Central NY back to Western NY

As we continued east along 5 & 20 we kept going by signs that said "Cayuga Indian Land Claims, No Sovereign Nation, No Indian Nation." What is all that about? Turns out these signs have been around for almost 35 years! The signs were posted by a group called Upstate Citizens for Equality. In 1980 the Cayuga Indians of New York and the Seneca Indians of Oklahoma, filed suit against the state of New York and the current landowners.  They are seeking to get parts of Cayuga and Seneca counties returned to them along with $350 million.  They also want the current landowners evicted. Concerned citizens organized a grassroots campaign - Upstate Citizens for Equality, Inc. - Cayuga and Seneca Chapter - (UCE) in order to give the citizens a voice in this issue. In 1993 State official tell local leaders and land owners that no one will be forced off their property. Cayuga Nation will have to come from willing sellers who receive fair compensation. In 1996, after numerous meetings, court appearances and failed negotiations, a mediator is found to reach settlement in Indian land claim case. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, encompassing part of the Montezuma Swamp at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Most of the refuge lies in the Town of Tyre, in the northeast corner of Seneca County. 

The Montezuma Marshes were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1973; the citation notes that "A small, 100-acre area within the site is one of the best examples of undisturbed swamp woodlands in New York or New England." The New York Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area borders the national wildlife refuge and protects additional parts of the Montezuma Swamp. A significant spot along the Atlantic Flyway, the Refuge provides crucial habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds. We drove through Seneca Falls, which is home to the Women's Rights National Historic Site. 

The First Women's Rights Convention held in 1848 marked the formal beginning of the women's rights movement. At the time of the convention, women were not allowed the freedoms assigned to men in the eyes of the law, the church, or the government. Women did not vote, hold elective office, attend college, or earn a living. If married, they could not make legal contracts, divorce an abusive husband, or gain custody of their children. Five women organized the First Women's Rights Convention. When Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a Seneca Falls housewife and mother of three sons, sat down with the Quaker and abolitionist women, and decided that these wrongs should be made into rights. They called for a Convention, open to the public, to be held in Seneca Falls at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, July 1848. There they presented a Declaration of Sentiments, based on the language and content of the Declaration of Independence. Stating that "all men and women are created equal," they demanded equal rights for women, including - a radical idea - the right to vote. An estimate 300 people attended the Convention; the document was ratified and was signed by 68 women and 32 men. The First Women's Rights Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments have earned the Village of Seneca Falls a large place in the hearts of people all over the world. There is no major part of our lives today which has not been affected by this revolutionary document. Seneca Falls is an Empire Zone. What is an Empire Zones? They are designated areas within NYS that offer special incentives to encourage economic development, business investment and job creation. Certified businesses located within a designated zone are eligible to receive significant tax credits and benefits. The Seneca Falls EZ may be a virtually tax-free zone in "best case" situations. If your business is eligible for the Empire Zone, they are awarded the following incentives: Tax Reduction Credit, Real Property Tax Credit, Sales Tax Exemption, Wage Tax Credit, EZ Investment Tax, Employment Incentives Credit, New Business Refund, Reduced Utility Rates and Low Interest Loans.

Waterloo was the next town we came to, it is the birthplace of Memorial Day and home to the Memorial Day Museum. The Civil War, which had torn our nation apart, had come to an end. In Waterloo, as in the rest of the nation, the great sacrifice of our most precious asset, our young men, weighed heavily on the minds of our citizens. During the fall of 1865, Henry C. Wells, a local Druggist, proposed that a commemoration be held to honor their sacrifice. Late in the winter of 1866, he enlisted the aid of General John B. Murray who immediately threw his support behind the proposal and on May 5, 1866 the first Memorial Day was held and Memorial Day has been celebrated for almost 150 years. In 1986 the Seneca Lake Wine Trail was formed in the heart of New York State’s Finger Lakes Wine Country to attract more visitors to experience its rich history, beauty and production of world-class wines. Today, Seneca Lake Wine Trail is the largest and most active wine trail in New York State with a community of 34 wineries, a distillery, two breweries and a meadery. The rich wine history of Seneca Lake can be traced back to 1866, when the Seneca Lake Grape Wine Company opened a winery on the western shores. However, with the passage of Prohibition in 1919, the bottom of the grape market fell out and many of Seneca Lake’s vineyards either closed or were replanted to produce grape varieties for the juice or fruit market. 

Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes (with a surface area of 42,800 acres) and the deepest lake entirely within the state. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby. Because of its depth and relative ease of access, the US Navy uses Seneca Lake to perform test and evaluation of equipment ranging from single element transducers to complex sonar arrays and systems. The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans. At the north end of Seneca Lake is the city of Geneva, home of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a division of Cornell University. At the south end of the lake is the village of Watkins Glen, famed for auto racing and waterfalls. Seneca Lake’s natural combination of deep water (at 632 feet it is the deepest of the Finger Lakes) and sloping hillsides provides the ideal micro-climate for grape growing. Its unique geology and topography protect the growth of hardy native grapes and premium hybrids as well as more delicate varieties. 

We entered the City of Geneva. It was named as Playful City by KaBOOM, for the third time sets a standard as a national leader in the playability movement. Playability is defined as the extent to which a city makes it easy for kids to get balanced and active play - and are making play part of the solution that can move the needle on countless urban challenges. The City of Geneva has over twenty places for children to actively play. The City of Geneva was only one of three cities in New York to receive this designation, and nationally only 212 were awarded. The designation offers cities exclusive opportunities for grants. In 2012 and 2013 the City of Geneva was awarded grant funding totaling $30,000 to improve the play spaces. The City has worked hard to ensure that kids have a safe place to play actively and to maintain the Playful City status. 

