July 15, 2017 Saturday
From the canal, we see abandoned factories, abandoned/restored houses, beautiful brick/stone churches, and many other interesting structures. Today we took a closer look at Canajoharie and Little Falls. Canajoharie, a population of approximately 4000, is a Mohawk term for ‘boiling pot.’
We parked in the decaying Beech-Nut factory parking lot, after more than 100 years in Little Falls Beech-Nut moved the factory, and we took about a twenty-minute walk to see the “boiling pot.” On our walk, we strolled by the Canajoharie Methodist Church, Canajoharie Town Offices, and the Van Alstyne Homestead. This 18th century stone homestead was typical of the Dutch architecture used in this area and was one of the several local homes fortified against British attacks during the Revolutionary War.
On the way back we walked by the historical West Hill School, a 3 ½ story stone masonry building featuring a stone tower with a belfry that contains the original school bell. The school was constructed on the site of the Canajoharie Academy, the school where, in 1846, Susan B. Anthony taught. The building is currently on sale for $175,000.
We saw many fire hydrants with a 4-foot-long orange-striped stake, apparently, these are needed by firemen so that they can find the hydrants in the snow.
Disappointed that the Arkell Museum was closed we continued up the road to Little Falls. Picturesque Little Falls, population 5000, is located on the slope of a narrow and rocky pass where the river falls 45 feet in less than a mile.
We had a delicious lunch at Ann Street Restaurant & Deli and visited with a number of locals, who loved sharing the town history with us. Unfortunately, we just missed the annual Cheese Festival, where artisan cheese makers and gourmet food producers come to celebrate the historical roots of Little Falls. According to the locals, Little Falls is the historic capital of cheese of the United States.
At one time the Little Falls Aqueduct, built in 1822, flowed through the town but all that is left are the snakes and a pile of rocks.
