Clinton County Historical Association

SHE BECAME A NUN - The mother and aunts of our board president, Geri Favreau, were indeed lucky to have Elsie Stone for a teacher. This picture was taken at the District No. 5 four room schoolhouse in Churubusco across from the St. Philomena’s Church. The date says between 1929 and 1935. In 1929, Evelyn Lagree Watson, Geri’s mother, would have been 10, sisters Anna was 8, Dorothy was 6 and Hazel was 4 and too young to be in school. Evelyn was a nurse in WWII and went on to ...Continue reading

FORMER STUDENT'S WIFE AWARDED $15,000 IN 1947- Florence Crowley Watson taught in the school in Hawkeye from the 1920s to 1950s.She was married to Thomas Watson in 1924. He was over twenty years older than his wife, who was born in 1899 to Thomas Crowley and Celina D’Avignon. Thomas worked for the local highway department and was an Adirondack guide. Florence died at 87 years old in 1987 and was buried in the Holy Name Cemetery in Au Sable Forks where her parents are buried. ...Thomas died in 1956 when he was almost 80 years old. His parents, John Watson, a veteran of the Civil War, and Harriet Hamner, are buried in Black Brook. Survivors included a son, Donald Watson of Chicago, IL and a daughter, Dorothy Landis of Orlando, FL; eight grandchildren; four brothers, Leo and John Crowley, both of Au Sable Forks, Harold Crowley of Wilmington, NY, and James Crowley of Saranac Lake, New York and Florida; and two sisters, Eleanor Allen of Schuylerville, NY, and Alice Ryan of Schenectady, NY. Sadly, one of Florence’s students, Francis E. Crawford of Hawkeye, seen in the photo, was drowned when he was 31 years old in April 1947. His car plunged through the side of a bridge into Dougherty Brook, four miles north of Ausable Forks. He was a WWII veteran and left a wife and four children. He was buried at the Church of the Assumption, Redford. You can read the story of the accident at: http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org//s/1947-04-15/ed-1/seq-3/ In December 1947, his wife, Martha Wood, sued the Town for negligence in maintaining the bridge. She was awarded $15.000. We wonder what Thomas thought of the suit against his department for which he had worked for many years. The names on the picture don't seem to co-inside, but those are the names on the back. Can anyone help us out? #ClintonCountyNY #Teacher #Guide #ILoveNY See more

CONGRATULATIONS TO US - CCHA has been mentioned on the I NY tourism site in an article entitled, "11 of the Best Easy Winter Walks in New York State." https://www.iloveny.com//the-best-easy-winter-walks-in-ne/ The North Country Chamber of Commerce is CCHA's conduit to this world-class site. We send our information to them and they add it to - ILoveNY.com CCHA promotes the whole county and all the historical and cultural venues to our in-person visitors and Facebook membe...rs. If visitors come to see us, we recommend them to other venues in the local area. Thanks to the North County Chamber of Commerce for continuously promoting this corner of New York State. We'd especially like to thank Alyssa Senecal and Kristy Kennedy who work very closely with us. On the I NY site one can find - Places To Go - Things To Do - Places To Stay - Events - Trip Planning and they even have a Blog. So when things loosen up this summer, make this your go-to tourism site for traveling in New York State. #ClintonCountyNY #Tourism #Visitors #ILoveNY See more

HAPPY ST. DAVID’S DAY To all of you with Welsh ancestry. Some of the ancestors of the Hopkins families in Clinton County came from Wales in the mid-1800s and others came from Wales by way of the Mayflower, and New England before they ended up in northern New York. David W. Hopkins came from Carmarthenshire in southwestern Wales in the 1840s and worked as a miner on Palmer Hill. He and Nancy Lee had at least eight children and their descendants in Clinton County bear not onl...y the Hopkins name, but other names including Barcomb, Lamere, Recor, Saltmarsh, Smith, and Willis. David and his wife are buried in Old Cemetery in Clintonville. Another Hopkins family from the Keeseville area started their journey from Wales in the 1500s and arrived on this side of the Atlantic in the early 1600s. Margaret Deborah Hopkins, the daughter of Charles Hopkins and Florence Stearns was born in Keeseville in 1887, married Evan Boardman, a government official, in 1914, and travelled with him to such places as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands before settling in Binghamton where she died in 1968. We have many Hopkins items in our permanent collection donated by her daughter, Margaret Boardman Young in 1987, including, among other things, her wedding dress and headdress, a small leather notebook that she used for taking notes about her dress while she was shopping for it and other wedding-related items in New York at Altman’s and Lord & Taylor, also a notebook containing the names of those who attended the wedding and the gifts received. Margaret Young died in 2015 at 96 years of age knowing that the precious mementos of her mother’s wedding had been in the safe hands at CCHA for almost thirty years. How to you celebrate St. David’s Day on March 1st? Put a vase full of daffodils on the table and make a pot of Leek soup. Many people wear a leek or daffodil today - the national emblems of the country. In Wales during non-Covid times, people host parties involving traditional dances and songs, including the national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land Of My Fathers), which you can hear and see some beautiful Welsh scenery at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn10tbDA_l4 To donate items to CCHA, contact [email protected] or 518-561-0340. #ClintonCountyNY #StDavidsDay #Daffodils #Leeks #ILoveNY