The a City of Geneva has a community called Founders Square it has a rich history in Geneva. When communities such as Geneva were originally built, urban transportation was much more limited.  Walking distances were the norm for determining availability.  Neighborhoods weren’t usually laid out to serve only one income group as we often do today.  The Founders Square (formerly known as Washington Park) neighborhood illustrates this well.  The most important houses were built on major streets, but less important houses were often built next door.  On adjacent cross streets even more modest houses were constructed.  And over time, rear lots were subdivided and some of the smallest houses were built.  At the same time, it was important that schools, churches, and even corner stores be constructed to serve this diverse population. Today, Founders Square is a remarkable mix of properties constructed over a century and a half to serve different populations.  There are now owners of historically important mansions as well as owners of attractive middle-class houses from the early 1900′s.  There are owners and renters in workingmen’s houses on side streets and even more renters in houses that have been converted to multifamily use.  Students and faculty from the Colleges mix with owners and renters from all income groups.  And the churches and institutions, at varied levels of use, add even more diversity to the neighborhood.

Running along 5 & 20, you can see and smell the cabbage fields. NY ranks number one in the country in production of fresh cabbage, and number two in processing cabbage. Valued at over $60 million per year, cabbage and other crucifers, like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, kale, collards, turnips, rutabagas, turnip and mustard greens, Chinese cabbage, and several other specialty vegetables, rank second in economic importance among New York vegetables, just after potatoes. Over 5 & 20 is an old railroad bridge that has become part of the "connector" for the Ontario Pathways Trail. It is a 23-mile rails-to-trails project. The "path" is a cleared 12 foot wide trail with 10 of the 12 bridges already rebuilt.

The Trail is composed of "legs" that connect Canandaigua, Stanley, Seneca Castle, Orleans and Phelps/Clifton Springs. The trail is open to the public year round for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. I would love to take our bikes on the pathway one of these days! The Canandaguia Pageant of Steam is an annual steam fair held in the Town of Hopewell on 5 & 20. It started in 1960 and is hosted by the New York State Steam Engine Association. The fair starts the first Wednesday in August and lasts four days. Besides steam engines, it features an antique tractor pull and a large flea market. Due to the nearby Empire Farm Days event in Seneca Falls, held from Tuesday until Thursday, some of the flea market vendors and many visitors attend the Steam Pageant on Friday and Saturday. 

Until 1971, the event was held at various places, including the old site of Roseland. As a kid, growing up in the late 60 's and early 70's, it was a treat to go to arose land Park! Roseland Park is a now defunct amusement park previously located along the north shore of Canandaigua Lake. Roseland started operation in 1925 and continued to operate for 60 years until its closure on Labor Day in 1985. Roseland originally opened up under the name "Lakeside Park" with little more than a dance hall and a few rides. The dance hall itself was named "Roseland" after the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. After three years it had become such an integral component to the park's identity, that the park itself was renamed from Lakeside to Roseland. Over the years as the park changed and grew, it saw many rides come and go. Some of the additional attractions saw things like a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a miniature train ride, a sky ride that went out over part of Canandaigua Lake before returning to the station, and the park's Carousel, which was purchased for the park in 1941 from the defunct Long Branch amusement park. For a period of time there was even a live circus act. Additional attractions have been added and changed over the years, including the addition of the park's major wooden roller coaster, the Skyliner, which was built in 1960. Two weeks following the park closure, an auction was held to sell off all of the park's remains. Two of the park's most notable rides can still be found in operation. Philadelphia Toboggan Company's carousel No. 18, was purchased by the Pyramid Companies of Syracuse. It was refurbished and restored to its original colors, and then installed at the Carousel Center mall in Syracuse in 1990. Carousel No. 18 was originally built in 1909. The other ride still in operation is the Skyliner, a wooden roller coaster. This ride was also built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was built at Roseland and opened in 1960, where it operated until the park closure in 1985. It was then moved to Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania reopening in 1987 under the same name. It was designed by John C. Allen who later went on to design the Blue Streak at Cedar Point. It is a double out and back coaster with a track length of 2400 feet, and a maximum height of 60 feet. A housing development now sits on the property where Roseland Park once was. Though the park has long since shut down, its name still exists today in the form of Roseland Waterpark, which is also located in Canandaigua. 

Fingerlakes Times picture at dedication

It was the Seneca Indians who gave the city of Canandaigua its name, referring to it as "the chosen spot." That legacy is honored with a bronze seven foot statue, atop a four foot base, weighing between 6,000 and 7,000-pounds, and about 11-feet tall at its highest point. The statue is depicting a Seneca husband returning from a hunt, carrying a bow and a satchel of arrows, his wife and two children. It's at the intersection of Routes 5 & 20 and 332. In Lima we turned left off 5 & 20 back onto 15A south. We were on this road before, it was known as Plank Road.

It is filled with farms and fields. Begin Again Horse Rescue at Stone Hill is located on 15A. Their mission is to provide a safe, permanent, environment for unwanted, “at risk” and neglected horses to prevent as many as possible from suffering or going to slaughter. They rehabilitate them when possible and find “permanent lease” homes for them. They do not sell horses, but merely facilitate the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of those animals in their care. They strive to find as many loving, informed homes for as many animals as possible. They are 100% volunteer run and operate solely on donations. They accept horses in any condition, when space allows, who are surrendered by private owners or through county animal control facilities.  They focus their attention on those horses within a two hour drive from their farm. Down 15A we are back into the Hamlet of Hemlock. So, have you figured out what Hemlock is named after? The correct answer is ... Hemlock is a translation of the Indian name of Onehda. Sorry, if I lead you astray on the first leg of this two land adventure! We hope you enjoyed this trip, as much as we did!