by portbyro | Apr 11, 2025 | Uncategorized
The year of 2025 is the bicentennial of the opening of the full canal on October 26, 1825. However, for us here in Cayuga County, the canal had opened in 1820 when the 98 miles of canal between Utica and Montezuma had opened for business in the spring of 1820. To help...
by portbyro | Mar 26, 2025 | Uncategorized
Back in 2008 or ’09, the Cayuga County Records Retention department went through and digitized many of their records, and then decided to toss all the original books. Happily they offered the original paper tax rolls to any town historian that may want them, so...
by portbyro | Feb 23, 2025 | Uncategorized
As October 26, 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the grand opening of the Erie Canal along it’s entire length, we will be featuring canal stories and news all year long. The towpath version of the canal was a large factor in the lives of our ancestors and certainly...
by portbyro | Feb 23, 2025 | Uncategorized
With the bicentennial of the canal taking place later this year, the focus of 2025 columns will be on the waterway that transformed the young nation. Our little villages of Port Byron, Weedsport and Montezuma, were built along the banks of the canal and everyday, our...
by portbyro | Nov 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
Last month I wrote about the way that the Port Byron Chronicle covered bad news, so why not some happy news this month? And so, I decided to see how local folks entertained themselves while they did a bit of traveling. You can see how the world opens up for everyone...
by portbyro | Oct 6, 2024 | Uncategorized
October is family history month and, sometimes when researching the family, you will stumble across some bad news and maybe find out that your ancestors did some things that might surprise, disappoint, or shock you. And with that in mind, did you ever hear the old...
by portbyro | Sep 9, 2024 | Uncategorized
We received an email inquiry from former resident Dale MeComber, who had a question about the Mintline school. This was one of the many one-room school houses that dotted the land prior to school centralization in 1938. Dale’s Aunt Hilda Mecomber once taught school in...
by portbyro | Sep 8, 2024 | Uncategorized
By Cheryl Longyear, Town of Montezuma Historian The Erie Canal was the longest human-made waterway and the greatest public works project in North America at the time it was built in the early 1820s. Now as we approach the 200th year commemoration in 2025, its being...
by portbyro | Mar 18, 2024 | Uncategorized
The Heritage Center recently received the donation of a large glass bottle labeled “Port Byron Bottling Works,” which again brought the history of the small concern to the top of rabbit hole topics. It brings to light another small business that seemed to operate in...
by portbyro | Feb 26, 2024 | Uncategorized
The Citizen gave this the headline of “Why Lock 52 Historical Society became Old Mentz Heritage Center.” For many, it hides behind a paywall, so here it is. I hope it helps to clear up some of the confusion with all the local society and park names. If you...
