Clean Up Held at Great Bear Recreational Area

The annual Earth Week and Canal Clean Sweep took place at Great Bear Recreational Area recently.

A total of 24 volunteers took part in trail projects, from picking up litter to trimming back overgrowth from the trails.

A highlight of the project was the uncovering and clearing of what was a canal store along the historic Oswego Canal and tow path.

Located adjacent to the tow path and guard lock, the foundation of what was a canal store, in operation during the 1800s, was identified from an 1800s Oswego County atlas and old canal maps.

The foundation and property  were overgrown with brush and brambles.

A combination of Friends, scouts from Boy Scout Troop 715 and community volunteers cut, cleared brush and removed debris from and around the site.

In cleaning debris, an antique ice skate was found.

Skating was probably done on the adjacent canal.

To identify the site, an interpretive placard was installed alongside the adjacent trail.

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