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The Town of Montezuma is located at the great bend in the Seneca River
in Cayuga County, New York.
It is believed that Montezuma was named for the Aztec chieftain. The area was first
settled by Dr. Peter Clarke, Comfort Tyler and Abram Morgan. They were attracted to the area for
the abundant salt springs first discovered by the Indians. Later, they became the early promoters for canal
development amd building roads and bridges.
Montezuma became the western terminal when the Erie Canal opened in 1820. Work on the
"middle section" of the canal between Utica and Montezuma started after ground breaking at Rome in 1817.
The Cayuga/Seneca Canal was also built and junctions here with the Erie Canal. It opened up 80 miles
of lakes to navigation on our two largest Finger Lakes. Montezuma was a bustling village becoming the head
of navigation while the building of the Erie Canal proceeded westward. The first passage boat was built
and launched here. Seventy-six feet long and 14 feet wide, The Montezuma, contained an elegant
dining room, kitchen and two cabins.
When the original Erie Canal was constructed, no one anticipated the heavy boat
traffic it would accommodate. Clinton's Ditch - a mere 40' wide and 4' deep soon proved to be
insufficient in size, and no sooner had it opened when plans began to enlarge it. Because crossing
the Seneca River at Montezuma was so difficult, the State decided to relocate the canal to higher ground
and to build an aqueduct to carry boats across the shallow river.
The Richmond Aqueduct, the second largest on the Erie Canal replaced the hazards
of crossing through the river by lifting the canal up over the river, speeding up transit time.
The canal commissioner reported to the State Legislature when it was built in 1856 that this was
"one of the largest and most important structures on the Erie Canal." 110,000 linear feet of wood
pilings were driven into the soft ground to support the Seneca with 31 stones arches, 11 feet high
and 22 feet wide. It was the second largest built on the Enlarged Erie and cost $125,000 to build.
In the meantime, other visionaries were building railroads, replacing one technology
for another. As new modes of transportation were developed, more and more commerce was taken away from
the original canal system. Between 1905 and 1918 the Seneca River was dredged to a uniform 12 foot depth
creating present day Barge Canal system.
The aqueduct needed to be removed over the Seneca River when the old canal system was
abandoned. Today, all that remains of the 31 arches are seven on the east side of the Seneca River and three on
the west side. A Four Canals Historic Park has been proposed by the Cayuga County Planning Department
and the Town of Montezuma for state development. It would encompass approximately 140 acres of parkland
highlighting these historic resources which are adjacent to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge and upstream from the
Montezuma State Wildlife Management area.
We've come a long way from the days when mules and horses pulled boats through the
Finger Lakes region, but there are ongoing efforts to assure us that our rich canal history will be
preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.
A walking guidebook is available to use while touring canal sites through town starting
at Memorial Park on Dock Street. This was the site of a large state managed canal basin
where boaters traveling along the canal could stop and rest or wait for service. Other sites on the tour
include the Cayuga & Seneca Canal junction, Lock 11, dry dock area, Lock 62, the Richmond Aqueduct and paper mill remains.
To order a copy, or for more information contact:
Cheryl Longyear, Historian, at
P.O. Box 357
Montezuma, NY, 13117
Phone: (315) 776-8844 (office) or (315) 776-4656 (home)
Fax: (315) 776-9943
Email: montezumahistorian@tds.net
In 2006, the Montezuma Historical Society was chartered to foster local community pride in our heritage to ensure that
history will be preserved and appreciated for generations to come. Meetings and educational programs
are held at the Historic Mentz Church.
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