PLATTSBURGH DAILY PRESS May 19, 1939 82 years ago Arthur A. Hitchcock, well-known resident of Champlain passed away in his 88th year on Friday, May 12, at his farm home where he was born and spent his entire life. Arthur Allen Hitchcock was a grandson of Dwight Cabot Hitchcock, one of the early settlers of Champlain and one of the founders and first trustees of the Methodist Church in Champlain. The deceased was a son of George R. Hitchcock and Eliza Allen of Bethlehem, ...CT. He had one sister, John R. Carnell of Troy and Albany. The father G. R. Hitchcock died in 1871, leaving the responsibility of the farm and care of his mother. In 1873, he was married to Ella F. Bigelow, daughter of the Rev. A. S. Bigelow, a former Methodist minister in Champlain. He is survived by two sons, George R. Hitchcock of Delmar, NY, and Dwight C. Hitchcock who is now operating the Hitchcock farm. A daughter died in 1917. Mr. Hitchcock was endowed with a splendid bass voice and was an active member of the choir of the Champlain Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years. Though well beyond the allotted space of three score and ten, Mr. Hitchcock continued active life and the operation of his large farm until the spring of 1931 when a severe heart attack, soon followed by a paralytic stroke brought a quick end to the activities he had so long enjoyed. Funeral services were held from the Champlain Presbyterian Church in the afternoon of May 15. Rev. Arthur Durbin conducted the services assisted by Rev. Paul Thomas, pastor of the Champlain Methodist Church. His son, Mr. George R. Allen, a graduate of Albany Business College, rendered a beautiful solo, Some Day the Silver Cord Will Break. Interment in the Glenwood Cemetery in Champlain. If you’d like to hear the song sung at his funeral, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB4tWSQSU_c The maple industry has always been important in Clinton County, We hope these images from the turn of the last century will bring back some happy memories. This group of photos is in our permanent collection - we wonder what will be in our collection 82 years from now. #ClintonCountyNY #MapleSyrup #Sugaring #ILoveNY

PLATTSBURGH SENTINEL AND CLINTON COUNTY FARMER March 4, 1904 117 years ago COOPERSVILLE - The hard wind of Sunday morning blew the steeple off the Catholic Church, going through the roof and doing quite a bit of damage. In 1914, the history of the Corbeau Parish was recorded in, The Catholic Church in the United States of America....Continue reading

1880s AT BRADLEY POND - OCTOBER 28, 1881 A small rotary sawmill is being set up at Bradley Pond, to be used for cutting out timber and lumber to build a new separator and sawmill of large dimensions, which is to be pushed to completion as fast as possible. JUNE 30, 1882 A train near the Bradley Pond station jumped the track and the engineer, Patrick O’Brien went under the engine and was instantly killed. JULY 28, 1882 In view of the large force which will soon be requi...red at Bradley Pond, orders have been given for the building of 50 block houses similar to those in Rogersfield (Lyon Mountain), which, in connection with the large boarding houses now in use, will make quite a village. JUNE 22, 1883 About the first of July, the Bradley Pond Store will be opened. Tom Bronson. Formerly of the Mines Supplies Office, will sling the goods at this store. Mr. B. has just taken unto himself a wife, and Bradley Pond is a truly picturesque place to locate. Tom in a good judge of good goods! The separator has been under way for about six weeks shipping about 60 tons of separated ore per day. OCTOBER 12, 1883 In Crown Point, at the residence of the bride’s parents, October 10, 1883, by Rev. W. C. McAllester, of Plattsburgh, Frank H. Pierce of Rogersfield and Mary Wyman, of Crown Point. The happy pair will take a wedding trip south, and then make their home at Rogersfield, Mr. Pierce having charge of the Bradley Pond Store of the Chateaugay Ore and Iron Company. MAY 9, 1884 A brush fire caught a large quantity of kiln wood on fire near the Bradley Pond works. Seven houses were destroyed with seven thousand cords of wood. Cows, horses and swine were roasted alive. Women and children flocked the streets crying bitterly. One woman was taken from her burning house with an infant only 12 hours old. MARCH 26, 1886 There have been thousands of cords of wood drawn to the kilns at Bradley Pond to be converted into charcoal. The well-constructed schoolhouse at Bradley Pond is a credit to the company. MARCH 3, 1888 At Bradley Pond the body of a dead man lay in his house. He had died of pneumonia in the same house three of his children had recently died of diphtheria, and on Saturday morning the roof of the house where the body lay ready for burial was blown off. MAY 11, 1889 Thomas Tiernan, head clerk at the Bradley Pond Store of Lyon Mountain, while out in a boat on Bradley Pond, together with his small son, Henry, and Charles King of Saranac, was capsized while one was passing the other to row. A great effort was made by Mr. Tiernan to save his boy. Parties being out on the pond in other boats came to their rescue and brought them safely to shore. Very little is left on the shores of the pond today to show the hive of activity that was once there. The photo is in our permanent collection. Maps are from Beers Atlas of 1869 and Google Earth. #ClintonCountyNY #Iron #Separate #Pond #ILoveNY

