Category Archives: Telling the Byway Stories

Celebrate!

20 Monday Oct 2025

Posted by in Event, Folklore, Historic Assets, Telling the Byway Stories, Volunteering

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This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal. The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway parallels the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal between Waterford, Cohoes, and Schenectady. One of the strongest intrinsic values of our Byway is history. This provided an ideal opportunity to publicize the Byway and its connection to the waterway west.

Although the communities have been drumming the beat of the anniversary all year, the actual opening of the canal from Albany to Buffalo occurred in late October 1825. Major commemorative celebrations started with the construction of a replica of the Seneca Chief at the Buffalo Maritime Center several years ago. During the World Canal Conference held the last week in September the Seneca Chief, in a grand celebration left Buffalo Harbor for a re-enacted journey across the Erie Canal to New York City. Stopping at major historic canal ports along the way, the crew collected samples of water to pour in New York harbor like Governor Clinton did 200 years ago. On its journey to New York City the packet boat stopped at Schenectady on October 14 to provide tours to the public and educational field trip opportunities for local school children, bringing history to life.

Seneca Chief passes Ferry Drive in Clifton Park. – Photos by Eric Hamilton

Meanwhile, the Town of Clifton Park held a well attended Canal Festival in the hamlet of Vischer Ferry on the weekend of October 11 and 12. The weekend included a dedication of historic marker, a parade, food vending, military re-enactors, historically popular youth games, historic trade demonstrations, working canal lock model, tours of historic structures, hay rides to a historic lock, antique car show, folks songs on the Canal, a presentation by local historic artist Len Tantillo, and a stage performance of historic narrative and song The Remarkable, Irresistible Erie directed by Andy Spence.

History records that cannons were fired along the canal to signal the approach of the Seneca Chief 200 years ago and was an important way of telegraphing the opening of the original Erie Canal before the telegraph, telephone, or internet. Following suit this fall, anyone who owns a canon or has access to a historic military device put it to a constructive use! Locally a group of re-enactors of the Albany Militia gathered to fire their canon as the Seneca Chief approached Ferry Drive in Clifton Park.

The Town of Halfmoon provided Live music, picnic fair, and ceremony by noted dignitaries as the boat tied up at Terminal Road dock so the crew had a pitstop before descending the flight of the locks into Waterford Harbor. Here too, a canon was fired as the Seneca Chief moved on toward the Flight of Locks on Waterford.

The boat spent the day tied up at Waterford Harbor providing tours to the public and several large groups of school children from various Capital District schools. The crew provided educators that did an impressive job with program geared to grade school youth as they toured the interior of the Seneca Chief, planted a pine tree and explaining the perspective of indigenous people as the Erie Canal cut through native lands.

This series of events underscored the historic intrinsic value of the Mohawk Towpath Byway in a very real, tangible way where any number of lectures could never achieve. This history lesson conveyed to school children, to families, and older adults could not have been better or more appropriately conveyed.

Thank you to all of the town historians; local, regional, and state officials; along with all our volunteers for their cooperation in highlighting this milestone on the Erie Canal now as we reshape the canal’s purpose from a commercial asset that built the Empire State to a recreation asset we all can enjoy whether from shore or from the perspective on the water.

The Plan…

24 Thursday Aug 2023

Posted by in Byway Administration, Event, Marketing and Promotion, Partners, Telling the Byway Stories

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The next meeting of the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway will be Sept 12 at Schenectady Distilling Company, 3304 Amsterdam Road, Glenville.  This will be a tasting open to the public.  We supply the Erie Canal related presentation, drum up an attendance of forty people, and they will provide a tasting of their products.

This will be a pleasant, relaxed departure from our usual meetings which tend to be totally focused on the Byway; the Erie Canal; and the waterway west.  I plan on bringing a power point type presentation (lots of images) of the “State of the Byway”.  

This is a kick-off of our public availability sessions on the draft Corridor Management Plan (CMP).  Sure it is a bit different than any other Byway has done it, but why not?  The “State of the Byway” summarizes sections 1, 2, and 3 of the CMP.  I will add a slide or two to show where the nearest Erie Canal features are to the Distillery (which features “36 Locks beverages”).  Here’s an approximate schedule of what we have planned:

  • 4 to 5 PM – Tour of the distillery and tasting
  • 5 to 8 PM – hors d’oeuvres 
  • 6 to 7 PM – Byway Presentation, questions, discussion, answers

From a historic perspective alcohol played an important part in building the Erie Canal. Treated municipal water, that we take for granted, was not available.  In the spirit of building public acceptance of our Byway plan, let’s relax and enjoy each other’s company as exhausted canal workers must have ended the day of moving mud and stumps to make way for what is now history?

