After two days in Schuylerville we continued north through locks 5-12 and tied up to the town seawall in Whitehall, NY. Now we are officially in fresh water. The canal locks are interesting but really make a mess of the fenders and lines.
Photo: Guillotine like canal blocker. We actually did get underneath it.
Photo: More waterfront property along the way.
Unbeknown to us (and most others), Whitehall is known as "The Birthplace of the American Navy".
It was actually named Skenesborough at that time after Philip Skene. Since he was also a British army major the name was changed after the war.
Apparently, in 1776, George Washington needed a navy and need one fast. The British were sailing down from Montreal with a fleet of 30 ships intent on slicing through New York. Shipbuilders and craftsman from the surrounding area and New England flocked to Whitehall and completed 16ships. The new "navy" met the British at Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. The American fleet was commanded by none other then Gen. Benedict Arnold. Although Arnold's fleet did not win (it was mostly destroyed), it delayed the British advance enough for the colonists to gather their forces at Saratoga.
There is a museum in Whitehall commemorating this event and the history of the canal in the area. Not much else doing in this berg...we think the "birthplace" was the highlight of its history.
There is an interesting theatre here though. It is in a bridge over the canal. The show was only on the weekend so we missed it.
Photo: Lock 12 and the theatre
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