Skip to main content

Erie Canal: Palmyra-Macedon Aqueduct Park

The Palmyra-Macedon Aqueduct Park, or the Pal-Mac Aqueduct Park for short, is a county park just west of historic Palmyra, New York that features remnants from the days of yore of the heyday of the Erie Canal. The main features of the park is a spillway that is still used to moderate the nearby successor to the Erie Canal, that being the Barge Canal, as well as the Mud Creek Aqueduct and the historic Aldrich Change Bridge. The Erie Canalway Trail runs through the park, and along with the historical and recreational opportunities afforded within the boundaries of the park, there is a pavilion on site for people to have picnics.

The historic Aldrich Change Bridge (officially, the Aldrich Towing Path Change Bridge) is the oldest iron bridge in New York State and one of only two bridges known to survive from the first enlargement of the Erie Canal. The bridge was first constructed in 1858. This Whipple designed bridge was built in the Waterford, New York iron works of George W. Eddy and erected by John Hutchinson of Troy, New York. The bridge allowed the towpath to switch from one side of the canal to the other. West of this bridge, the towpath was on the south side of the canal, and east of the bridge, on the north side. Originally on the south side of the canal, when the Erie Canal was enlarged, there was no room between the enlarged canal and adjacent buildings in Palmyra, so the towpath was switched to the north side through the village. The bridge was moved to Aqueduct Park in 2003.

The Mud Creek Aqueduct is also located in the park and is adjacent to existing Erie Canal Lock 29. The remains of the aqueduct include the towpath bridge on the south side of the canal, which is now a part of the Erie Canalway Trail, and the stone supports for a former wooden canal prism, which held the water on the north side of the canal. The aqueduct is 94 feet long, and uses three spans to cross the creek, officially called Ganargua Creek.

Lock house for the current Erie Canal, in which you may be able to make out some fencing in the distance.

Garangua Creek.


Sources and Links:
Wayne County - Palmyra Aqueduct Park
NYFalls - Palmyra-Macedon Aqueduct Park
The Erie Canal - Aldrich Change Bridge
The Erie Canal - Macedon and Palmyra
Cycle the Erie Canal - Lockport to Lyons

How to Get There:




Update Log:
March 23, 2018: Originally published article to Unlocking New York.
August 20, 2021: Transferred article from Unlocking New York to Gribblenation.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dillon Road

Dillon Road is a 34.2-mile highway located in northern Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California.  Dillon Road begins at Avenue 48 on the outskirts of Indio and ends to the west at California State Route 62 near San Gorgonio Pass.  Dillon Road was developed the 1930s as a construction road for the Colorado River Aqueduct.  Dillon Road serves as a northern bypass to much of the development of Coachella Valley.  Dillon Road is known for it's frequent dips and spectacular views of San Gorgonio Pass.   Part 1; the history of Dillon Road Dillon Road was constructed as a haul road for the Colorado River Aqueduct through Coachella Valley.  The Colorado River Aqueduct spans 242 miles from Parker Dam on the Colorado River west to Lake Mathews near Corona.  Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct began during January 1933 near Thousand Palms and was made functional on January 7, 1939.  West of Berdoo Canyon Road the alignment of Dillon Road is largely concurrent with the Colorado

Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia

  The Oldtown Toll Bridge linking Oldtown, Maryland over the Potomac River with neighboring Green Spring, West Virginia is only one of a few truly privately owned toll bridges located in the United States. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is a low water bridge. Low water bridges are designed to allow water to safely and efficiently flow over the bridge deck. Additionally, a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. This was a blessing for residents, especially on the West Virginia side of the Potomac River, as it saved motorists commuting to Cumberland an hour in travel time. Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road

Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road is an approximately 21-mile highway located in southeast Kern County.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road begins at Tehachapi Boulevard (former US Route 466) in Tehachapi and crosses the Tehachapi Mountains via the 4,820-foot-high Oak Creek Pass.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road enters Antelope Valley of the wider Mojave Desert and passes by the historic stage station of Willow Springs to a southern terminus at Rosamond Boulevard.  Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road has historic ties to the Havilah-Los Angeles Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road due to the once reliable presence of water at Willow Springs. Part 1; the history of Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road Oak Creek Pass and Willow Springs were known to the local tribes of the Tehachapi Mountains for generations.  The first documented European crossing of Oak Creek Pass was during 1776 as part of an expedition by Francisco Garces.  Oak Creek Pass is as used again by John C. Fremont during an 1844-1845 expedition to e