Steve Yablonski, OswegoCountyToday.com, link to full – original article
City, county, state and federal officials gathered at Wright’s Landing on April 30, 2009 to snip the ceremonial ribbon, opening of the Oswego Harbor Trail.
“Thank you all who made this project a reality,” Mayor Randy Bateman said. “This trail ends at Liberty Street, but it points the way to the next path, an even longer trail that we hope will connect the city to the SUNY Oswego campus one day.”
The project adds 2.1 kilometers to the more than 4 miles of trails that connect downtown Oswego with the Lake Ontario shoreline – both on the west side where Wright’s Landing and Breitbeck Park are located and connect to the east side via the Oswego Harbor Rail Trail to the Fort Ontario Historic Site, Oswego’s Youth Center, Safe Haven Museum and the Oswego Civic Arts Center.
The project was conceived in the 1970 when the Port City began to turn back toward cleaning up its waterfront after years of industrial use had left it with empty buildings and brownfield sites.
“If we stood here 50 years ago, we’d be facing a large pile of coal ash, black smoke from a coal-fired electric station and broken down shacks and boathouses scattered throughout this area,” the mayor said. “During the ’70s, the first notions of a project to connect Lake Ontario to the river and downtown were conceived.
Today, the city has transformed the waterfront with new hotels, riverwalks and a revitalized downtown area. The Port of Oswego Authority has developed 100 slips at the International Marina alongside the city owned Wright’s Landing Marina, which has more than 160 boat slips.
Oswego has become a boating and sailing Mecca – the last stop before entering the locks of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor or embarking on the Great Lake Ontario.
The Oswego Harbor Trail features 2.1 miles for bicycle and hikers. Waterfront views of Oswego’s historic lighthouse and an important winter birding area are offered alongside the Oswego Harbor.
Fishing is also an important attraction for the Oswego area. Oswego Harbor offers a close-up look at fish and a variety of birds and flora.
The Oswego Harbor Trail connects the H. Le White Marine Museum, where the original Fresnel Lens from the Oswego Lighthouse is preserved. Boaters and tourists who come to the city are provided with Oswego’s rich maritime history when they visit the marine museum.
The Oswego Harbor Trail also provides interpretive signs presenting the history of Fort Ontario, the site of a historic massacre during the French and Indian War of 1757 and 1758. Two other signs on the trail provide information on the birds and wildlife and the history of the Oswego Lighthouse.
The trail was designed to provide safe access for visitors and citizens to travel along the waterfront by bicycle or on foot to see the sights and safely connect Oswego’s downtown commercial area.
New York Outdoors Blog 