In the 1930's the New York State Education Department developed a program to mark the various locations in the state that had historic significance. As years went by the Department could no longer fund the care and maintenance of the markers and many fell into disrepair. Their original color scheme was based on the blue and yellow colors favored by New York with blue as the background. The remaining markers that stand throughout the state are the responsibility of the Department of Transportation. Here are some of the markers found in or near Letchworth Park.

This one for the Civil War Parade Ground was restored with park colors and is presently on the site in the Park. One other one (shown below) exists in the Park that was found in the basement of one of the barns in the park and restored with park colors and placed at the parking area at the west end of the Portage High Bridge.

The one shown above, painted with park colors, is located at the site of the Deep Cut of the Genesee Valley Canal. It stands along Route 436, just west of the hamlet of Oakland.

The marker below, located closer to Nunda on Route 436, marks the series of locks that began at the west end of the village and ran west into what is now the Genesee Valley Canal Historic Site as part of Letchworth Park.

For more information see our Glimpses of the Past.

Tom Breslin

May 200