The history of Port City

BY ANDREA RUGGIRELLO, JOHN LARSON & MATT GIPP

Oswego contains a vast history dating all the way back to the American Revolution in not only its port and harbor but other historical structures around the town.

Marilyn Dirk, Senior Vice President of the Daughters of Veterans of the Civil War, points out how much there is to Oswego and how important it is to preserve that history.

“If you don’t have your past,” Dirk says, “then you don’t have a future.

Oswego's strategic position on Lake Ontario has led to the use of its port for various important purposes over the years, adding to the economy and history of the town. It served as a British supply port during the American Revolution and in the 1800s business boomed when the Erie Canal began shipping flour, grain, lumber, iron, salt and cornstarch. It was a vital front to the war of 1812 as well.

Fort Ontario is also a historic landmark in Oswego. It was built and occupied by the British in 1755 and has been destroyed and rebuilt four times since then. It was the final front for the British in the American Revolution and they did not surrender it until 1778. It fell into disrepair after it was turned over to the United States in 1796 but the threat of another war with Great Britain in 1838 caused the United States to regarrison the post.

There are many other interesting facts about places of note in Oswego. Sheldon Hall, the oldest building on SUNY Oswego campus used to house K-12 classes. Oswego previously housed three movie theaters, one right across the street from the Oswego Cinema 7, which still operates today.
Though she was very young at the time, Dirk can still recall 25 cent movie admissions.

“My mother would give me ten cents and I’d be able to get a candy bar and a bag of popcorn,” Dirk says, laughing. Clearly, those were different times.

The Bridge Street bridge once had a shoe store and haberdashery at its center, built on top of a tiny island in the middle of the river. Though the island still exists, the stores are long gone. Wistfully, Dirk describes Oswego as having bee a larger tourist spot many years ago.

Today, both the port and Fort Ontario are important landmarks of Oswego. Fort Ontario is a museum and has been a state historical site since 1949. There are often reenactments performed at the site as well as tours and other events.

The port is the first major port of call on the Great Lakes. It provides opportunities for tourist attractions, including Harborfest, during which there are always boat shows and visitors to the harbor. The Port Authority created and funds the H. Lee White Museum, which is dedicated to the port and its history. But most of all, it is the port’s prideful residents that define its character.

“I just love Oswego, and there’s no place like it,” Dirk says. “I’ll be here for the rest of my life.”