AS PROMISED YESTERDAY - These are a few of the photos in our collection for which we have no identification. 1. "Mrs. B." 2. Picture of the farmhouse came from the Bernie Stratton estate. 3. The third picture has no clues with it. 4. May have been taken in Champlain.... These pictures were given to the museum when the philosophy was, "If it's old, give it to the museum." In those days there may have been room for "nice old pictures," but now our Collections Policy mandates that items have a connection to Clinton County and we don't accept them if the nexus can't be proved. The images are interesting, but if we can't identify them, they may have to find another home. Hope you can help. Please share. #ClintonCountyNY #LostandFound #Connections #ILoveNY See more

TOLD HIS FAMILY HE WAS SUFFERING FROM ASTHMA - On October 25, 1901, the Plattsburgh Sentinel devoted a whole column on its front page to a death notice for John Clitherow Smith, who was a senior partner of the firm of Smith & LaRocque, druggists at the corner of Margaret and Clinton Streets. John left the drug store shortly after 9 o’clock on Thursday evening to return to his home at 29 Oak Street. He retired after greeting his mother-in-law, Nancy Merritt, and his daughter, ...Albina, who was 15 years old. His daughter, Mary, had just turned nineteen two days before. He told Albina that he had a severe pain across his chest and said he hoped he would feel better in the morning. When his mother-in-law went to get him in the morning, she touched his hand and at once realized his spirit had flown. She called for his partner, Dr. J. H. Larocque who said that he had been dead for some time. John was born in Lincolnshire England and apprenticed to his uncle for seven years. After his apprenticeship he worked in Montreal and then came to Plattsburgh in 1873 to work for Hiram W. Cady as a prescriptions clerk. He then went into partnership with Charles Bromley and, in 1880, Larocque bought out Bromley’s interest and they formed the firm of Smith & Larocque. The funeral was held from Trinity Church and John was laid to rest in the Riverside Cemetery beside his wife, Ella Merritt, who had died in 1890. We treasure two books of John’s recipes that he used over the years, starting in 1863 a great resource for anyone interested in pharmacies in the late 1800s. Shown are his formulas for such things as hair wash, diuretic balls and cough balls. To read the whole story in the Sentinel, go to: http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org//s/1901-10-25/ed-1/seq-1/ #ClintonCountyNY #IPharmacy #Druggist #ILoveNY See more

NICE ICE - The M. H. Maynard mentioned is Marshall Maynard, a farmer who also served as road commissioner of the Town of Champlain for 14 years in the early 1900s. Mr. Maynard died in 1948 and was buried in the Glenwood Cemetery. They were still cutting ice in the Nye Pond in February 1931 when this paragraph was in the Plattsburgh Daily Press Gordon McCrea and Murray Bigelow have cut about 1,000 cakes of ice on the Nye Pond to be put into storage. About one half of it was... hauled to Canada. By one of the nice points of Canadian law, the Americans that drew the ice were not allowed to pack it in the storehouses. The Nye Pond was formed by a dam upstream from the Village of Champlain approximately where the Northway crosses the Great Chazy River. It was near the end of Moore Street and fed a race that went to some mills owned by F. & B. Nye that stood along present day Canal St. This area was rather developed in the mid-1800s. Hands up those who would use this ice in their kitchens today! The small poster is part of our permanent collection. Remember to think of us when you're going through boxes of "old stuff." You can contact us at 518-561-0340 or [email protected]. #ClintonCountyNY #Posters #Ice #Ponds #ILoveNY See more

DID YOU BELONG TO THE SKATING CLUB? Lots of names to explore - The skating rink was behind the old Plattsburgh High School on the flats across the street from what is now the Plattsburgh City Police Station. PLATTSBURGH PRESS REPUBLICAN February 4, 1949 72 years ago Among the guest stars at the Champlain College Winter Weekend, which starts a week from today, will be little Miss Joyce Durgan, 10-year-old figure skating star from Saranac Lake. Joyce will be featured in a ...special skating exhibition to be given during the "College Day" ice show Saturday afternoon, Feb. 12, when the Plattsburgh Figure Skating Club presents a special performance of Ice Circus" at the Plattsburgh High School rink. Petite and blonde, Joyce placed in the Eastern United States skating championships and has won a number of medals and trophies. She was runner-up senior champion at the Lake Placid Club skating competition, where she vied against girls four years older and some twice her age. Having passed her third figure skating test last year, Joyce is one of the youngest skaters eligible to enter the Eastern U. S. novice figure skating competitions. Unlike most figure skaters, she is also an accomplished speed skater. At the age of even, Joyce appeared in the Paramount movie, 'Rhythm on Blades." She was starred as "Belle of the Blades" in 20th Century Fox's technicolor movie, Winter Holiday." In the latter she gave a complete program of intricate jumps, spins, and spirals. Joyce has performed in a number of ice shows at Lake Placid and Sunmount and was a Princess in the New Year's carnival at Lake Placid when Dick Button was crowned King of Winter. In addition to the special exhibition, the ice show will feature the full-length "Ice Circus" which is being prepared by the Plattsburgh Figure Skating Club under the direction of Mrs. W. A. Robinson. Nearly 150 boys and girls will take part in the gala ice revue. There will be no admission charge for the ice show on Saturday of the Winter Weekend. We love getting items like these to add to our permanent collection. We especially love it because so many local peoples’ names are mentioned. Before you throw old programs away give us a call to see if we might be able to use it. #ClintonCountyNY #Skating #Club #ILoveNY See more

