The Byway community thanks Giffys Bar-B-Q and Shenendehowa Rotary for the fantastic fund raiser for the Mohawk Towpath Byway on April 14.  We are especially grateful to Bryah Gifford who donated his time and scrumptious food and to Alex Gutelius who led the team from Shenendehowa Rotary serving dinner.  The funds will be used for additional interpretive efforts along the Byway and to address scenic conservation issues: in short to tell the Byway story and protect our special places.

Accounts of life on the Erie Canal a century and a half ago reflect a hard life: always moving and the destination was always on ones mind.  Little was written about the food other than one was especially fortunate to have a good cook within your boat’s crew.

Several accounts mention fresh biscuits within the first mile or two on the daily canal trek.  Fresh vegetables would have been available along the rural sections of the canal when it was busy.  A chicken in the stew pot would have nicely rounded out the evening meal.  This meal was prepared and eaten as you were trying to make one more lock before dark.

Chicken and biscuits would have been a favorite on the Erie Canal.  I propose that we make Giffy’s Chicken and Biscuits the official entree of the Mohawk Towpath Byway.