oswego............................................ 83 CHAPTER TWELVE —AgaintoThreeRivers ............................... 91 CHAPTER THIRTEEN — Return to New Rotterdam . 97 CHAPTER FOURTEEN —ExcursiontoOneidaCastle ........................ 105 CHAPTER FIFTEEN —TheRoadtoWhitestown ........................... 113 CHAPTER SIXTEEN —AtJohnPost’sLanding ............................. 121 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN —LittleFallsRevisited............................. 131 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN — Passage to Schenectady . 137 EPILOGUE .......................................................... 144 SOURCE NOTES ...................................................... 145 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................... 151 vii Preface n the morning of October 1st, 1793, Simon Desjardins and year transferred to the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Pierre Pharoux arrived in Albany on a Hudson River sloop Society. The greater part of the journal, which covered the years from New York. They were mounting an expedition to 1793 to 1797, dealt with the establishment of Castorland itself, a view lands in the Black River country of northwestern New York, locale largely restricted to the western Adirondacks. It was, there- Oon which they hoped to establish a new French settlement. Pharoux fore, the noted regional historian Dr. Franklin B. Hough who and Desjardins were agents for the Compagnie de New York, a immediately set about to transform this extraordinary French French shareholder company whose mission was to secure lands for journal, containing over 700 pages of detailed entries, into an the resettlement of French emigrants fleeing uncertain and often English translation. dangerous circumstances following the French Revolution. They The initial entries, limited mostly to 1793 and 1794, doc- were immediately joined by Marc Brunel, whom they had met on ument expeditions to and from the Castorland area, before a semi- their Atlantic passage aboard the American ship “Liberty.” permanent establishment was made there, and so record the trans- The trio had first to go overland to the Mohawk River portation route that is the subject of this present work. It is port of Schenectady, from which they would embark by batteau Hough’s manuscript translation, now in the New York State on a voyage of the inland waterways that crossed New York. This Library and previously published only in brief extracts, that has journey would see them fifteen days later on the very brink of the made accessible to us the rich texture, and rare historical insights, Great Lakes at Oswego, returning once again to the streets of of this timely inland adventure. Albany on November 9th. Their journal records a 40 day voyage It is fortunate, indeed, to have a first-person account of of discovery along the expanding American frontier. travel by water along this route in the Autumn of 1793, capturing The year 1793 was a significant one in the history of images of the works of the Western Inland Lock Navigation westward transportation in New York State, and the Nation. The Company under construction as no other eyewitness could have. old Mohawk/Oneida navigation corridor connecting the Hudson But also to have an account of such comprehensive detail, the Valley with the Great Lakes had served throughout the eighteenth record of constant and acute observation of both the cultural and century as the only viable route for inland travel. However, as the natural environment through which these waterways passed, pro- new nation contemplated opening up vast western territories to vides a unique opportunity of which every student of American settlement, and thereby expanding areas of agricultural produc- history should avail themselves. tion and markets for eastern goods, this network of natural water- This absorbing eyewitness account of the journey of ways was proving inadequate to the demand. Desjardins, Pharoux, and Brunel records the adventure of travel The year before, The Western Inland Lock Navigation across New York two hundred years ago, and reveals, as no other Company, New York’s first canal company, had been formed to account has, the unique
Recommended publications
  • Mohawk River Watershed – HUC-12
