North Country This Week

MASSENA — Those interested in the history of the St. Lawrence Seaway can now view two models constructed of wood and plaster, thanks to efforts from a former town supervisor and councilman.

Both models found their way home just prior to Christmas and are now on display in the Celine G. Philibert Memorial Culture Centre and Museum.

Word of the models had circulated for a few years, with both former Town Supervisor Steve O’Shaughnessy and former Town Council Member Sam Carbone saying they had hoped to bring them back to Massena some day.

“We eventually got in touch with some folks at Cornell who said they had them and that they had been in storage for years. We were worried that someone might throw them out,” Carbone said.

The two men made the decision to arrange for a pickup, knowing the models likely would have been tossed as the university began cleaning the building.

“We drove down to Syracuse, dropped off our wives at the mall and continued on to Cornell,” Carbone said.

Carbone and O’Shaughnessy drove through near-white out conditions to arrive at Cornell, only to find the displays were on the sixth-floor of the building.

The elevator only went to the fourth floor, forcing them to carry the models down two flights of stairs before being able to load them into the elevator.

“It was a challenge, you can say that. I didn’t expect to have to carry them down stairs like we did,” O’Shaughnessy said.

The two men returned to Massena later that night, models in tow.

Both Carbone and O’Shaughnessy have been researching the two pieces but so far have yet to find an official date of when they were built. 

“The first big planning meetings for the seaway go back to the 1930’s under FDR, so these models could have been created by the power authority for the initial meetings,” Carbone said. 

Designed by George Gaynor Hyde, the two models are over six-feet long, with four carry handles on each to move them around. 

Gaynor Hyde was a staff engineer with the New York State Power Authority and constructed the two working models of the seaway, the first being the ‘before’ version and the second being the ‘after’ conceptualization.

Every detail was considered, from the towns and topography affected, to the key placement of locks, dams and dredging to be completed.

Both models also have hookups for water pipes, allowing engineers to display the potential flow of water before and after work was to be completed.

Construction on the seaway began in 1954 following a large push by then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who sought to overhaul and advance infrastructure in the United States following WWII.

Upon completion in 1959, the seaway opened in grand fashion with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attending the opening with then Vice-President Richard Nixon and his wife Pat.

Visitors to the museum can view photos from the opening, as well as the chairs that both Prince Philip and Pat Nixon used during the event.

“It’s a great piece to add to the museum, we’re very happy that everyone can come see the models on display now,” O’Shaughnessy said.