Along the Towpath of the Original Erie Canal
About mid-way between the villages of Jordan and Peru, in Onondaga County, of central New York State, there was indeed a hamlet once called "California." To be precise, it's center was located at N 43° 04.33' - W 076° 26.233', which are the coordinates of the spot where the horse and buggy were situated in the photo below. The American Cement Co. was located less than 100 yards east of that old boarding house and barn, and was a spin-off of the Portland Cement Co. of Allentown, PA.. One of it's employees there, Mr. Charles L. Trexler, (left) moved his family to New York when he was offered the job as Operations Manager. Most of the workers at the new plant were young men and boys, who, like Lewis Pickard (right) of Peru, NY, would get to work by walking the towpath. Note: Click on the map above for a slighty large image.
Samuel McKnight's Boardinghouse and Barn along the towpath on the north side of the canal as they appeared about 1908.
There is now a small bridge over the narrow canal, connecting the towpath to Schapp Rd. where the horse & buggy are in the above photograph.
New signage at Schapp Rd., a short walk to the towpath, then head west along towpath about 150 yards.
The clearing on the right is where the old cement factory was located.
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