The harbor at Oswego was recognized early on for its strategic importance. It is the western end of the water route comprised of the Hudson River, the Mohawk River, Oneida Lake, the Oswego River and is the entry to both the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River.
Our day in Oswego was so very enjoyable. We rode our bikes over to the H. Lee White Marine Museum and found a treasure trove of information and displays. The Museum allows you to explore Oswego harbor during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and even the part Oswego played as a major terminus in the underground railroad during the Civil War and much later as a refuge for victims of the holocaust during WWII.
There are exhibits on the Oswego Lighthouse, shipbuilding and transportation, shipwrecks, the Underground Railroad, the NYS Barge Canal and more. As part of the tour, we visited the WWII Tug "LT-5" which was built for the invasion of Normandy, a national Historic Landmark, and the "Lance Knapp", a 1925 NYS canal boat. Needless to say, the whole adventure took us the entire afternoon but it was well worth it!
One funny thing happened. When one of the persons who worked at the Museum asked if we had any questions, John asked a very simple question about when the forts were built in Oswego. This person was unable to answer him and went on a wild search. She asked everybody who was working there, searched through the volunteer materials and finally, Gail found three people in the gift shop frantically calling the fort (without giving their names) to find the answer!!!! You can alway count on John to make you think!!!
We managed to end our biking with a yummy ice-cream stop in town.
The Marina where we docked was loaded with fishing boats and they seem to love leaving before the sun is up. It's fun to watch all their preparations and hear their chatter as they set out to bring in the "Big One".
Everyone has been most friendly and more than willing to lend a hand or to chat. We have met several people in our travels who have family in the Navarre area and they are familiar with Pensacola. So many of them have asked why in the world we are up here?????
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A journal of John & Gail LeRoy and their trip from Deale, Maryland around the "Great Loop" to their home in Pensacola, Floriday.
1 comment:
As a writer, on most days I work near a window overlooking Lock 8 of the Oswego Canal - the northern terminus where canal meets harbor. It's a pleasure to watch vessels arrive and depart, and great stimulus for the imagination. As the oldest port on the Great Lakes, Oswego does indeed have a rich and fascinating history. In my 2007 novel "The Secret Ever Keeps" published by Toronto's Kunati Books, I've used an actual 1780's British warship and also factual accounts of the smuggling of booze from Canada that took place in the Prohibition years.
Thanks for your very kind comments about Oswego. Hope you'll pass this way again.
Art Tirrell
View trailer for "The Secret Ever Keeps" at http://www.ArtTirrell.com
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