WE HAVE MANY TINTYPES IN OUR COLLECTION One of which is of Clinton Sheldon and his wife, Mary E. Baldwin. Clinton Pettigrew Sheldon was born at South Reading, VT, in 1834. He worked on his father’s farm and taught school in Vermont until the family moved to New York. In 1860, he bought a 100-acre farm in Ellenburg Depot from his father, Joel, who owned many parcels of land in the Ellenburg/Altona area. Joel’s credo, which he imparted to his five sons was, " If you can't he...lp yourselves, I won't help you," so that Clinton’s payments for the farm had to be made with as much regularity, and at as much self-sacrifice as though it had been purchased off a stranger. Clinton and his wife, Mary, also a Vermonter, who he married in 1856, cleared and cultivated their farm, and he occasionally taught school, until the Civil War broke out. In 1862, he enlisted in the 153d NY Infantry, and, after fourteen months in the service, he returned home with broken health and a damaged jaw. He lost his power of speech and his voice returned only a month or so before he died in 1872. Just before he died, Clinton was planning a new home and a barn to replace the one destroyed by fire in 1871. He built the barn first, but the home he had planned, wasn’t built until about 5 years later. He was buried in the Sheldon Hill Cemetery, for which his brother had donated the land, at age 38 years and 3 months. Mary died 20 years later, in 1892, and was buried with him. As with any images, we urge you to identify the people, places in them and the approximate times they were taken. We have so many photos in the museum that have no information about them. It’s a shame to lose the history for future generations. #ClintonCountyNY #EllenburgDepot #Cemetery #ILoveNY

EVERY PICTURE A STORY From our permanent collection PLATTSBURGH SENTINEL July 5, 1901 - 120 years ago Dr. Samuel Haynes was born in Westford, VT, on November 21, 1827. He studied medicine with his father, Dr. Thomas Haynes and graduated from the New York Medical University in 1852. On May 22, 1851, he married Phoebe, the daughter of Joseph H. Ayer of Schuyler Falls, and settled in Bloomingdale in 1853 and moved to Saranac in 1856, where he lived for the rest of his life.... In 1864, he was appointed acting assistant surgeon in the U. S. Army and assigned to the Lincoln Hospital in Washington, DC. He also served at Carver Hospital where many rebel soldiers were treated. He often mentioned the fact, that while devoted to the Union cause, he was a deeply interested in the recovery of the sick rebels as in our own men. This was not the case with some of the surgeons. In 1865, at the close of the War, he witnessed the Grand Review of Grant’s and Sherman’s Armies and saw Lincoln standing on the balcony of the White House and saw him deliver a short address A few days later, he was in his room in the hospital, which he shared with his brother, the late Dr. Thomas S. Haynes, of Lacolle, Quebec, when the wardmaster tapped at his door and made the announcement of the assassination and death of President Lincoln. The whole hospital was astir, and amid the steady tramp of soldiers outside, marching to the rendezvous, the universal cry of the excited inmates was one of unbelief in the reality of the terrible tidings. He returned to his home broken in health and suffering from his long stay in Washington. No night was too dark, no weather too tempestuous, to detain him when he heard the call of distress. One fearful winter’s night, although he lost his hat and sleigh robe, and was twice overturned, he made his way to the house of his patient Since 1896, he has been an invalid and has kept within the narrow limits of his neighborhood and home. In the evening of June 26, 1901, he fell asleep to wake no more. He died a month after this 50th Wedding Anniversary party organized by his daughter, Frances, wife of James True. He and Phoebe are buried in the Independence Cemetery in Saranac. Baby Paul died in 1966 in Plattsburgh and was buried in Holy Name Cemetery in Au Sable Forks. #ClintonCountyNY #Doctor #Lincoln #Anniversary #ILoveNY See more

PLATTSBURGH SENTINEL - March 7, 1919 102 years ago LAST CHAPTER IN STORY OF RUSSELL BROOKS CHILDS Last Hope Abandoned by Parents "After over four months of waiting, the parents and friends of Russell Brooks Childs have had to abandon the thought that some error had been made in the transmission of the casualty lists, and that time might prove that he had not been called upon to pay the greatest price in the interest of his country and humanity. Soon after war was declared,...Continue reading

PLATTSBURG SENTINEL August 2, 1929 92 years ago TWO CARS DESTROYED IN GARAGE BLAZE Duley’s Garage in the rear of 44 Cornelia Street was threatened by a serious fire Wednesday afternoon, and had it not been for the promptness of the Fire Department, the building might have been destroyed. Two expensive cars were badly damaged in the fire. The fire started about 4 o’clock and Nathan Duley, proprietor of the garage who had bought the garage from Thomas Gilmet three years ag...o, is unable to ascertain the cause of the fire. He told Chief Engineer Eli Seymour he was working underneath a car belonging to a Brooklyn party which was brought to his garage and started for the work bench for more tools. He turned around and saw the car in flames and sent in the alarm. Standing near the Brooklyn car was an automobile belonging to Cyphus McCready, a local taxi driver, which was also damaged. As soon as the firemen arrived on the scene, Seymour ordered a line of hose laid and, in a few minutes, the hosemen had a stream of water playing on the garage, and in a short time, the blaze was under control. Chief Seymour placed the loss at about $1,500. Nathan later moved his garage to Miller Street. He died in 1961 and was buried in the Douglass Cemetery in Altona beside his wife, Rae Sheldon, and baby daughter, Eva, who had both died in hospital in April 1926. #ClintonCountyNY #Garage #Fire #Automobile #ILoveNY See more

