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 commemorate the bicentennial, Old Mentz and our friends at Old Brutus Historical Society, the Jordan Historical Society and Museums, the Liz and Dave Beebe Camillus Erie Canal Park, and the Canal Society of NYS, have collaborated on a book / tour guide called “Following the Flow.” The name comes from our section where the canal water flowed to the west from the summit level at Jordan and Camillus to the Seneca River at Montezuma. In most places, the water flowed east toward Albany.
After an introduction and a geology lesson about why the canal is located where it is, each group has its own chapter where they contributed photos and a narrative for their area. We also included a map to help you find the route of the original and enlarged canals as they passed through each area. The photos encourage you to get out and explore, and create your own “then and now” experience. We also created a ErieCanal2025 interactive Google Map that shows the parking areas and points of interest, many more then we could cover in the book.
Each group is promoting and selling the books on their own, so contact your favorite historical society for a copy.