History, Natural History & the Arts
As the population of interior New York increased, developers pushed for a faster method of transportation between the area and developed population centers like the city of New York.
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, revolutionized inland travel and ushered in a broader era of canal construction across the state, connecting the state capital of Albany on the Hudson River to Western New York and the Great Lakes. [Read more…] about The Canal Era in the Finger Lakes
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 officially ended hostilities between the British and Americans; however, the treaty did not include the allied Indian Nations, leaving their legacy treaties with the Europeans unresolved and their future to be resolved through separate treaties with the new American government. [Read more…] about Euro-American Expansion Into The Finger Lakes Region
According to archeological records, groups of nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled through the Finger Lakes region approximately 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. Small bands of these hunters and gatherers followed large game during the last stages of the Ice Age when the glaciers that formed the area’s notable lakes were receding.
Somewhat more recent early archaic archeological sites scattered across Western New York reflect a culture that was highly mobile and left little in terms of an archeological record. [Read more…] about Early Inhabitants of the Finger Lakes Region
Approximately 600 million years ago, during the Neoproterozoic Era, the Earth’s supercontinent began to break apart, and an ocean formed between land masses that roughly correlate to Europe and North America today. For the next 100 million years, this ocean continued to widen until the continents changed course and began to move back towards each other.
The eventual collision of these land masses formed a tall mountain range now known as North America’s Appalachians. [Read more…] about Geologic Formation of the Finger Lakes
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released an updated Great Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA) 2023, a strategic, ecosystem-based action plan to guide restoration and conservation and foster sustainable, resilient communities in New York’s Great Lakes region. [Read more…] about Great Lakes Action Agenda Updated
On Tuesday, July 18th, the National Park Service delivered the Finger Lakes National Heritage Area Feasibility Study to Congress. The feasibility study determined that the study area in the Finger Lakes region of New York state meets the criteria to be eligible for inclusion as part of the National Heritage Area System. [Read more…] about National Park Service Declares Finger Lakes Eligble For National Heritage Designation
After observing the harvest of a large amount of cattails from the Lakeshore Marshes Wildlife Management Area in the town of Huron, Wayne County, NY, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Ranger Raffaldi spent a significant amount of time patrolling the area. [Read more…] about Two Ticketed For Illegally Harvesting Cattails
The New York State Canal Corporation has announced that water levels this navigation season in the Erie Canal between Lock E-30 (Macedon) and Locks E-34/35 (Lockport) will be consistent with levels maintained throughout 2022 – approximately one foot lower than historic levels. [Read more…] about Seeps Keep Erie Canal, Glens Falls Feeder Canal Levels Lower
The new book Voices of Wayne County: A Bicentennial Commemorative Book is a 434-page time capsule of life in Wayne County, New York, written by local residents and compiled by a group of volunteers. [Read more…] about Wayne County History Book Published
Each fall, The Landmark Society of Western New York presents awards to projects, people, and organizations who, through their dedication and hard work, have contributed to historic preservation in their nine-county area.
The 2022 Awards were presented in a private ceremony in November. This year’s recipients include: [Read more…] about 2022 Landmark Society Preservation Award Recipients