MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — Residents of Middleport got a special surprise on Wednesday as the Seneca Chief, a full-scale replica of the historic 1825 Erie Canal boat, made an unexpected stop along its bicentennial voyage from Buffalo to New York City.

The 33-day journey commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal and highlights the waterway’s cultural, economic, and historical significance. The replica boat serves as a floating museum, giving communities the chance to learn about life on the canal and the people who shaped its legacy.

Among the crew riding along is Terry Abrams, a member of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation of Mohawk descent. Abrams emphasized that while the canal facilitated New York’s growth, it came at a cost to the Haudenosaunee people, who were displaced from thei

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