Historian Craig Williams discusses the 19th century Irish cartographer David Vaughan and his role in the first expansion of the Erie Canal.
Join us at The H.A.R.P. Museum on Sunday April 16 from 2-4 PM for a presentation by retired NYS Historian Craig Williams as he discusses the life and works of 19th Century Irish cartographer David Vaughan.
It is well known that the Irish contributed considerable manual labor to the first enlargement of the Erie Canal in the 1840’s. The labor could not be started, however, without the help of the maps and plans of Irish immigrant David Vaughan. Not only were Vaughan’s maps and drawings invaluable to the construction of the canal enlargement, they could also be considered works of art. The embellishments he used in his maps and drawings often contained minute humorous and cultural elements from his native Ireland. You will find this presentation most informative and you may be in for a surprise or two as you learn about Vaughan’s life.
The presentation will be held at the H.A.R.P. Museum, located on the second floor of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley, 623 Columbia St, Utica, NY. Admission is free but we do ask that you register by visiting EventBrite at https://bit.ly/40qrLVq.
Craig Williams serves on the board of the Canal Society of New York State and speaks regularly on a variety of Erie Canal topics. He retired as a senior historian at the New York State Museum after more than thirty years of service. He is also a former curator at the Erie Canal Museum.
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