ERIE CANAL BOAT SENECA CHIEF AND THE BACK TO BUFFALO TOUR COMES TO LYONS, NY ~ WAYNE COUNTY
- Deb Hall
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Buffalo Maritime Center’s replica Erie Canal boat brings free public programming, educational experiences, and living history to Lyons as part of its homecoming voyage from Waterford to Buffalo.
Lyons, NY, June 6, 2026 – After a short delay in Waterford, the Buffalo Maritime Center's Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief is headed west across the canal system. The community of Lyons will host the boat and crew for two days on June 18 and 19 with public events focused on history, education, culture, and community engagement. Operated by Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) staff and volunteer crew, pulled by the tugboat C.L. Churchill, the Seneca Chief will dock in Lyons behind the Fire Dept on Water St. for two nights. It will arrive at the Lyons Dock on Thursday, June 18 around 5:30 p.m. and stay through Friday, June 19 until send-off on Saturday morning 9:00 a.m.
This unique floating museum and educational experience is part of the longer 2026 Back to Buffalo Tour. The highlight of the 6-month, May to October canal expedition, is this 22-day voyage from June 6th to 27th with stops at 16 ports from Waterford to Buffalo. This westward journey will connect students, educators, families, and canal communities with New York's living maritime heritage. It builds on the momentum of the Seneca Chief's landmark 2025 Bice ntennial Voyage, which commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal's opening.
During the 2025 Bicentennial Voyage, an Eastern White Pine was planted at each port in recognition of the Haudenosaunee and their enduring connection to the land upon which the Erie Canal was built. Community members in turn poured water from their local section of the Erie Canal and Hudson River into a barrel which was carried aboard the boat and used to water the final White Pine planted in New York City.
This year the ceremony continues, but in reverse. Water will be gathered from communities along the route to travel west aboard the Seneca Chief. This water will consummate the wedding of waters by being poured onto the very first ceremonial White Pine that was planted at Buffalo's Seneca Bluffs Park. Together, these acts complete a symbolic circle of connection, remembrance, and renewal, honoring the past while strengthening the bonds that have united communities along the canal through this community boatbuilding project. During its stay in Lyons, there will be many opportunities to learn from and interact with BMC staff and boat crew.
On Thursday, June 18, the replica canal boat is expected to arrive in Lyons at approximately 5:30 p.m. at the dock behind 27 Water Street. Community members are invited to gather at the dock to welcome the vessel before walking to participate in the White Pine Dedication at the nearby Erie Canalway Trailhead on Elm Street at 6 p.m.
Immediately following the dedication, everyone is invited to attend an evening community discussion with BMC’s boat building expert and Seneca Chief inspiration, Dr. John Montague. He will be joined by father and daughter team, Paul and Courtney Comstock who have a fascinating story about familial connections because of the canal. Paul, a past member of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, has paddled over 1200 miles on the canal, and Courtney, a professional family historian, has cross-country skied on the canal. The three speakers will present “A Corridor of Connection,” a community conversation about the Erie Canal’s continuing role in connecting communities, commerce, and culture throughout New York State.
On the following day, Friday, June 19th the federal holiday of Juneteenth, there will be a whole day of activities for student and civic groups as well as the general public to celebrate “Freedom on the Canal.” Pre-scheduled morning groups from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. can enjoy a one-hour educational program to explore the boat's history and construction at no cost followed by public viewing hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m., on Friday, June 19th, the Lyons community will officially commemorate the history and meaning of Juneteenth with a focus on the Erie Canal and the role it played as a passageway for freedom seekers for the first half of the 19th century. Wayne Action for Racial Equality (W.A.R.E.) President Earl Greene, who is also Minister to the Northside Church of Christ in Rochester, NY will give the opening address a top the roof of the Seneca Chief. Greene brings years of professional and lived experience leading community-wide changes on issues of racial and social justice.
The Juneteenth Freedom Celebration *(4pm – 7pm) at 27 Water Street will feature live music (4pm-6pm) with local musician “Johnny B,” family genealogy specialists, oral history recordings, local historians and authors, civic organizations, two museums (until 4pm), a history hunt challenge, and food from Lyons Fire Dept. Erie Canal Boat Company will provide kayak rentals at nearby Abbey Park from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Of course, there will be public viewing opportunities aboard the Seneca Chief from 4pm to 7pm.
Wayne County has a unique connection with Juneteenth because one of its hometown heroes, Major General Gordon Granger announced freedom to the last group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas under General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Since then, the history has taken the day unto itself. Unfortunately formerly enslaved persons faced many more years of struggle after the emancipation, which raises the question of what freedom means to each of us.
Long before 1865, the Erie Canal had become a major water route for freedom seekers on the underground railroad, finding safe houses and transport throughout Wayne County to the shores of Lake Ontario and on to freedom in Canada. Author and former County Historian, Marj Perez, will also be at the Freedom Celebration with her book “Final Stop, Freedom!” that tells the story of these freedom seekers in Wayne County.
What does Freedom mean to you and what is a good example? During this event, this very question will be asked to anyone who wants to answer. The answer will be audio recorded and become part of our Oral History of Wayne County. Start thinking about it now.
Brian Trzeciak, Executive Director of the Buffalo Maritime Center commented, " The 2026 Back to Buffalo Tour continues a journey, bringing people together to further explore our shared history and the connections that unite us. What began in 2025 as a historic commemoration became something much bigger - a journey defined by hope and resiliency in the human spirit.”
Deb Hall, Director of the Museum of Wayne County History and event coordinator stated, “On behalf of the greater community of Lyons, we are proud and humbled to be asked to host the BMC staff and crew again this year. We have a great opportunity to touch on some moments of meaningful closure after these historic events.” The two days of Lyons events celebrating freedom and connection on the canal are made possible through a grant from the Nelson B. Delavan Foundation Part A.
Special thanks and prayers to John Kucko whose amazing photography of the Seneca Chief continues to bless us today.
The Back to Buffalo Tour is made possible through the generous support of M&T Bank, the Title Program Partner. M&T Bank’s partnership with the Buffalo Maritime Center builds on a longstanding, shared commitment to communities throughout the Erie Canal corridor. Founded in 1856 to support the growing capital needs of businesses following the opening of the Erie Canal, M&T Bank has long played a role in fostering connection and fueling economic growth across the towns and cities along the canal’s path.
For the Back to Buffalo Tour itinerary, voyage map, educational resources, and the digital Tour Guide, visit BuffaloMaritimeCenter.org/BacktoBuffalo.
ABOUT BUFFALO MARITIME CENTER
The Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) is a living workshop where volunteers, students, and master craftspeople come together to build, restore, and maintain wooden boats. Launched in 2010, the nonprofit organization is the center point for reviving the maritime culture that earned Buffalo its identity as “the Queen City of the Great Lakes.” Visit BuffaloMaritimeCenter.org to learn more about BMC’s educational programs, boatbuilding projects, and the organization's dedication to building community, and follow @BuffaloMaritimeCenter for real-time updates and Virtual Voyage episodes!
LOCAL MEDIA CONTACT:
Deb Hall, Executive Director
Museum of Wayne County History
dhall@waynehistory.org 315-946-4943
STATEWIDE MEDIA CONTACT:
Whitney Creighton, Marketing & Public Relations
Buffalo Maritime Center
whitney@buffalomaritimecenter.org | 917-817-1538