The Town of Ridgeway, which was formed in1812, is situated in the west central part of Orleans County. It was named for the Ridge Road which crosses the town from east to west. Geological factors combined to bless the area with fertile soil and an abundant water supply. Topographical factors favored the development of the Ridge Road and the Erie Canal, transportation routes which were vital to the success of the town’s agriculture and quarrying industries.
The distinctive blue and yellow historic markers chronicle the town’s history - the location of the first tavern in the area at Ridgeway Corners, the site of the first religious society in Knowlesville, the home of inventor D.A.A. Buck in Medina, and the most dramatic of all – the must-see Medina Culvert, on Culvert Road, the only place on the whole length of the Erie Canal where a road goes under the canal.
The Amish & Mennonite communities have built businesses in the town of Ridgeway and Yates such as the market and nurseries, primarily along Ridge Road. Please be cautious and respectful as they travel by horse & buggies and bicycles.
Must see and do in Ridgeway:
The only tunnel allowing motorists to drive under the Erie Canal. This unique feat of engineering was built to avoid a very expensive and time-consuming construction of a bridge and approach roads on both sides of the canal that would have been needed to carry traffic over the waterway. Listed in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
