Watervliet Historical Society

03/03/2026

https://irish-us.org/events/irish-hands-american-waterways-erie-canal-song-and-story

Derek Warfield of the Wolf Tones will provide an interactive talk entitled “Irish Hands, American Waterways: The Erie Canal in Song and Story.” Warfield - a founding member of the Irish band the Wolf Tones and globally recognized historian, singer, songwriter, and mandolin player - will both tel...

01/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RBrGYVu4o/

The Erie Canal didn’t just transform transportation and trade, it inspired culture. As boats carried goods and people across New York, artists captured the canal’s sweeping landscapes, bustling towns, and the spirit of progress. This resulted in a visual record of how innovation and imagination shaped a young nation, reminding us that progress was both built and envisioned.

Today, art continues to be a great way to engage with the canal. Explore our lesson plan “Erie Canal Tonal Study” on the Erie Canal Learning Hub, using art to bring the canal into the classroom.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/LoBKi4O

Image: Pittsford on the Erie Canal, 1837 by George Harvey. Courtesy of the Memorial Art Gallery

12/09/2025

In the newest installment of Look at This, our friends at the New York State Museum take us through a collection of historic stoneware donated by Adam Weitsman. Imagine our excitement when we learned that the Erie Canal helped to make these items widely available in New York State!

Read more about the Museum’s collection and browse the NYS Library's detailed stoneware broadsides to find your favorite 19th century molasses jug, all on the NYS Library blog: https://nyslibrary.libguides.com/blogs/system/look-at-this-stoneware

06/23/2025

In 10 day the Museum is hosting former teacher and avid model boat builder "Tugboat Teddy" to talk about the history of NYS tugs and steam boats.

This lecture will take place on Wednesday June 25 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Admission is $10 and we will offer light refreshments.

We hope you can join us in viewing his unique builds and listening to his stories!

05/05/2025

The Watervliet Historical Society is having a 200 year Erie Canal Bicentennial Celebration on June 22, 2025, from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm. At Hudson Shore Park. We are looking for vendors, if you are interested you can contact me at (518-944-4436).