    ID Number Name of Mohawk Watershed 1 Switz Kill 2 Flat Creek 3 Headwaters West Creek 4 Kayaderosseras Creek 5 Little Schoharie Creek 6 Headwaters Mohawk River 7 Headwaters Cayadutta Creek 8 Lansing Kill 9 North Creek 10 Little West Kill 11 Irish Creek 12 Auries Creek 13 Panther Creek 14 Hinckley Reservoir 15 Nowadaga Creek 16 Wheelers Creek 17 Middle Canajoharie Creek 18 Honnedaga 19 Roberts Creek 20 Headwaters Otsquago Creek 21 Mill Creek 22 Lewis Creek 23 Upper East Canada Creek 24 Shakers Creek 25 King Creek 26 Crane Creek 27 South Chuctanunda Creek 28 Middle Sprite Creek 29 Crum Creek 30 Upper Canajoharie Creek 31 Manor Kill 32 Vly Brook 33 West Kill 34 Headwaters Batavia Kill 35 Headwaters Flat Creek 36 Sterling Creek 37 Lower Ninemile Creek 38 Moyer Creek 39 Sixmile Creek 40 Cincinnati Creek 41 Reall Creek 42 Fourmile Brook 43 Poentic Kill 44 Wilsey Creek 45 Lower East Canada Creek 46 Middle Ninemile Creek 47 Gooseberry Creek 48 Mother Creek 49 Mud Creek 50 North Chuctanunda Creek 51 Wharton Hollow Creek 52 Wells Creek 53 Sandsea Kill 54 Middle East Canada Creek 55 Beaver Brook 56 Ferguson Creek 57 West Creek 58 Fort Plain 59 Ox Kill 60 Huntersfield Creek 61 Platter Kill 62 Headwaters Oriskany Creek 63 West Kill 64 Headwaters South Branch West Canada Creek 65 Fly Creek 66 Headwaters Alplaus Kill 67 Punch Kill 68 Schenevus Creek 69 Deans Creek 70 Evas Kill 71 Cripplebush Creek 72 Zimmerman Creek 73 Big Brook 74 North Creek 75 Upper Ninemile Creek 76 Yatesville Creek 77 Concklin Brook 78 Peck Lake-Caroga Creek 79 Metcalf Brook 80 Indian
    [Show full text]
  • Oregon Historic Trails Report Book (1998)
    i ,' o () (\ ô OnBcox HrsroRrc Tnans Rpponr ô o o o. o o o o (--) -,J arJ-- ö o {" , ã. |¡ t I o t o I I r- L L L L L (- Presented by the Oregon Trails Coordinating Council L , May,I998 U (- Compiled by Karen Bassett, Jim Renner, and Joyce White. Copyright @ 1998 Oregon Trails Coordinating Council Salem, Oregon All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Oregon Historic Trails Report Table of Contents Executive summary 1 Project history 3 Introduction to Oregon's Historic Trails 7 Oregon's National Historic Trails 11 Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail I3 Oregon National Historic Trail. 27 Applegate National Historic Trail .41 Nez Perce National Historic Trail .63 Oregon's Historic Trails 75 Klamath Trail, 19th Century 17 Jedediah Smith Route, 1828 81 Nathaniel Wyeth Route, t83211834 99 Benjamin Bonneville Route, 1 833/1 834 .. 115 Ewing Young Route, 1834/1837 .. t29 V/hitman Mission Route, 184l-1847 . .. t4t Upper Columbia River Route, 1841-1851 .. 167 John Fremont Route, 1843 .. 183 Meek Cutoff, 1845 .. 199 Cutoff to the Barlow Road, 1848-1884 217 Free Emigrant Road, 1853 225 Santiam Wagon Road, 1865-1939 233 General recommendations . 241 Product development guidelines 243 Acknowledgements 241 Lewis & Clark OREGON National Historic Trail, 1804-1806 I I t . .....¡.. ,r la RivaÌ ï L (t ¡ ...--."f Pðiräldton r,i " 'f Route description I (_-- tt |".
    [Show full text]
  • Federal Depository Library Directory
    Federal Depositoiy Library Directory MARCH 2001 Library Programs Service Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Wasliington, DC 20401 U.S. Government Printing Office Michael F. DIMarlo, Public Printer Superintendent of Documents Francis ]. Buclcley, Jr. Library Programs Service ^ Gil Baldwin, Director Depository Services Robin Haun-Mohamed, Chief Federal depository Library Directory Library Programs Service Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Wasliington, DC 20401 2001 \ CONTENTS Preface iv Federal Depository Libraries by State and City 1 Maps: Federal Depository Library System 74 Regional Federal Depository Libraries 74 Regional Depositories by State and City 75 U.S. Government Printing Office Booi<stores 80 iii Keeping America Informed Federal Depository Library Program A Program of the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) *******^******* • Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) makes information produced by Federal Government agencies available for public access at no fee. • Access is through nearly 1,320 depository libraries located throughout the U.S. and its possessions, or, for online electronic Federal information, through GPO Access on the Litemet. * ************** Government Information at a Library Near You: The Federal Depository Library Program ^ ^ The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information (44 U.S.C. §§1901-1916). For more than 140 years, depository libraries have supported the public's right to know by collecting, organizing, preserving, and assisting users with information from the Federal Government. The Government Printing Office provides Government information products at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access in an impartial environment with professional assistance.
