8th Week, Aug 8-9

We left Rochester heading east, next port Oswego. Oswego is the primary entrance to the New York Canal System when heading to New York City.

This is Oswego Marina located next to the first lock into the canal. Stayed here one night. Saw a couple boats traveling both directions.

Fort Ontario at the entrance to Oswego. There a forts at many of the ports on Lake Ontario. Built in the late 1700's to protect the interests of the French, British, and the U.S.. Fort Ontario was attacked by the British (Canada)in 1814.

This is looking north towards Lake Ontario, with the harbor entrance and the first lock into the Oswego Canal in the background. This bridge is the lowest fixed obstacle from Oswego to New York City. 22ft.

I turned around and took this picture looking south. This is the second lock. There are three locks within one mile.

Left Oswego and pulled into Sackets Harbor. Stayed at Navy Point Marina. Very small community, but with much military history. The marina is actually the site of the largest U.S. Navel Shipbuilding Yard during the War of 1812. They claim they could build a sailing battle ship in 80 days. There's still a ship buried in the mud in the harbor. Both ends of town have a military fort.

Main street.

Many Restaurants, Great ambiance here at the Tin Pan Galley.

Union Hotel built 1817, now a museum. Ulysses S. Grant played checkers here as a young Army officer while stationed at nearby Madison Barracks. Madison Barracks on the other end of town was built around 1847 as an Army base and was used until the 1960's. The base was sold to a developer in 2001 for 4.4 million and now is rental housing.

Navel Base War of 1812 battlefield. The British attacked while the majority of the U.S. Navel fleet was attacking the British at Niagara. The British thought they could destroy the US's ability to build ships. They we're repelled with great loss on both sides. The Americans thought they had lost the battle and set fire to there harbor to prevent it falling into the hands of the enemy.

War of 1812 Navel Base at Sackets Harbor.