NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2021
Saratoga County History Center Announces Participation
in 16th Annual Canal Clean Sweep
Saratoga County, NY – The Saratoga County History Center enthusiastically participated in the statewide “Spring Cleaning” activities along New York State Canal System, April 24-25. Scheduled to honor Earth Day 2021, this multi-community celebrationis the product of a partnership between the New York State Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails New York.
On Saturday, April 24, trustees, staff, and members of the History Center teamed-up with the Quaker Springs Country Kids 4-H Club to clean-up the Old Champlain Towpath Canal Trail in the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater. The following day, History Center folks were joined by New York State Senator Daphne Jordan(R, C,I-Halfmoon), Saratoga Deputy Town Supervisor Michael McLaughlin, and students from the Notre Dame Visitation Church School to restore the March to Surrender Canal Trail in Saratoga.
“It was wonderful taking part in the Saratoga County History Center’s Canal Clean Sweep,” remarked State Senator Jordan. “I was proud to be part of this volunteer effort to clean up the trail as we successfully picked up several bags of trash, litter, and debris along the Canal Trail and roadside. Preserving and protecting our historic trails and great outdoors is vitally important to ensure our region’s scenic beauty and rich, historical heritage can be enjoyed today and by future generations.”
“This is a beautiful section of the Canalway Trail System,” added Sean Kelleher, 2nd Vice President of the History Center and historian for the Town of Saratoga. “The Wilbur Road in the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater leads right into the Saratoga National Historical Park. The March to Surrender Canal Trail is across US 4 from the new National Park Service’s Sword Surrender Site and follows the same route as the British solders that surrendered in 1777.”
“Canal Clean Sweep” highlights the growing significance of the Canalway Trail System as a recreational and tourist destination,both regionally and locally. Community organizations, service groups, municipalities, and businesses across the state are participating in the celebration, hosting more than 100 local clean-up activities in canal-side parks, community spaces, and on their local Canalway Trail segments.
Beginning with the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the 524-mile New York State Canal System is comprised of four waterways: the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals.Every season is special on such an historic and cherished system, but this year’s spring cleaning has added significance as it coincides with the second year of the Erie Canal bicentennial era, and the centennial year of the modernization of the canal system with the construction of the New York State Barge Canal.
The Canalway Trail System saw increased use in 2020, with nearly 3.9 million visits to the 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail, a more than 30% increase over 2019. These figures reflect significant investments made as part of the completion of the Empire State Trail, and increased interest and participation in outdoor recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parks & Trails New York is the state’s leading non-profit advocate for enhancing the health and quality of life of New Yorkers through maintenance, enhancement, and promotion of New York’s network of parks and multi-use trails.
For more information on the 16th Annual Canal Clean Sweep, or to help coordinate an event in your community, please visit www.ptny.org/cleansweep, or contact Rebecca De La Cruz with Parks & Trails New York at rdelacruz@ptny.org.To learn more about the New York State Canal and Canalway Trail System, or to obtain a free map, please call 1-800-4CANAL4, or visit the Canal Corporation’s website at www.canals.ny.gov.
The Saratoga County History Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse histories of Saratoga County. Previously focused on the Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa, the History Center now offers a wide variety of innovative, exciting, and educational programming online. A town hall-style public forum on climate change and historic preservation is slated for the fall. When Brookside Museum re-opens this summer, the History Center will debut new exhibits and family-friendly events. Please visit the website (www.brooksidemuseum.org) and social media accounts (@SaratogaCoHistory) for news and announcements.
#CanalCleanSweep