Note that attendees are expected to make a $5 donation to the Byway on entry. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available for us tea-toddlers who are encouraged to provide car pool or rides for others!

Story Telling

16 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Bringing Tourists to the Byway, Folklore, Mohawk Towpath, Telling the Byway Stories, tourism experience, Volunteering

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(As published in the National Scenic Byway Foundation e-newsletter.)

As an ambassador for our Byway, the most common and often used technique is my elevator speech.  It takes about ten seconds to say, “The Mohawk Towpath Byway is a driving route between Waterford and Cohoes and Schenectady here in New York that follows the historic route of the Erie Canal and the waterway west.”

It is an attention grabber.  The first few lines of our website, an introduction to an indoor lecture, outdoor wayside tour, or the first lines on a bus tour.  It is much better than saying, “Test. Test. Is this mic on?”

What the visitor to your byway is going to remember is this personal contact and this first impression.  Make it a good one. Smile, be sincere, enthuse with body language that adds to the feeling of authenticity.  Be ready for the follow-up question like, “Is it a bike path?” Or “What’s the story here?” Or “Where’s the nearest public restroom?” Or “Do you have a map?”

Tour host and historian John Scherer narrates a story on the Mohawk Towpath Byway. Note his leaning into the audience, gesture, and enthusiasm that all add to the authenticity of the story. [ Note that John is also holding the book he authored, Images of America: Clifton Park. Tell me that doesn’t add to the authenticity!]

What is your byway elevator speech?  Can you say it in your sleep?

For help with your elevator speech visit Storytelling in Person, a factsheet in our NSBF Resource Library.

Visitor Experiences

24 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by in Bringing Tourists to the Byway, Marketing and Promotion, Mohawk Towpath, Telling the Byway Stories, tourism experience, Uncategorized

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Our number one, top priority within the Mohawk Towpath National Scenic Byway corridor is to provide a positive visitor experience, period.

But how do we measure or quantify our successes? The designated route is along public roads that are open 24/7/365! Most of our historic features are along public highways or in, or along side the right-of-way. One such measure would be the number of hits on our website. That’s a start, but that’s only the visitors to our website. Intuitively visits to our website would reflect early curiosity or the number of people searching for a unique experience, not physical visits to the Byway. When we first set up the Byway’s website one of the concerns was that if we included too much information, too many pictures that would provide the whole experience and no one would try the real, authentic, visit.

I disagree. The more we can provide pictures of people enjoying the Byway and its many features the more we inspire the public to gain their own experience by physically visiting the Byway. My feeling is that use of our cell phone based self-guided tour is one of the best metrics of Byway visitation and experience.

Gathering information on visitors, not personal information, but number of calls to the self-guided tour are most helpful. Also the number of brochures that are picked up at various Byway locations are revealing.

Data provided by OnCell Systems, now STQRY.

The above data shows that visits almost doubled during the pandemic. People, including you and I, needed to get out of the house, but go where they were not exposed to others. A drive on the Mohawk Towpath Byway or visit one of our parks or historic sites was the perfect answer. Recent numbers are back, but not down to pre-COVID numbers. Perhaps return visits to the Byway and a greater digital marketing effort are definitely playing a role.

Also note that visitors don’t spend a lot of time on the page or listening to the entire narrative. If it is longer than 2 minutes they are gone to the next or are otherwise distracted.

For those of you who have used the self-guided tour service before, we will be adding new sites, new STOPs this spring along Erie Blvd. in Schenectady and in downtown Cohoes.

The Remarkable, Irresistible Erie

02 Friday Sep 2022

Posted by in Event, Folklore, Historic Assets, Mohawk Towpath, Telling the Byway Stories, tourism experience

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The Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway proudly partner with Old Songs, Inc to bring this unique program to the Clifton Park Halfmoon Library on September 24 at 2 PM free admission.  This 90-minute musical concert, telling stories of the people, the places, and the history of the original and enlarged Erie Canal, Presented in song with narration.

The Concert features songs by folklorist and historian George Ward, Canadian Joe Grant, Dan Berggren & Jean Ritchie along with other traditional Erie songs.

Musicians and singers: George Wilson, fiddle, bass and banjo; Paul Draper, vintage mango; George Ward, concertina; Annie Rosen, ukulele; Jonny Rosen, guitar; Kate Blain, guitar; Alan Thompson, piano.

