Keuka Lake
United States · Americas
About
Keuka Lake ( KEW-kə) is a Finger Lake in central New York state. Spanning Steuben and Yates counties, it is the third largest in the eleven-lake chain. It is unusual for its Y-shape, which contrasts with the other long and narrow Finger Lakes, earning it the historic name Crooked Lake. Keuka means 'canoe landing' or 'lake with an elbow' in the Seneca language.
The first white settlers to the lake region came after the Sullivan Expedition during the American Revolutionary War. In 1833 the Crooked Lake Canal was completed, connecting Keuka Lake with Seneca Lake, connecting with the Erie Canal. Beginning in the first half of the 19th century many steamboats operated on the lake which largely functioned as transports between Penn Yan and Hammondsport, often in service of the wine industry. In 1872 the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, connecting to the Erie Railroad, went into operation, replacing the use of the canal.
Beginning in the mid 19th century the lake has since been surrounded by vineyards and wineries which earned it the title, the Cradle of the Wine Industry, in New York. During the beginning of the 20th century the first flying boats were developed and tested on Keuka Lake by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.