The community was settled around 1789 and incorporated as a village in 1854. The Erie Canal, which once went through the center of the village, was rerouted to the south when it was enlarged in the 1850s. Later, the canal conformed roughly to the bed of the Clyde River. On November 6, 2012, Lyons village residents passed a proposal to dissolve the village into the surrounding town by a 569–524 margin.
The H. G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company Plant, Grace Episcopal Church Complex, Broad Street-Water Street Historic District, and U.S. Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1986, parts of two films were shot in Lyons. The Spanish film Slugs filmed in Lyons for its quaint American look and Lady in White, to take advantage of the historic, preserved atmosphere.
Lyons is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Erie Canal Lock 27 is located below the bridge on Leach Road, just off N.Y. Route 31. It was built around 1913, and has a lift of 12.5 feet (3.81 m) to the west.
LOCATION: trail begins on the south side of the canal, at the junction of routes 31 & 14 in the village. Parking is available south of the Canal at the start of the trail.
LENGTH OF TRAIL: 1 mile+
DIFFICULTY: easy walking paths and sidewalks
PASSPORT MARKER: located in Central Park, to the west of the fountain