WE HAVE LOTS OF SPORTS PHOTOS - at CCHA. We love it when the names are on the pictures. If you're interested in pictures from your towns - contact us at 518-561-0340 or [email protected]. We'll check to see what we have available. Leonard Hebert won the game of life and was the last survivor of the team - he died in 1990 in the Meadowbrook Nursing Home and is buried in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Albany. Some of the team moved away, but there are many descendants of the team living in Clinton County today. #ClintonCountyNY #basketball #Team #ILoveNY

WHILE RESEARCHING OTHER THINGS - we often run across items of interest from Clinton County. These are images of the Conseil Pére Mignault in Rouses Point on August 9, 1914. So interesting to find photographs with the names on the back. Each man has a number near his left lapel for identification These images and several others from Clinton County can be found on the Assumption University's Website in Worcester, MA. https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/ "Conseils" or council...s of the USJB were local organizations for members of the national St. John the Baptist Society. They were often named after Catholic saints or famous French Canadians. The photo was taken at the G. L. Johnson Studio in Rouses Point. The men in the photo are: 1. Charles Gauvreau 2. Pierre Belair 3. Harry Goodreau 4. E. P. Landry 5. Fred Tremblay 6. Isaac Dumas 7. Alex Landry 8. H. T. Tremblay 9. Rev. A. L. Dufresne 10. George Landry 11. Henry Couture 12. Arthur Couture Pére Mignault was a Canadian priest who took special interest in French-Canadians who moved to the United States, especially in the Richelieu Valley. You can read about him in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography at: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mignault_pierre_marie_9E.html #ClintonCountyNY #JeanBaptiste #RousesPoint #ILoveNY

PLATTSBURGH REPUBLICAN September 3, 1910 111 years ago Automobile Owners of Plattsburgh The automobile in Plattsburgh has come to stay. It is only a few years ago when our city automobiles could be numbered on the five fingers of one hand, but since then, we have made amazing strides in that line, so that today we can boast of as large a number of cars as any city. Both as an aid to business and as an aid to pleasure, is the automobile used in Plattsburgh and many are the...Continue reading

TAKING TIME TO REARRANGE OUR MUSEUM SHOP - These display cabinets have done a good job for us, but no longer fit our needs. Maybe you could use them? Each item is $50. You can pick them up at the museum between 10 am and 3 pm Monday through Friday. If you're interested, contact 518-561-0340 during business hours or [email protected] 1 - 52"H x 24"D x 48"W (each shelf has plastic dividers - was used for hosiery display at Sears, has storage drawers, probably... pressed board, on wheels) 2 - 60"H x 20"D x 42"W (metal) 3 - 61"H x 18"D x 36"W (probably pressed board) Please share to help us find new homes for these faithful servants. #ClintonCountyNY #Bookrack #Shelves #ILoveNY See more

HAPPENINGS IN THE TRUE BROOK VALLEY The True Brook crosses Rte 3 in the Town of Saranac. The largest happening in the Valley before 1900 was the freshet of 1892. The papers on the Northern New York Library Network of that year are full of the stories of the flood. www.nnyln.org ~ March 25, 1870 James and Edward Pinkman have their mills on the True Brook fully stocked, and they have the contract to furnish the Plank Road. ~ April 10, 1874 Messrs. S. P. Bowen & Co., have pu...rchased the Lane shingle factory at Redford. They have secured full stocks of wood at their charcoal kilns on True Brook and have everything in perfect order at their new forges at Russia and Saranac. ~ May 13, 1887 The teachers in the Moffitsville District are Miss May True in the main or central schoolhouse; Mrs. Willard Snell in the True Brook schoolhouse and this is her second or forth term there; and Miss Ada Wright who teaches on the hill is her third term there. ~ January 14, 1888 A railway branch could be constructed at moderate expense from Saranac Hollow up the valley of True Brook to Saranac Station on the Chateaugay Railroad and we understand that this matter is already under consideration. ~ August 30, 1889 I has often occurred to us that if a public house was opened on the True Brook near Laurell Mills, it might pay. Mr. James Pinkman has a fine residence and surroundings adapted to such purpose nearby. He and his wife would prove acceptable host and hostess. Here is an extensive valley surrounded by hills and Lyon Mountain covered with forests with the True Brook and its tributaries coursing through it. ~ July 22, 1892 James Cuen has taken the job of rebuilding the bridge at the mouth of the True Brook for $300. The estimated damage to the farm of Louis Tromblee by the new channel formed through his lands by water is $300; and to Widow Carter $200; to Alfred Parrott’s new purchase, $300, all on the True Brook. ~ August 5, 1892 The bridge over the True Brook near its mouth, has been completed by its contactor, James Cuen. ~ June 11, 1898 Mr. Davis went fishing in True Brook and managed to bring home two speckled beauties weighing one quarter of a pound. The 1869 maps of Clinton County can be found on Historic Mapworks at: http://www.historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/32764/ #ClintonCountyNY #Flooding #Valley #ILoveNY See more

