Niagara County is celebrating NYS Archives Week with a temporary website
called "Apples and Archives" . It reflects the NYS Archives' motto:
" Sink Your Teeth into History:
Take a Bite Out of the Apple!"
The site should appeal to viewers of all ages but is especially focused to 4'th grade level students. The site will be updated weekly for approximately five more weeks. The site also will carry images of our re-creation of the sending of barrels of apples from Niagara County to the Mayors of Troy and New York City. The original event occurred during the grand opening of the Erie Canal in October, 1825. The apple barrels were placed on board the packet boat "Niagara" which followed behind Governor Clinton on the "Seneca Chief". The apples were grown at Niagara Falls and shipped by Niagara County Judge Augustus Porter. We presume his purpose was to highlight the potential of the Erie Canal for fast and inexpensive delivery of goods from western New York to NYC and European markets.. Our re-creation will occur on Sunday October 8'th as the NYS Canal Corp. tugboat "Lockport" departs the famous locks with barrels of fresh apples on board.
More to be found later on the website.
David Dickinson
Niagara County Historian