Champlain Valley Transportation Museum

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Champlain Valley Transportation Museum
Established 2000
Location 8 Museum Way, Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Website Champlain Valley Transportation Museum

The Champlain Valley Transportation Museum in Plattsburgh, New York, originally founded in 2000 to be a museum dedicated to the history of Lozier Motors, has grown in scope to cover all the transportation in the region. It includes artifacts and displays on the history of land and water based transportation in the region,[1] especially on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The museum was the idea of Anthony Vaccaro, a Plattsburgh physician, who owned and restored a 1915 Lozier.[2] He saw a museum dedicated to Lozier Motors as a way of promoting Plattsburgh's rich history. Despite the museum's expanded scope, the Lozier remains its centerpiece.[3] The museum's Type 82 Lozier is the only known Type 82 in existence.[4]

The museum officially opened on the site of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base in 2004 with the help of a corps of volunteers.[5] Its permanent collection includes Essex County's Weatherwax Sail Ferry, brought to the museum after restoration,[6][7] and sold to the museum for one dollar,[8] now used to transport visitors to the nearby museum at Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island. Also housed at the museum are the Bill Gates Diner (a cafe housed in a trolley car),[9] a 1924 REO Speed Wagon used by Plattsburgh Motor Services' founder Walter Church,[10] a 1929 Model A Ford and a 1967 Jaguar.[4]

Following a 2006 grant that helped establish the museum,[11] in 2007, the museum received a $1 million grant from the New York State Department of Transportation to assist in the upgrade of the museum's infrastructure. The museum is required to raise $200,000 in order to receive the grant and in January 2008 it began a capital campaign to achieve this goal.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lake City of Plattsburgh. Adirondack Daily Enterprise (2008-01-13). Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  2. ^ About Us. Champlain Valley Transportation Museum. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  3. ^ Jeff Meyers (2004-11-27). A New Time Machine. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  4. ^ a b Max Galanty (2007). Champlain Valley Transportation Museum. All Points North. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  5. ^ Jeff Meyers (2003-04-01). Road Flattening out for Local Transportation Museum. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  6. ^ Lohr McKinstry (2003-12-23). Frozen Ferry Ticketed for Museum Fare in Plattsburgh. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  7. ^ Lohr McKinstry (2003-12-14). Rescued Sail Ferry Coming to Plattsburgh. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  8. ^ Lohr McKinstry (2005-05-21). Weatherwax Moves North. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  9. ^ Jeff Meyers (2005-10-15). Historic Diner/Trolley Car Now a Part of Transportation Museum. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  10. ^ Jeff Meyers (2005-07-18). Delivery Complete. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  11. ^ Funding Secured for TL Multi-Use Trail. WNBZ (2006-10-23). Retrieved on 2008-05-21.
  12. ^ Jeff Meyers (2008-01-14). Transportation Museum Looks to Expand. Press Republican. Retrieved on 2008-05-21.