BEST SELECTION OF LOCAL BOOKS - As CCHA houses the largest selection of Clinton County history books (new and used) for sale in the North Country, there is a special opportunity now available to pre-order and purchase these local history books. All preorders will be ready for pick up December 12th from 10 am to 3 pm. Other arrangements might be available. Suggested special gifts are one-of-a-kind ornaments for Fantasy Kingdom’s Giant Castle, Bluff Point Lighthouse, the Wi...therill Hotel and Plattsburgh City Hall at $15 each, 2 for $25, 3 for 40 and 4 for $55. Suggested book favorites are Bullets, Booze, Bootleggers and Beer Story of Prohibition by Lawrence P. Gooley, Clinton County Civil War Record 1861-1865, the Plattsburgh Military Reservation A Pictorial History by Rich Frost and Melissa Peck, Remembering the Royal Savage by Don and Barbara Benjamin, and Welcome to the Witherill A Retrospective on Plattsburgh’s landmark hotel and the family who owned it by Susan Howell Hamlin. Call 518-561-0340 or 518-569-8984 for a complete listing of all books, both new and used, book prices, preferred pick up times and directions. Correct change or a check would be appreciated as we do not accept credit cards. Shipping is available for a small fee. COVID restrictions apply at the museum, and please wear masks for pick-ups. See more

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - 1890s STYLE November 7, 1890 West Chazy Last week several of our boys observed Halloween and, judging from the general appearance of things the following morning, doubtless enjoyed themselves, but when they were arrested and obliged to pay a fine of $5 each, it may be they thought there was a turn of the tide, not exactly in their favor. November 14, 1890 Point au Roche The names of the bandits who were out Halloween eve filling schoolhouses with p...umpkins and throwing down fences, letting out cattle, and doing other things too low to mention are nearly all known. November 10, 1894 Peru Halloween was duly celebrated by the ringing of doorbells, throwing of cabbages, etc. Postmaster Lyons is minus his horse block. We notice George Mason has two. Were you out, also, George? November 8, 1895 Lyon Mountain Some of our young men were much afraid of having a joke played on them Halloween, they played one on themselves. October 30, 1896 Mooers Remember the Halloween social at the Presbyterian parsonage on Saturday evening, October 31st. November 13, 1896 Beekmantown On Halloween night, Patrick Finnegan had nearly a mile of wire fence cut so that it is almost worthless. The perpetrators of such a malicious trick deserve the extreme penalty of the law. October 26, 1897 Plattsburgh Normal School A Halloween party will be given Saturday evening. The program of sports for the evening will be in keeping with the season but will not be made public until the guests arrive. October 28, 1898 Plattsburgh - The ladies of St. Mary’s Guild of Trinity Parish wish to remind their friends once more that they are to give a Halloween social Monday, October 31, at the Court Street Theatre. A chicken pie supper will be served from 6 to 8 o’clock after which literary and musical entertainments will be given. Members of the Guild bespeak your presence on that evening. November 18, 1898 Redford Mr. Bartlett advises the ladies who pushed over his water closet on Halloween to repair the damages to save trouble. October 26, 1899 South Plattsburgh The ladies of the M. E. Church will hold a Box Sociable at the residence of Martin Lewison Thursday evening, October 31st. Games appropriate for Halloween will be played. November 3, 1899 Cadyville Misses Fannie and Gertie Tormey held a Halloween party Tuesday night. An enjoyable evening was passed playing games, telling ghost stories, etc. November 17, 1899 Valcour Miss Effie M. Christian attended the Halloween social at Plattsburgh last week. #ClintonCountyNY #Halloween #OutHouse #ILoveNY See more

THROWBACK THURSDAY - We miss mounting exhibits. This is from 2014 when Roger Black brought to life photographs from our glass plate negative collection. He spent hundreds of hours making the images perfect. The pictures were of hotels and motels in Clinton County. Visitors were encouraged to hold the pictures to read the history of each venue on the back. Talking with Roger is Mick Jarvis from the Chateaugay Historical Society who has given basket making courses at CCHA. In t...he past six years since the exhibition, we have catalogued the more than 20,000 negatives in our collection, digitized copies of which are for sale. Contact us at director@clintoncountyhisorical or 518-561-0340 to see what we have available - scenes, businesses, portraits. They make great gifts. We look forward to when we can open our doors to you again so you can come to the museum for the exhibits. #ClintonCountyNY #Exhibits #Negatives #ILoveNY See more

