War Sites & Warblers - Oswego County Boasts An Embarrassment Of Riches
By Hilary GendersNamed for the Iroquois word meaning “place where the waters meet,” Oswego County in central New York boasts an embarrassment of riches for travellers. From sparkling sandy beaches, scenic hiking trails and stunning waterfalls to friendly festivals, cozy restaurants and unique shops – plus a range of comfortable accommodations to suit every budget, from fishing lodges to scenic riverfront hotels and cozy B&Bs, and you have an ideal getaway.
Among the top draws: excellent historical sites that allow visitors to step into colonial and Civil War-era America, and some of the best birding sites in the U.S. Northeast.
An Historic Tour
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the French and Indian War was fought in Oswego County as the French and British struggled for control of North America on the water routes through Central New York. Along the waterways of Oneida Lake and the Oswego and Oneida rivers, both the British and French established fortifications.
Today, these forts and the museums that chronicle their history offer the history of the struggle for the continent, for independence, and the civilization that evolved.
Day I
Suggest your clients arrive in historic Oswego in time for lunch with a view of the Oswego River or Lake Ontario at one of the city’s lovely waterfront restaurants.
Next up: a guided tour of Fort Ontario State Historic Site, where, during the French and Indian War in 1756, Fort Ontario was destroyed in a massive French attack, along with Forts Oswego and George. In 1759, the British returned and re-built the fort as a star-shaped fortress with 42 mounted cannons. The site is now restored to its appearance in 1868-1869. It hosts several military re-enactments and events throughout the year.
The nearby Safe Haven Museum and Education Center is located at the site of the only U.S. shelter for Holocaust evacuees during the Second World War. At the museum, see artifacts and videos, including first-hand accounts of the experiences of these courageous people.
At the H. Lee White Marine Museum, visitors explore the lake with the Iroquois in “The American Indian: Master Boat Builder and Navigator” exhibit and march with Roger’s Rangers and the leaders of colonial America through a magnificent series of epic paintings depicting the conquest of North America. The fascinating and colourful story of a major Great Lakes port during the 19th century unfolds in the museum, located on a pier overlooking Oswego Harbor.
Day II
Begin at the Oswego County Historical Society’s Richardson-Bates House Museum in Oswego. The museum is maintained as it appeared around 1890 and contains 95 per cent of the original furnishings. It offers a unique glimpse at Victorian America’s fascination with history, art, education, and travel.
Next up, 16 kilometres down the Oswego River is Fulton, where in colonial days a fort was built at the falls to guard the waterway. The John Wells Pratt House Museum, features exhibits on local industrial and community history.
The last stop is the Fort Brewerton/Block House Museum. The original Fort Brewerton was built at the west end of Oneida Lake, and is one of the best-preserved archeological sites of its type. The museum contains extensive Native American exhibits, antique tools, Civil and Revolutionary War artifacts, a painting of the original fort and several artifacts from the family of Oliver Stevens, the first European settler in Oswego County.
Birdwatcher’s Delight
Lake Ontario is the most eastern of North America’s Great Lakes. For thousands of years, migrating hawks, eagles, raptors and songbirds have congregated in Central New York State along the southeastern shoreline of Lake Ontario as they follow migratory routes to and from their northern breeding grounds.
Located on the south spit of North Sandy Pond, Sandy Island Beach Natural Area is home to a bird sanctuary that is part of a 27-kilometre sand dune system. The area is owned by The Nature Conservancy and under the management of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Deer Creek Marsh is 484 hectares of wetlands and uplands between Lake Ontario and New York State Route 3. Part of one of the largest inland dune systems of the Eastern Great Lakes, the area has a dune crossover structure to enable visitors to traverse the fragile dunes without harming them. Birdwatchers can access the viewing tower and enjoy the scenic vistas of this freshwater marsh.
Rice Creek Biological Field Station, an instructional and research unit of the State University of New York College at Oswego, consists of the 11-hectare Rice Pond surrounded by 162 hectares of land in several stages of growth from open fields to mature forests. The list of birds seen at the field station includes 90 species.
More Oswego
For more information on Oswego County, visit www.visitoswegocounty.com, e-mail tourism@oswegocounty.com or call 1-800-248-4FUN.
