The Seneca Chief, a replica of the first barge to travel on the Erie Canal from Buffalo to New York Harbor 200 years ago, arrived on the North River at the end here symbolic journey Saturday commerorating the canal’s bicentennial anniversary. She was in tow with the CL Churchill, a 33-foot 1964 vintage tugboat owned by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Earlier on the same day, in timing which was perhaps coincidental but also seemed to emphasize the historical continuity between the canal’s origins and its present day relevance, the brand new canal tugboat Rome passed up the North River. Rome is the second of three new boats manufactured by Blount Boats in Rhode Island for the New York State Canal Corporation and was heading for delivery to its new owners up north. Rome passed Seneca Chief and the Churchill off Sleepy Hollow—perhaps there was a salute.

For more photos of the Seneca Chief’s arrival, see Will Van Dorp’s latest post from the Canal Society’s Samuel Center which features some shots I shared with him.