Today began with moving the boat to the Oswego Marina which is the municipal marina. Passing through the last Oswego Canal Lock 8, we realized that we had become old hands at locking – this being number 30 (!) and our last lock of the New York State Canal System bringing us back down to 245 feet in elevation (the elevation of Lake Ontario).
Oswego Canal Lock 8
View showing the height differential of the canal from the Oswego River.
If there is one thing New York state does right, I can say with confidence that it is keeping up the canals and locks of the historic NY canal network. A lot of the towns we passed through appear to have received state subsidies to make their waterfronts hospitable for boat tourism – though not all embraced it equally, but all in all, it has been a remarkable journey to see towns embrace a spirit of boosterism and local civic pride.
The friendliness and helpfulness of the lock tenders is worth mentioning. Even during our passage through Lock 8, the lock tender was apologetic for having caused us to wait so long as he was cutting the grass on the grounds around the lock station. We had remarked to ourselves the previous evening about how neat and tidy the lawn was around Lock 8 and he seemed pleased when I mentioned that to him.
Between Oswego Marina and Lake Ontario is Fort Ontario – built on a strategic site that has seen forts built by the English (1755) and destroyed by French (1756), rebuilt by the English (1759) and destroyed by the Americans (1778), again rebuilt by the English (1782) only to be surrendered to the United States (1796), then during the war of 1812 destroyed by the English and then rebuilt by the US (1842, 1870 and 1905). The museum of the Fort restored the site to how it had looked during the mid-19th century.
Fort Ontario, external view
Fort Ontario administrative buildings
Fort Ontario barracks
The Fort was used over the years as a hospital and troop training site in World War I, and most infamously a garrison for refugees, mostly Jewish Holocaust survivors, during World War II, until they were ultimately allowed to stay in the United States. The views of the Lake from the Fort made the visit well worth the walk up there.
View of Lake Ontario and West Pierhead Lighthouse from Fort Ontario
Looking out over Lake Ontario, one can imagine that had Henry Hudson seen this place as described to him by the native peoples in the lower reaches of his eponymous river, he truly might have believed this was the Sea of Cathay and that China lay on some far invisible shore.
Oswego, meaning “where the water never ends” in Iroquois, was a major railroad hub and remains an important US port on Lake Ontario. The town has a fair number of elegant and attractive buildings harkening back to its historical position as a trading, manufacturing and railroad hub.
Until 1957, the O&W (Ontario and Western) Railroad ran from Oswego to Weehawken NJ – very close to where our journey began 16 days ago.
