BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Maritime Center is recreating the historic maiden voyage of the Seneca Chief, the first boat to travel the entire Erie Canal.
The replica of the Seneca Chief is traveling about 500 miles, recreating the first ever boat voyage from Buffalo to New York City. I got the chance to experience part of that journey from Pittsford to Fairport on Sunday.
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Roger Allen, the master builder of the Seneca Chief replica, expressed his excitement about the project.
“It’s an astonishing thing. And just because of the boat, it’s astonishing. But the whole history of the Erie Canal, and what this boat meant and what the Erie Canal has meant in history of the United States is it’s an amazing thing. It should be commemorated the way we are doing so. And I am so happy to be part of the whole thing,” Allen said.
The replica is a 73-foot-long wooden boat weighing 40 tons, moved by an old tugboat. Allen described the craftsmanship as impressive and reminiscent of what Gov. DeWitt Clinton would have seen 200 years ago.
The journey aims to stop in towns along the canal to educate people about its history and learn about its economic, environmental, and historical impact. Crew member Eddie Knibloe emphasized the importance of sharing this history and getting people excited about traditional boat building.
“It’s really important to share, this important part of history and, the impacts for, better and worse of the Erie Canal. But also to get people excited about, traditional, making traditional boat building, traditional, materials and the tools used to make those things,” Knibloe said.
Robert Constantine from the Buffalo Maritime Museum highlighted the canal’s impact on New York City, noting that shipping costs dropped significantly, making the city a commercial powerhouse.
“I think a lot of people in New York City don’t understand the impact…$100 a ton dropped to $7 a ton the day that started. It absolutely made New York City the commercial gorilla that it is today,” Constantine said.
The Seneca Chief is set to arrive in New York City on Oct. 25. The boat arrived in Lyons today, with its next stop in the village of Clyde in Wayne County.
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Replica of first Erie Canal boat, the Seneca Chief, recreates historic 500-mile journey WHEC.com.
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