    [Show full text]
  • New York State's Public Library Systems
    Facts About NEW YORK STATE’S PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS • Serve over 19 million people statewide • Serve 755 public libraries with over 1,100 • Brooklyn Public Library (718) 230-2403 outlets, including over 300 neighborhood • Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (716) 858-8900 branches, 11 bookmobiles and over 100 other community outlets extending services • Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System (716) 484-7135 to people in correctional facilities, nursing • Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System (5 18) 563-5190 homes, urban and rural areas • Facilitate over 15 million interlibrary loan • Finger Lakes Library System (607) 273-4074 requests annually • Four County Library System (607) 723-8236 • Provide access to e-books, NOVELNY and other electronic resources • Provide professional development and training opportunities for library staff and trustees • Operate multi-county computer networks and automated catalogs of resources • Connect with the New York State Library, school library systems, reference and research library resources councils, and school, academic and special libraries for access to specialized resources • Serve as a liaison to the New York State Library and the New York State Education Department • Mid-Hudson Library System (845) 471-6060 • Mid York Library System (315) 735-8328 THREE TYPES OF • Mohawk Valley Library System (518) 355-2010 PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEMS • Monroe County Library System (585) 428-8045 CONSOLIDATED: (3) Chartered as a single • Nassau Library System (516) 292-8920 entity under a board
    [Show full text]
  • Progress of Stream Measurements
    Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 125 Series P, Hydrographic Progress Reports, 30 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR REPORT PROGRESS OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS THE CALENDAR YEAR 1904 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. H. NEWELL BY R. E. HORTON, N. C. GROVER, and JOHN C. HOYT PART II. Hudson, Passaic, Raritan, and Delaware River Drainages WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1905 Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 125 Series P, Hydrographic Progress Reports, 30 i DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR REPORT PROGRESS OF STREAM MEASUREMENTS THE CALENDAR YEAR 1904 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF F. H. NEWELL BY R. E. HORTON, N. C. GROVER, and JOHN C. HOYT PART II. Hudson, Passaic, Raritan, and Delaware River Drainages WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1905 CONTENTS. Letter of transmittal...................................................... 7 Introduction............................................................. 9 Cooperation and acknowledgments ...... ...^.............................. 18 Hudson Eiver drainage basin. ............................................ 19 Hudson Eiver at Fort Edward, N. Y .............................. 19 Hudson Eiver at Mechanicsville, N. Y............................. 22 Indian Eiver at Indian Lake, Hamilton County, N. Y.............. 24 Hoosic Eiver at Buskirk, N. Y .................................... 24 Mohawk River at Little Falls, N. Y................................ 26 Mohawk Eiver at Dunsbach Ferry Bridge, N. Y.................... 29 Oriskany Creek near Oriskany, N. Y .............................. 32 Starch Factory Creek near New Hartford, N. Y.................... 35 Sylvan Glen Creek near New Hartford, N. Y....................... 37 Graefenberg Creek near New Hartford, N. Y....................... 39 Eeels Creek and Johnston Brook near Deer-field, N. Y.............. 41 Nail Creek at Utica, N. Y......................................... 45 West Canada Creek at Twin Eock Bridge, N. Y...................
    [Show full text]
  • Research Bibliography on the Industrial History of the Hudson-Mohawk Region
    Research Bibliography on the Industrial History of the Hudson-Mohawk Region by Sloane D. Bullough and John D. Bullough 1. CURRENT INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY Anonymous. Watervliet Arsenal Sesquicentennial, 1813-1963: Arms for the Nation's Fighting Men. Watervliet: U.S. Army, 1963. • Describes the history and the operations of the U.S. Army's Watervliet Arsenal. Anonymous. "Energy recovery." Civil Engineering (American Society of Civil Engineers) 54 (July 1984): 60- 61. • Describes efforts of the City of Albany to recycle and burn refuse for energy use. Anonymous. "Tap Industrial Technology to Control Commercial Air Conditioning." Power 132 (May 1988): 91–92. • The heating, ventilation and air–conditioning (HVAC) system at the Empire State Plaza in Albany is described. Anonymous. "Albany Scientist Receives Patent on Oscillatory Anemometer." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 70 (March 1989): 309. • Describes a device developed in Albany to measure wind speed. Anonymous. "Wireless Operation Launches in New York Tri- Cities." Broadcasting 116 10 (6 March 1989): 63. • Describes an effort by Capital Wireless Corporation to provide wireless premium television service in the Albany–Troy region. Anonymous. "FAA Reviews New Plan to Privatize Albany County Airport Operations." Aviation Week & Space Technology 132 (8 January 1990): 55. • Describes privatization efforts for the Albany's airport. Anonymous. "Albany International: A Century of Service." PIMA Magazine 74 (December 1992): 48. • The manufacture and preparation of paper and felt at Albany International is described. Anonymous. "Life Kills." Discover 17 (November 1996): 24- 25. • Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy on the human circulation system is described. Anonymous. "Monitoring and Data Collection Improved by Videographic Recorder." Water/Engineering & Management 142 (November 1995): 12.
