People of the River

People of the River. The People Who Led the Way. The thriving port city of Oswego was founded by and attracted many ambitious and heroic people. Leaders of industry and social causes lived here and left their mark on the city. You can still visit some of their works by touring the city streets today. A walking tour map is available., The Underground Railroad, The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and contacts that ran from Philadelphia and New York through stations in Central New York to Canada. Oswego was one of the most active communities in Central New York., Reverend Samuel Ringgold Ward, In 1850, Ward made history here in Oswego by accepting the nomination of the anti-slavery National Liberty Party for Vice-President of the United States. However, Ward was forced to flee to Toronto after participating in the "Jerry Rescue" in Syracuse., Gerrit Smith, Gerrit Smith, founder of the Oswego Public Library, financed philanthropic and humanitarian efforts like temperance, land reform, women's rights, the peace movement, education and the abolition of slavery. In 1850, Smith was nominated to run for President of the United States on the National Liberty Party ticket., Gerrit Smith pledged $30,000 to found the Oswego Public Library, with the stipulation that it be built on the east side, and "...the privileges and benefits of the library shall be always as accessible to one sex, as to the other; and that no person, on account of their race, or complexion or condition, shall be shut out from these privileges and benefits.", John Edwards, Under the tutelage of Smith, Edwards became a successful businessman and a leader of the abolitionist movement in Oswego County. The two houses he lived in on the east side of Oswego still stand, one of them was used as a station on the Underground Railroad., John Hunter, John Hunter was a contractor and businessman. He operated a sawmill and gristmill, and ran a lumber business as well as a general store. In the 1870s Hunter started building railroads. His projects included the trestle and tunnel that are now part of this trail., West Side Places , 1. New York Central Railroad Depot (Paul's Big M) , 2. Post Office (Former) , 3. City Hall , 4. Oswego Theater , 5. First National Bank , 6. Old Armory (West) , 7. Pontiac Hotel (Apartments and Offices) , 8. Hunter-Buck-Oliphant Block , 9. Jefferson Block , 10. Buckhout/Jones Building , 11. The Market House/Old City Hall , 12. Veteran's Memorial Pavilion , 13. Walton and Willett Store (Coleman's), East Side Places , 14. Old Armory (East) , 15. Armory Kiosk , 16. Albert Smith House , 17. John Edwards House , 18. Richardson-Bates House Museum , 19. Simeon Bates House , 20. Ambrose Morgan House , 21. Old Baptist Church , 22. Old Congregational Church , 23. Oswego City Library , 24. Oswego County Courthouse , 25. Oswego County Offices , 26. Hamilton Littlefield House , 27. Civil War Soldiers Monument , 28. O and W Depot Kiosk , 29. John D. Murray Firefighters Museum