On the Erie Canal

The Fantessy is docked on the Erie Canal across from the town of Lyons. Our next stop on the Erie Canal was at Lock 27 at Lyons, a town larger than Clyde. We pulled up at Southside Canal Park where we were allowed free docking for 24 hours but could not swim, fish, or drink alcohol. Our crew of Captain John, First Mate Janice, Steward Linda, and Seaman Warner tied up, battened down, crossed the bridge into Lyons, and went in search of lunch.

Eleven members of the Stansel and Featherly families had braved the wilderness in 1789 and built a log cabin at the junction of the Qanargua and Clyde Rivers. Six years later British Agent Sir William Puitney arrived, established a town, and named it Lyons because it reminded him of the union of the Rhone and SaOne Rivers in France. By 1812, Lyons had 60 families and was the county seat.

The Erie Canal and the New York Central Railway were responsible for bringing people and prosperity to Lyons in the 19th century. A trolley car system that connected Rochester and Syracuse ran through Lyons until 1929.

This mural is over Dobbins Drugs which has been operating in Lyons, NY, for 50 years. The Village of Lyons is now home to over 4,000 people. It has a historic village square (1794) and Wayne County Court House (1854). The tow path of the early Erie Canal ran adjacent to the village's main street. The former sheriff's residence and jail is now a nicely maintained museum.

Lyons, we discovered, has two claims to fame:

1. Hotchkill Essential Oil Company, which has been bottling peppermint oil since 1839, is honored each year with a Peppermint Days Festival.

2. The 1986 horror movie, Lady in White by Frank LaLoggia, was filmed in Lyons.

The pizzeria and the grill were both closed. It was after their 11 to 2 lunch time. We found a Chinese restaurant that went by Beijing time and was still open. Their fried rice and egg fu yong was better than what I had in Beijing in 1980.

After a quick tour of the square, court house, and museum, the Fantessy Four passed through Lock 27 and headed toward Newark.

This mural of the main street in Lyons, NY, depicts the town in the early 19th century. The store on the left with the awning is now Herman Bros. Inc. The Wayne County Court House in Lyons was established in 1854. Nuf Sed in Lyons, NY