A Walking Tour of Galway Village Mystery Cache
GalwayGuys: Location of the cache is being sold.
A Walking Tour of Galway Village
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
It’s hard to believe that this peaceful little village was once a bustling crossroads. Stagecoaches left regularly for Saratoga, Utica, Northampton, Amsterdam, Ballston, and Schenectady. Hotels and liveries served the traveling public and tradesmen such as blacksmiths, carriage makers, grocers, and tin and copper ware dealers who sold to local residents and outlying farmers. As the “smallest incorporated village in New York State,” you can easily complete this walk in under an hour.
The IP is designated parking location. You’ll use the data that you gather on your walk to find the actual cache location by substituting numbers for letters found in this description. The parking area is at the front of the Galway Market which was once the site of the Christopher Columbus Shayne Livery stables destroyed in the fire of 1908. This fire started in the hay storage area and spread to many of the old hotels and stores at the four corners, causing their demise. A few years later, a convicted arsonist confessed to starting the fire. According to the cornerstone, the market was built in 196B.
Proceed south, crossing West Street (each of the streets leading out of the village is named for its direction from the crossroads) to the Ryan Funeral Home. It was probably built in the 1830’s and served as the residence of Thomas Mairs, a prominent citizen who was Town Supervisor for several years and a merchant. His daughter gave the land for the park in the village, diagonally across the street. It has been a funeral home since 1936. The next house as you head south was built in 1843. It is also in the Greek Revival style. You’ll pass other homes in this same style until you reach the Galway Fire Department. The cornerstone indicates it was built in 196C. Ironically the fire house that preceded it was destroyed by fire. The home at #5249 is also a Greek Revival built about 1855. A shoe store was operated here in the 1880’s.
Go back to the crossroads and head east to the United Methodist Church. A church has been located at this corner since 1806. The current church was built from a carriage house that was moved here after a fire in 1948 burned the former church. Next to the church is a “peace pole.” Further east and on the north side of the road is the Bible Baptist Church. The current building was built in 1829 but the church was founded in 1H8R.
Head back to the crossroads and stop at the town park. The white sign promotes its designation as the “smallest incorporated village in New York State” although now it is the second smallest. The village was incorporated in 183G and its population is L00, the same as it is today. Next to the sign is a watering trough, the village landmark. It was a gift from Horace Carpentier, a member of the Saratoga County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who later became the first mayor of Oakland, California. The trough was designed with three different levels of basins; one for humans, one for horses, and one just above ground level for dogs and cats. A plaque on a rock in the park was erected by the Galway 2K00 Committee. The historic marker at the crossroads notes that the village was settled by Scots in D77A.
Cross to West Street and stop at #2008 West Street. It was built in the 1850’s and served as the home to various blacksmiths. Alphonse Cote, who invented the automatic railroad car coupler, lived here in the 1880’s and 90’s. The restored Victorian home has both front and side porches. The side porch has J pillars. It was once a local history museum.
You now have all the data you need to find the cache which is nearby on North Street. The coordinates are: N AB CD.LDG W HJ KD.GRG
We hope that you enjoyed your historical tour of our village.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures