D&H Canal Museum

Check out the newest episode in our Virtual Museum series! We're nearing the end of our virtual tour, just a few more episodes left! Watch here: https://youtu.be/ZQjIVb4PW0o

Staff is excited to share that we, amongst numerous other museums in the state, have been selected to participate in an exciting grant program! Both the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) bring forth the "Building Capacity, Creating Sustainability, Growing Accessibility, an IMLS CARES Act grant project designed to help museums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic share their collections and reach audiences who cannot ph...ysically visit their museums". Staff from each institution "will be trained to use new hardware and software to develop programs that will engage their communities and reach new audiences". "In this two-year program, museums will identify a program to virtually deliver to their audiences, focusing on developing programs from stories found in their collections that reveal cultural and racial diversity in their communities". As many of our followers and members know, we have been very active with our online presence over the last several months, and we are looking forward to bring forth new canal related stories and content to share with you all!

Earlier this month we had our virtual wine tasting fundraiser event! Now you can re-watch the event and enjoy learning about wine, along with the musical stylings of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLzpMn2zoQc&feature=youtu.be

It was on this day, November 25th, in 1826, that the marble capstone was laid on Lock #1 in Eddyville, with, as was common in that era, an elaborate Masonic ceremony. A local newspaper tells us "The barge 'Morning Star,' under the command of Captain Griffin, laden with officials, guests and bands of musicians, and followed by other flag-decked boats, proceeded from Twaalfskill (Wilbur) to the tidewater lock at Eddyville, to the sound of music, cheers and the booming of cannon." (image description - the low water end of Lock #1 with associated buildings and the caption "Eddyville Below Lock #1")

Lucky number thirteen! In this episode of our Virtual Museum series, view our exhibit on boat building and bluestone, plus some photos from our archives. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/4NB66EGPasE [Image description: The image is square shaped and the top half has a dark blue background with white text that reads: "New video! Virtual Museum Episode 13: Bluestone and Boats". The bottom half of the image is a sepia-toned photograph of a large wooden boat being built. There are several mules standing next to the boat, and they are next to a body of water with trees in the background.]

Join us for a virtual wine tasting hosted by @Kevin Zraly, the Father of American Wine Education. Finish the hour with a musical performance by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, known for Ashokan Farewell, the theme song for Ken Burn's Civil War series. Registration for $150 includes 4 wines hand-picked by Kevin delivered to your door. Your participation will support the new Mid-Hudson Visitor Center and D&H Canal Museum at the DePuy Canal House.

It was on this date, November 19, in 1824, that New York State amended the act to incorporate the D&H Canal Company to allow them to operate a bank for 20 years. This was a way for the nascent company to (possibly) make money for their stock holders while expending money to construct their waterway, and was fairly common for these early industries. Pictured here is a D&H $3 bill c1830-50 in the collections of the D&H Canal Historical Society. (image description- a three dollar bill issued by the D&H Canal Company)

New video! Watch Bill's latest lecture: The D&H Canal- 19th Century Engine of Prosperity (Hudson Valley Edition). Watch here: https://youtu.be/AocblIb-3Zc

Museum Move Monday! More moving footage and a quick look at how the museum space currently looks. All of our Museum Move videos can be found in a playlist on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/zSha_MN3WNY

Play along with the Hudson Valley History Hunt! #hvhistoryhunt

Invite your friends to show off those charcuterie board skills or have a quiet night in to shake off election season stress and become a 'One Hour Wine Expert' with Kevin Zraly. Plus, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will share a special performance just for this event! Deadline to register is tomorrow, October 28.

Museum Move Monday: Watch the pile of boxes slowly disappear as our new storage area starts to fill up! https://youtu.be/UeGTSxbrVvE [Image description: The image shows the inside of an old chapel, filled with boxes and tables. The text on the image reads "Loading and Moving".]

New video! This week you will learn about the various methods of communication along the canal! Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/q-ml1Kyc-A4 [Image description: The image is square shaped and the top half has a dark blue background with white text that reads: "New video! Virtual Museum Episode 12: Communnications". The bottom half of the image is a photograph of an antique wooden desk. There is a telegraph machine sitting on the lower portion of the desk. On top of the desk is a wooden container used for sorting mail, and a large leather-bound book.]

Only one week left to register for our virtual wine tasting featuring Kevin Zraly with a special musical performance from Jay Ungar and Molly Mason. Invite your friends for a socially distanced evening with good wine for a good cause. https://www.canalmuseum.org/wine-tasting

Partake in a fun Fall activity!

Museum Move Monday! First, you saw the new floor, now you'll get to see the shelving! Our new space is coming along nicely! https://youtu.be/tSrdiaBxNuA

It was on this day, October 16, in 1829, that the Orange Packet was the first boat to navigate the entire 108-mile long D&H Canal. Packet boats carried mail and passengers. Pictured here is Edward Lamson Henry's "Before the Days of Rapid Transit" picturing a packet boat on the D&H Canal near Ellenville. This image is often mistakenly identified as on the Erie Canal, confusion that Henry may have encouraged as it widened the market for the steel engraving of the image published in 1898. The Society owns 3 copies of this image, 2 period and one a reproduction from the 1980s (image description - painting of a passenger canal boat with 8 people on the top, including a sleeping man and a woman reading "The Friend". The 2 mules pulling the boat and a bridge are in the background.)

I found this original photograph some years ago at the Ellenville Library and Museum and they kindly permitted me to have a copy made to hang at PCC. Now having... a copy made to hang at MHS....Luckily, the former owner recorded identifications on the back. At one of the Phillipsport locks,,,Mrs Josephine Corwin (stepmother of Mrs Vernon Keller); Mabel (Schoonmaker, later), mother of F. Keller; Jane Corbin, half sister of Mabel; Alexander Corwin, father; Ezekiel Corwin, brother of Alexander; Edward Corwin, Mabel’s full brother; Donated by Mrs Vernon Keller, Ellenville, NY. The baby is not identified.... See more

Check out the newest History Hunt from History Alliance of Kingston!

Musuem Move Monday! Watch Bill and Courtney spend a few days packing up the museum. https://youtu.be/AS46z0cktwE

Watch Bill's most recent lecture! https://youtu.be/nPEfHKDnFss