    [Show full text]
  • The Erie Canal in Cohoes
    SELF GUIDED TOUR THE ERIE CANAL IN COHOES Sites of the Enlarged Erie Canal Sites of the Original Erie Canal Lock 9 -In George Street Park, north oF Lock 17 -Near the intersection oF John Old Juncta - Junction of the Champlain Alexander Street. and Erie Sts. A Former locktender’s house, and Erie Canals. Near the intersection of Lock 10 -Western wall visible in George now a private residence, is located to the Main and Saratoga Sts. Street Park. A towpath extends through west of the lock. A well-preserved section the park to Lock 9 and Alexander Street. of canal prism is evident to the north of Visible section of “Clinton’s Ditch” southwest of the intersection of Vliet and Lock 11 -Northwest oF the intersection oF the lock. N. Mohawk Sts. Later served as a power George Street and St. Rita’s Place. Lock 18 -West oF North Mohawk Street, canal for Harmony Mill #2; now a park. Lock 12 -West oF Sandusky Street, north of the intersection of North Mohawk partially under Central Ave. Firehouse. and Church Sts. Individual listing on the Old Erie Route - Sections follow Main National Register of Historic Places. and N. Mohawk Streets. Some Lock 13 - Buried under Bedford Street, structures on Main Street date from the south of High Street. No longer visible. early canal era. Lock 14 - East of Standish Street, The Pick of the Locks connected by towpath to Lock 15. A selection of sites for shorter tours Preserving Cohoes Canals & Lock 15 - Southeast of the intersection of Locks Spindle City Historic Vliet and Summit Streets.
    [Show full text]
  • To Jeffery Amherst
    The Weekly Historical Note By: Nicolas Reynolds August 10th, 2009 The Battle at Oriskany On August 6th, 1777, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution happened right in the middle of the homelands of the Oneida Indians. Situated just to the west of Oneida Lake, Fort Stanwix was garrisoned with approximately 500 troops and was meant to protect the portage between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek. Early in the American Revolution, the British Army turned its eyes on the portage known as The Oneida Carrying Place; they understood well the significance of the strategic point. “For thousands of years the ancient trail that connects the Mohawk River and Wood Creek served as a vital link of people traveling between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Ontario. Travelers used this well-worn route through Oneida Indian territory to carry trade goods and news…When Europeans arrived they called this trail the Oneida Carrying Place and inaugurated a significant period in American history—a period when nations fought for control of not only the Oneida Carrying Place, but the Mohawk Valley, the homelands of the Six Nations Confederacy, and the rich resources of North America as well.” Image 1: Fort Stanwix was an important strategic location throughout the American Revolution and was located at the portage between Wood Creek and the Mohawk River. The village of Oriska, which was composed mostly of Oneida was close to the Fort and was destroyed by Iroquois that fought alongside the British during the war. A series of waterways, beginning with Wood Creek and heading west, connected first to Oneida Lake, and then all the way to the Great Lakes and the St.
