AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Erie Canal is celebrating its 200th birthday. To mark the milestone, a replica of the 1825 boat the Seneca Chief is making its way down the famous New York waterway.
The vessel left Buffalo on September 24 and is retracing the historic journey with 28 community stops. It arrived in Amsterdam on Monday.
The Seneca Chief was used by Gov. DeWitt Clinton and was the first vessel to travel on the canal when it first opened. Officials said the tribute honors the benefits the canal had for New York commerce but also recognized the problems it caused for the state’s indigenous population.
The boat will be docked in Schenectady on Tuesday. It will then be in Troy and the Albany area over the weekend.
It is expected to arrive in New York Harbor on October 25 to commemorate the canal’s official bicentennial date.
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