News
September 29, 2023History Center Presents “Low Bridge on the Erie Canal” October 23
The Saratoga County History Center is pleased to announce a program entitled “Low Bridge on the Erie Canal” on Monday, October 23 at 7pm at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. Town of Clifton Park Historian, John Scherer, will highlight the history of the local section of the canal using historical photographs and objects from his Town Historian’s collection.
Scherer has served as town historian for 45 years and has been interested in the Erie Canal that parallels the Mohawk River along the southern border of Clifton Park since arriving here in 1978.
“John’s research of the canal’s history and the people who worked and lived along the waterway is prodigious,” said Jim Richmond who is directing a film about the Forgotten Crossroads of Vischer Ferry for the History Center. “John was actively involved in the establishment of the Vischer Ferry Historic District and Nature Preserve from the beginning.”
John has collected stories from canal workers whose memories went back to the early 1900’s. He will share some of these stories documented in audio interviews now archived in the Clifton-Park Halfmoon Library. “The Erie Canal was considered the eighth wonder of the world because of its engineering feats,” said Scherer. “It crossed the Mohawk River at Crescent and continued through 13 miles of southern Saratoga County before returning back across the river at Rexford. The canal created a boom era along its course.”
Scherer was Curator of Decorative Arts at the New York State Museum in Albany from 1967 to 2009 and currently serves as Senior Historian Emeritus. Since becoming Town Historian Scherer has published five books on Clifton Park history and was instrumental in setting up an Historic Preservation Commission for the Town. He is a founder and former Vice President of the Association of Public Historians of New York State.
Pre-registration for the October 23 program is available at
https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/low-bridge-on-the-erie-canal/