The program is produced and directed by our own Andy Spence.  Old Songs, Inc. can be reached at P O Box 466, Voorheesville, NY. 12186.  Their executive director is Joy Bennett joy@oldsongs.org

Join us at the Clifton Park Halfmoon Library Saturday, September 24 at 2 PM. The program is free and open to the public.

The Visitor Experience

27 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by in Telling the Byway Stories, tourism experience

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by Nancy Papish

Visitors to the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway experience their time here at three different levels:

  • They drive the Byway as a pleasant escape from their daily routine;
  • They use the Byway as an access to adventure by getting out of their vehicle and doing some physical activity; or
  • They get involved with projects or programs to help others enjoy the experience and more fully appreciate the Byway.

Drive the Byway. It’s a pleasant afternoon drive just to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily routine. Motorcycle groups know it, because it is the second most traveled route in New York State. Others travel it as an alternate, more scenic connection between south-bound I-87 Northway and Schenectady.

Your access to adventure. This is when we entice our visitor(s) to get out of their vehicle to investigate one of many features on the Byway whether a natural feature, recreational opportunity, or a historic site. The self- guided tour stop or one of our interpretive signs might satisfy this interest or they might wish to pursue it further venturing into the Byway corridor.

The ultimate level in visitor experience is to have them involved in one of our projects or programs. These might be to enhance or protect one of our historic sites or features. It might be a project like cutting back vegetation that has over grown a historic canal wall, or a bridge to connect to an old towpath, or interpreting a feature either by taking a photograph, documenting research, making a sign, or contributing money or in kind services to complete one of our ongoing projects.

We should provide every opportunity for a visitor or any local resident no matter which level they wish to experience along the Byway: a Sunday afternoon drive; an exploratory or physical adventure and a list of projects that would grow out of our vision for a more compelling visit to our Byway.

Marketing and Promotion

23 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by in Marketing and Promotion, Telling the Byway Stories

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I am stuck. I cringe whenever someone says, “We should do more to market and promote the Mohawk Towpath Byway.” This is not one of my strong points and I don’t think a hard sell is appropriate or even effective in this case. However, my most comfortable clothing is a bright orange tee shirt that has a prominent message “Bike the Byway”. Another is a frayed, pail blue, faded denim, collared shirt with an embroidered Byway logo in place of the chest pocket. I realize I am quite comfortable if an old friend sees me and mentally labels me as “Mr. Byway” before they can remember my real name.

“What’s the Byway?” is a perfect opportunity to launch into my elevator speech about the driving route between Waterford or Cohoes and Schenectady that follows the historic Erie Canal and the waterway west. It’s a perfect conversation as you are standing in a checkout line trying to figure out if you are keeping a safe “social distance.” Better than trying to figure out which credit card will work with this retailer.

Bike the Byway. Do you have one of these shirts?

One of the most memorable activities was the “Walk the Byway” event back in 2010. Larry Syzdek and I started out very early one summer day in downtown Schenectady. We had refreshment stops planned along the way. He dropped off at almost precisely half way (at his house) and Ruth Olmsted joined. One of the most uncomfortable segments was the stretch that included the Cohoes – Crescent Road with narrow shoulders and limited maintenance of the vegetation along the roadway. [Note that this is stipulated by environmental concerns for activities in the regulated wetlands right up to the narrow right-of-way]. But others joined us including my wife and other supporters. Cohoes, Waterford and Halfmoon were a rewarding way to end the day. This was a promotional effort that worked. Others worked and we will continue to work. Thank you for reading.

If you would like a soft, cotton tee shirt, tan with forest green silk screen that says, “Walk the Byway” I still have a box with limited sizes.  If you walk any part of the Byway or it’s many recreational assets and would like a Byway tee shirt, I will try to find your size… providing you tell me about your favorite walk on the Byway.

With those thoughts I am off to work on another chapter of your updated Corridor Management Plan…

“An effective Marketing and Promotion strategy should include a consistent, coordinated effort of online presence, regional effort with partners, individual or group visitor outreach and international initiatives with national partners…”

Spring is Coming…

07 Saturday Mar 2020

Posted by in Byway Administration, Recreation, stewardship, Telling the Byway Stories, Uncategorized, Volunteering

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As the snow and ice retreats we are starting to plan our activities and projects for the coming year. We have a limited budget but several low cost projects include…

The foot bridge on the 1825 towpath trail just west of the Water Authority Access Road in the Vischer Ferry Preserve. The deck needs work so that it is safe for pedestrian, mountain bike, and light trail maintenance equipment.