    [Show full text]
  • Freshwater Fishing: a Driver for Ecotourism
    New York FRESHWATER April 2019 FISHINGDigest Fishing: A Sport For Everyone NY Fishing 101 page 10 A Female's Guide to Fishing page 30 A summary of 2019–2020 regulations and useful information for New York anglers www.dec.ny.gov Message from the Governor Freshwater Fishing: A Driver for Ecotourism New York State is committed to increasing and supporting a wide array of ecotourism initiatives, including freshwater fishing. Our approach is simple—we are strengthening our commitment to protect New York State’s vast natural resources while seeking compelling ways for people to enjoy the great outdoors in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The result is sustainable economic activity based on a sincere appreciation of our state’s natural resources and the values they provide. We invite New Yorkers and visitors alike to enjoy our high-quality water resources. New York is blessed with fisheries resources across the state. Every day, we manage and protect these fisheries with an eye to the future. To date, New York has made substantial investments in our fishing access sites to ensure that boaters and anglers have safe and well-maintained parking areas, access points, and boat launch sites. In addition, we are currently investing an additional $3.2 million in waterway access in 2019, including: • New or renovated boat launch sites on Cayuga, Oneida, and Otisco lakes • Upgrades to existing launch sites on Cranberry Lake, Delaware River, Lake Placid, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, Chautauqua Lake and Fourth Lake. New York continues to improve and modernize our fish hatcheries. As Governor, I have committed $17 million to hatchery improvements.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendices Section
    APPENDIX 1. A Selection of Biodiversity Conservation Agencies & Programs A variety of state agencies and programs, in addition to the NY Natural Heritage Program, partner with OPRHP on biodiversity conservation and planning. This appendix also describes a variety of statewide and regional biodiversity conservation efforts that complement OPRHP’s work. NYS BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute is a state-chartered organization based in the New York State Museum who promotes the understanding and conservation of New York’s biological diversity. They administer a broad range of research, education, and information transfer programs, and oversee a competitive grants program for projects that further biodiversity stewardship and research. In 1996, the Biodiversity Research Institute approved funding for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to undertake an ambitious inventory of its lands for rare species, rare natural communities, and the state’s best examples of common communities. The majority of inventory in state parks occurred over a five-year period, beginning in 1998 and concluding in the spring of 2003. Funding was also approved for a sixth year, which included all newly acquired state parks and several state parks that required additional attention beyond the initial inventory. Telephone: (518) 486-4845 Website: www.nysm.nysed.gov/bri/ NYS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION The Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) biodiversity conservation efforts are handled by a variety of offices with the department. Of particular note for this project are the NY Natural Heritage Program, Endangered Species Unit, and Nongame Unit (all of which are in the Division of Fish, Wildlife, & Marine Resources), and the Division of Lands & Forests.
    [Show full text]
  • Cohoes-Waterford Concept Plan.Pub
    Cohoes—Waterford Canalway Trail Connection Study Prepared for New York State Canal Corporation By Parks and Trails New York Final Draft Version Cohoes-Waterford Canalway Trail Connection Study Final Draft Version September 2004 Page 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 2 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 5 Existing trail initiatives in the study area ...................................................................... 6 Purpose of Study .......................................................................................................... 7 Inventory and Analysis of Study Area ................................................................................. 7 Canalway Trail Resources ........................................................................................... 7 Waterford Canal Harbor Visitor Center ........................................................................9 Hudson Valley Greenway Trail ...................................................................................10 Street System Resources ................................................................................................. 11 Streets .......................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Oriskany:Aplace of Great Sadness Amohawk Valley Battelfield Ethnography
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Ethnography Program Northeast Region ORISKANY:APLACE OF GREAT SADNESS AMOHAWK VALLEY BATTELFIELD ETHNOGRAPHY FORT STANWIX NATIONAL MONUMENT SPECIAL ETHNOGRAPHIC REPORT ORISKANY: A PLACE OF GREAT SADNESS A Mohawk Valley Battlefield Ethnography by Joy Bilharz, Ph.D. With assistance from Trish Rae Fort Stanwix National Monument Special Ethnographic Report Northeast Region Ethnography Program National Park Service Boston, MA February 2009 The title of this report was provided by a Mohawk elder during an interview conducted for this project. It is used because it so eloquently summarizes the feelings of all the Indians consulted. Cover Photo: View of Oriskany Battlefield with the 1884 monument to the rebels and their allies. 1996. Photograph by Joy Bilharz. ExEcuTivE SuMMARy The Mohawk Valley Battlefield Ethnography Project was designed to document the relationships between contemporary Indian peoples and the events that occurred in central New York during the mid to late eighteenth century. The particular focus was Fort Stanwix, located near the Oneida Carry, which linked the Mohawk and St. Lawrence Rivers via Wood Creek, and the Oriskany Battlefield. Because of its strategic location, Fort Stanwix was the site of several critical treaties between the British and the Iroquois and, following the American Revolution, between the latter and the United States. This region was the homeland of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy whose neutrality or military support was desired by both the British and the rebels during the Revolution. The Battle of Oriskany, 6 August 1777, occurred as the Tryon County militia, aided by Oneida warriors, was marching to relieve the British siege of Ft.
    [Show full text]