Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Oswego, NY Has It All, In All Seasons!



If you haven't been to Oswego, you might want to put it on your list of places to visit in Central New York.

Oswego City Hall


Oswego has it all, in all seasons! Fishing year round, boating, historic sites, parks and recreation, farmers market in the summer/fall, super-modified racing, and other activities for all ages.



The City of Oswego is also known at The Port City of Central New York. Oswego is in Oswego County and is located in northern-central New York on Lake Ontario. The State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego is located on the lake just west of the City.




History: The British established a trading post in Oswego in 1722 and it was later called Fort Ontario. Fort Ontario is now a State Historical Site. The Fort is currently open to the public and is now undergoing renovations.

The Fort also houses the Safe Haven Museum.
"Safe Haven was the only Official U.S. Government activity to Rescue Jewish refugees during the Second World War, for victims of the Nazi Holocaust. The refugees were brought from Italy, but deliberately only from other parts of Europe. They were all fleeing from the Nazis. They were deliberately chosen so that some were non-Jewish to allay anti-semitic fears.
They were placed in Fort Oswego, behind barbed wire, and given no official status, and were told they would be returned to their homelands after the war, and would have no rights as regards entering the United States. In fact, due to political pressure, at the war's end they were allowed to stay in the U.S.A."  
. . . From Wikipedia

"The Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the story of the 982 European refugees who were allowed into the United States as “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Holocaust in World War II. They were temporarily housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York from August 1944 – February 1946."
. . .From the Safe Haven Museum Website


The Oswego Canal connects the Erie Canal at Three Rivers (Oneida, Seneca and Oswego Rivers) to Lake Ontario at Port Ontario.



Lock in the City of Oswego. The Oswego River has seven locks.




Oswego Public Library

The Oswego Public Library was built in 1855 with funds that were donated by Gerrit Smith, who was an abolitionist, prohibitionist, and businessman. The library is on the National Register of Historical Places and the building is one of the oldest libraries built in New York State to serve continuously as a library.




The War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden is at the Leotta-Seaway Trail Park and the gateway to the Oswego Harbor Rail Trail. There is a pedestrian bridge and trail that crosses the Oswego River and Harbor. The park includes benches to enjoy the view, and there are panels to read about the history of Oswego and the War of 1812. The colors of the flowers reflect the local schools' teams colors: Orange and green for SUNY Oswego and red geraniums in honor of the sacrifices made by the Oswego Patriots.







Oswego is also home to the Port of Oswego which was also once a major railroad hub for several major railroads (the New York Central Railroad, the Deleware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and the New York, Ontario and Western Railway. The tunnel from the former Ontario and Western Railway is used as a rail trail.


Fishing anyone?









And SNOW!!!









One of the highlights of the year in Oswego is Harborfest. Harborfest is an annual free four day event that occurs the last full weekend of July. They have amusement rides, live music, entertainment, and art and crafts for children, and other venues as well. Check their webpage for the schedule and events.


Fireworks in the Harbor. Photo by Robert  J. Clark. Printed with permission 


The fireworks again will be presented by world renowned Fireworks by Grucci: Fireworks by Grucci.

And a visit to Oswego would not be complete without at stop at Rudy's on the Lake on the west side of SUNY  Oswego for a fish sandwich or hamburger hots or hot dog hots.



Websites:
City of Oswego
Oswego Speedway is a nationally known racing facility.
State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego)
Visit Oswego, NY
Safe Haven Museum
Oswego, NY (Wikipedia)
Oswego Public Library
Oswego Canal
War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Oswego NY


Hope you get a chance to visit Oswego in the upcoming months!

Feel free to leave a comment. . .

16 comments:

  1. Thanks for the virtual tour. Oswego looks like a nice place to visit and the Harborfest would make for a nice weekend get away. Great share!

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    1. Thank you, Lee. Yes, there is plenty to do in Oswego, and Harborfest would be a great time to visit the City. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Thanks for commenting.

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  2. I hope the Tourism Board sees your post Sue...this is wonderful and a great share to the world....I always enjoy visiting Oswego!

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    1. Thank you very much, Donna! I really appreciate that. Maybe I'll have to send them a copy. I so enjoy writing about all the wonderful places in our communities, and the responses have been great. We really love Oswego, too!

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  3. Hi Susan,
    I really enjoyed your tour of Oswego. It is on my bucket list to come visit. I especially enjoyed your picture of the lake you took this year. Makes me cold. Excellent picture. The Fireworks picture leaves me speechless. Robert Clark took an exceptional picture. I'm jealous because I keep trying to capture fireworks like that. Thanks for your blog.

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    1. Thanks, Kay! I think you and Mike would love Oswego. There is so much to do there and a lot of history, too.
      It is pretty cold when the north winds blow across Lake Ontario, that's for sure.
      Robert Clark's photo of the fireworks is amazing. His photo is also featured on the Grucci's Oswego Harborfest page too. You can click on the Grucci link at the bottom of my blog post for more photos of the fireworks. I would hope someday to be able to take pictures of fireworks like that, too! Thanks for commenting.

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  4. Sue, I love this pictorial of one of New York's beautiful towns...my favorite is your photo of the Lake...gorgeous - no matter what the season!

    Ann

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    1. Thanks, Ann. It really is a beautiful little City on Lake Ontario. And you are right, the Lake is beautiful in all seasons.

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  5. Thanks for publishing this great tour of the town where I live. Come on over and see it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

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  6. My husband works in Oswego each year at the power plant. It really is a great place. Very pretty with much to see.

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    1. There is usually something to see or something going on in this busy little City. They have also begun a City re-vitalization project that has been very successful in some of the neighborhoods. I'm hoping that at some point they might have a neighborhood Garden Tour/Walk.

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  7. Sue,
    Great writeup and photos as usual. It definitely needs to be on our list for the summer months to visit. I love the pic of the guys and gals fishing. Hope all is well with you both.

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    1. Thank you, LuLu. Yes, I'm hoping you get a chance to visit this year. There is a nice garden center on the west side of Oswego on Rte 104 called Ontario Orchards. They usually have a lot of plants, shrubs and perennials along with local produce and other items.
      We're doing great! Hope all is well with you two as well. See you in a few months!

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  8. Awesome photos,as usual,Sue.I found out alot of things I didn't know about Oswego.

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