LAKE NOTES At the end of the 1800s, local newspapers carried news of vessels of many kinds that came into Plattsburgh harbor under the heading, Lake Notes. Potatoes, lumber, hay and stone seem to be the most popular cargoes. Yachts brought to the Lake Champlain through the canal system by wealthy owners for the summer also were mentioned often. Tugs, sloops, sharpies, boats, yachts, barges, canoes, and schooners all docked in the harbor. July 10, 1891 Dr. Webb’s yacht, ...Elfreda, was the first to celebrate the Glorious 4th, while lying in our harbor Saturday morning, with the boom of canon, and brilliant display of flags of all nationalities fluttering from every available place on the yacht. July 31, 1891 The sharpie, Burlington, went north from this port Wednesday. September 4, 1891 Captain Will Champagne broke his shoulder blade by falling in the open hold of the boat, Angeline, while crossing the decks of a tow on Lake St. Peter in Canada last week. November 6, 1891 The schooner, Adirondack, arrived Thursday morning with a load of block stone from Bluff Point for the breakwater. May 6, 1892 General Stephen Moffitt has a new pleasure boat, a veritable beauty. Dayton Bullis of Plattsburgh has bought the schooner, Palmer Havens. September 8, 1893 The Robert H. Cook went south Wednesday with 15 boats in tow, one boat, the Hartford, laden with Baker Brother’s lumber going on here. October 19, 1894 Miss Nellie Bly of world celebrity, passed through Plattsburgh last Friday on the canal boat, William Singleton, en-route to Montreal. The boat was being run double-header (two boats together) and Nellie Bly occupied the cabin of one boat and was accompanied by her mother. The unanimous opinion of the canal boatmen regarding Miss Bly was the reverse of flattering, they averring that she was homely enough to hoodoo the whole fleet of boats. Her mother, they pronounced very fine looking. June 6, 1898 Captain L. McNall has been repairing and repainting his boat, the W. E. Smallman. The name of the boat was finely lettered on the bow and stern of Professor Newman. November 15, 1898 The tug, Defender, with 19 boats in tow, from St. Johns, went south to Whitehall yesterday morning, with three boats going on here. November 29, 1898 It is said that Captain Dan Monty is quite ill at New York City on board his boat, the Joseph Ogden. As an aside - we don't agree with the boatmen. Nellie, an early investigative reporter, was 28 when she passed by Plattsburgh and died in 1922. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106/nellie-bly #ClintonCountyNY #LakeChamplan #CanalBoats #ILoveNY

DO NORTH MAGAZINE FROM PLATTSBURGH STATE - latest issue has an article about the Lyon Mountain Mining and Railroad Museum. This museum is a treasure. If you haven't been yet - give yourself a treat and go when things open up. https://donorthmag.com/2020/12/03/mining-in-the-iron-town/ #ClintonCountyNY #Railroad #Mining #ILoveNY

Great photography - not everyone sees the back side of Robinson’s tavern. #ClintonCountyNY #Tavern #Turnpike #ILoveNY

PLATTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT 1893 This booklet, in the permanent collection at CCHA, gives us some insight of what it was like to go to school in Plattsburgh at the end of the 1800s. There are pictures of all the School Board of Education members and the President of Plattsburgh Public Schools, the Secretary, Superintendent of Schools, and the Treasurer. It also gives the names of all the teachers in all the schools. You’ll love the pictures of the schools Grammar Sc...hool, Wall Street School, Hamilton Street School, Cornelia Street School, Elizabeth Street School, Oak Street School, Broad Street School and the D’Youville Academy. The booklet gives a list of courses at Plattsburgh High School and an explanation of what they entailed Special Business Course; Commercial and Industrial Course; English Course; Latin Scientific Course; and Classical Course. Among other things, the booklet gives us a chart of Attendance and Tardiness which shows an improvement in attendance between 1881 and 1891. You’ll recognize many of the names that are still in the county today maybe even some of your relatives names are in the booklet. Share with your teacher friends on Facebook they’ll get a chuckle. #ClintonCountyNY #School #BoardofEducation #ILoveNY See more

2021 NEW YORK STATE HISTORY WORKSHOP - WE'D LOVE TO SEE MORE PARTICIPANTS FROM OUR COUNTY PLEASE SHARE WITH THE HISTORY TEACHERS YOU KNOW CCHA and Fort Ticonderoga team up to present an online workshop for teachers We are partnering with Fort Ticonderoga to offer a virtual National History Day: Workshop for Teachers, from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, November 12th.... The free program is made possible in part by a grant from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership. National History Day encourages students in grades 6-12 to explore local, state, national and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. This year’s theme is: Communications in History: A Key to Understanding. For further information, go to: https://ny.nhd.org/?f=a2c0035a-02ed-4784-b588-d5407106cc23 Students analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and create final projects that present their work. These projects can then be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to national level, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. Teachers wishing to participate should email Rich Strum at Fort Ticonderoga at [email protected] and include their name, along with the grade level and school where they teach. CCHA would be glad to help any students with their research. #ClintonCountyNY #HistoryTeacher #Contest #Workshop #ILoveNY

PLATTSBURGH SENTINEL March 16, 1926 94 years ago SNOW STORM EATEN UP BY TRUCK HORSES Plattsburgh is importing snow by the carload. Stranger still, horses are eating it. One would be likely to regard it as not only entirely unnecessary, but a woeful waste of energy, time and money to be told that snow is being imported to Plattsburgh at the present time. A carload of snow was brought half-way across the continent to Plattsburgh from Decatur, IL, last week. Not only that...Continue reading

