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Niagara History Center Press Release
The Niagara History Center will present a series of free public lectures for the Erie Canal bicentennial at the Historic Palace Theater in April. The programs will explore the canal’s rich history, its complex legacy, and its evolving role in today’s society.
Audiences will gain a deeper understanding of one of the most significant waterways in New York and in the U.S. through these thought-provoking presentations:
•Thursday, April 3 • 6-7 p.m. • “From Idea to Icon: How the Erie Canal Shaped a Nation”: James Lester, executive director of the Niagara History Center, will discuss the Erie Canal’s construction, impact on trade and settlement, and role in shaping Niagara County, New York state, and the U.S.
•Tuesday, April 22, 2025 • 6-7 p.m. • “Freedom’s Waterway: The Erie Canal and the Underground Railroad”: Lecturer Joshua Poole, operations manager of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, will show how the Erie Canal provided routes and resources for freedom seekers escaping slavery, and the canal’s impact on the abolitionist movements of the 19th century.
•Thursday, April 24 • 5-6 p.m. • “Divided Waters: The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal’s Legacy”: Presenter Vince Schiffert, a cultural educator for the Tuscarora Nation, will provide insight into the Indigenous perspective on the canal’s construction, its enduring legacy, and its effect on Native communities.
All programs will be open to the public free of charge, and will take place at the Historic Palace Theatre, 2 East Ave., Lockport.
1859 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY 14072
Phone: 716-773-7676
Fax: 716-773-7190