Friends of the Byway clean up ready for the summer season.

Interpretive Signs within the Vischer Ferry Preserve need to be cleaned. These are lacquered metal panels that tend to attract a grimy dark film over the years that needs to be washed and waxed with a quality automotive wax. We have done this in past years as a “flash mob” activity.

Self Guided Tour needs to be updated; narratives shortened so not to loose audience and add historic photos to bring the history of the site to life. We also need to add archived Erie Blvd narratives.

Wayfinding Signs need to be replaced. After 10 years some of the signs have faded, especially the south facing signs. This will start by inventorying the signs that need to be replaced and then working with the Town Highway Departments to install the replacements.

Duathlon planning is high on our priority list. This event highlights the recreational features of the Byway and provides a substantial amount of the organization’s revenue. We need sponsors and volunteers to pitch in to make this a success!

Writing and photography helps provide content for this blog as well as publicity and keeping our fellow volunteers energized and informed. Volunteering to “man” our booth at various functions provides an opportunity to “meet our public.”

Building a frame and installing an interpretive sign at the Mohawk Landing Park in Rexford. This will round out the interpretive signs envisioned 20 years ago when the Corridor Management Plan was prepared. The panels described our agricultural heritage and growing leisure time during the Industrial Revolution.

Baking healthy snacks for our work details, meetings, and events is always appreciated and helps keep the enthusiasm and energy flowing.

Roadside Cleanups twice a year where you live or work helps keep the Byway attractive for our visitors. Adopt a segment of roadway and take credit with a sign that recognizes your stewardship.

If you would like to help out with any one of these projects please let us know. Obviously some may have better appeal than others and you are certainly allowed to “cherry pick” the one or two that most appeal to you!

Comment: An informal poll of active members the Friends listed the above projects in order of priority.

  • Repair footbridge (done early April)
  • Cleaning interpretive signs (done April 14)
  • Planning Duathlon (unfortunately canceled June 9)
  • Building a Frame for interpretive sign (design complete Apr 28, Installation completed August 10)
  • Replacing Faded Wayfinding signs (inventory under way)
  • Up Dating the Self-Guided Tour (two sites added another one edited)
  • Writing and Photography (continuing)
  • Roadside Cleanups (unfortunately didn’t get done this year) and
  • Refreshments for meetings and work crews (Moved to virtual meetings).

Three write-in activities included develop public access along the Byway in new locations, partnering with other groups to do joint projects and events, and representing the Byway in the National Scenic Byway Foundation.

– added by Eric Hamilton, Apr 13, 2020.

– Updated August 29, 2020.

2018 Annual Report

29 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by in Byway Administration, Mohawk Towpath, Partners, stewardship, Telling the Byway Stories, Volunteering

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While wrapping up reports and other administrative requirements of the Byway and the two organizations that are the backbone of our community

  • The Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway, and
  • The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Coalition

…we have developed a 2018 Annual Report that you can view here. It was prepared for municipal officials within the Byway corridor, as a thank you to our volunteers for a successful year, and as a tool to help tell the story of the Byway to the general public. If you do not receive your copy of the 2018 Annual Report by mid February send a request for a copy.

This is a collage of a number of successes we had on the Mohawk Towpath Byway this year.

Were you a part of it? If you were thank you for the help. If you were not please act now to make your place on the Mohawk Towpath Byway in 2019! Join the friends of the Byway while the year is young. Click here!

Summit Success

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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Kathy Sheehan discusses Guided Tours in Historic Institutions along with co-panelists John Scherer and Mary Zawacki, both seated. – photo by Tom Lindsay 

“There’s a ship!” explained Philip Morris excitedly to grab everyone’s attention.  Then he went on to describe the use of live theater as a story telling venue.  That was the keynote address at the Mohawk Towpath Byway Story Telling Summit on June 6 at the Mabee Farm Historic Site.  Thirty six people participated either by sharing their story telling techniques or by actively listening to the four fast paced panel discussions during the day.  More detail of the day’s program and more pictures click here.  Everything we always wanted to know about story telling from basic principles, for an audience interested in popular culture, through historic institutions, innovative methods in the 21st century, to folk music and the ballad.

The day also included sumptuous food for a light breakfast, catered lunch buffet, and finger foods at a late afternoon reception all arranged by the Friends of the Mohawk Towpath Byway.  The audience included our Byway enthusiasts and byway leaders from Ohio and Kansas!

Develop our story is the top priority of the Friends of the Byway.  This Summit met our needs!