Saratoga County History Center Announces Participation in 16th Annual Canal Clean Sweep

Saratoga County — The Saratoga County History Center 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 celebration is 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.

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.  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.