Salt Block #56, built on this site in 1856 by Stephen Van Alstine, was one of 316 salt blocks that lined the Erie and Oswego Canals near Onondaga Lake during the Civil War. After great success in the late 1800's, the structure was abandoned and later burned, leaving only the original chimney, once about 100 feet tall. Remnants of that distinctive chimney became the cornerstone for the 1933 construction of the Salt Museum, preserving the industry that made Syracuse the "Salt City." The museum's parking area was formerly a turning basin for boats on the Oswego Canal.