PLATTSBURGH SENTINEL March 16, 1926 94 years ago Fire swept through three buildings on the Alaska Silver Fox and Fur Farm at Schuyler Falls and burned to death 20 hens, two cats kept to nurse young foxes, and a wildcat, which has been exhibited at Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and other summer resorts. A number of beaver loosed from their pens, hampered the efforts of neighbors and members of the Peru fire department by snapping at their legs and heels. Buildings burned were...Continue reading

ALL REGISTERED VOTERS IN CLINTON COUNTY CAN VOTE EARLY WHEN CAN I VOTE EARLY? The early voting period will be from: Saturday, October 24th, 2020 through Sunday November 1st, 2020.... The early voting poll site will be open the following hours during this period: Saturday & Sunday 9am-2pm Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9am-5pm Tuesday & Thursday 9am-8pm WHERE CAN I VOTE EARLY? Early Voting Poll Site is: Clinton County Government Center 137 Margaret St. (1st Floor Meeting Room) Plattsburgh, NY 12901 For further information go to - https://www.clintoncountygov.com/boe/early-voting-faq The explanation next to the bell says - Dedicated to the children of Clinton County by the American Legion and Auxiliary. This bell is an authentic reproduction of the original Liberty Bell, except it is 3/8 the size. The bell weighs 130 pounds - mounted on the mahogany stand it weighs 270 pounds. It has a slippery elm yoke which holds the bell. The support is of cast iron. Only 2,400 bells were especially cast, one for each month from 1776 to 1976. You can notice the Pass and Stow trademark. This is the only bell in the world with the number 1919, the year the Clinton County Legion was formed. It was cast in sand and after completion, the mold was destroyed. Notice the top, Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all its inhabitants thereof from the book of Leviticus. Let's hear that bell ring out in the lobby between October 24th and November 1st! #ClintonCountyNY #Vote #LibertyBell #CivicDury #ILoveNY

WHICH HILL TOP GROCERY? - In the sixties there were two Hill Top Groceries in Clinton County - Au Sable Forks and Plattsburgh. This one was in Plattsburgh. Do you remember where it was? South Catherine Street Rugar Street... Wallace Hill Road Bushey Boulevard Do you remember going there? Looks like RIT and D-Con haven't changed their packaging much! #ClintonCountyNY #Grocery #ILoveNY See more

IMPORTANT TO TALK WITH OLDER RESIDENTS - There are people living in our county today who still remember the Maneuvers of 1939. We've had them come to the museum telling us how, when they were kids, they gave water to the troops, watched the tanks in awe or had their fields used as camp grounds. Maybe some of your relatives had these experiences. It's so important to talk with your older family members and friends, not only about large events like this, but what it was like wh...en they were growing up. Our museum collects artifacts and loves the stories that go with them. We also like the stories of people who remember events that happened in the county during their lifetimes. Contact your relatives and talk about events from long ago - they will like it, and the stories won't be lost. The Plattsburgh Daily Press of July 10, 1939 carried the story and gives statistics - 52,000 men 51 Regular Army units, 97 National Guard units and various organized reserves. http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org//s/1939-07-10/ed-1/seq-5/ There is also a silent 12-minute video from the New York State Military Museum on Youtube, "1939 First Army Maneuvers, Plattsburgh, NY." You can view it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFF7IRadDo8 You could use these pictures and the video to start your conversations. Maybe they will recognize some of the buildings or roads. #ClintonCountyNY #Army #NatioalGuard #Reserves #ILoveNY See more

PLATTSBURGH REPUBLICAN February 22, 1840 180 years ago Fatal Accident at the Arnold Ore Bed On the 14th inst., while three men were employed in the pit, one of the stagings gave way and precipitated them to the bottom, some 16 feet, with a mass of ore and timber. One of the men, William Hopkins, was killed instantly. Another, Mr. John Cosgrove, fell with his face downwards into a place scooped out for the purpose of collecting water to dip out. He was confined in that... position by logs and stone both legs broken yet he continued to speak from time to time to the men who were engaged in removing the rubbish, and informed them that the water was gaining upon him that he must soon drown. HE DID DROWN after they had, by the greatest exertions removed the mass above him, sufficiently to touch his legs! The other man, a Mr. Wilson, had his thighs broken and was otherwise bruised, but is likely to recover. Mr. Hopkins was a native of Wales was 32 years of age and had worked in iron mines from his youth. He was an honest, honorable, and indulgent father, and has left a wife and five children who deeply mourn his untimely fate. Mr. Cosgrove was a native of Ireland and said he had lately been discharged from the Army in Plattsburgh. He was married about two months since, and had worked in the pits but one day before his death. Descendants of these families are living in Clinton County today. To see more maps of Clinton County in 1869, go to: http://www.historicmapworks.com//32764/Clinton+County+1869/ #ClintonCountyNY #Mine #Iron #ILoveNY See more

CCHA'S 2020 ORNAMENT - Is Fantasy Kingdom, Point Au Roche, NY. The design was taken from a postcard owned by Don Duley and Mary Simmers. Maybe you remember going there as a child or working there as a teenager. From 1957 to 1963, Fantasy Kingdom was a family theme park on Lake Champlain that for a short time was a popular attraction for local residents and tourists alike. With unique, bespoke architecture based on children’s fairy tales--including the Giant’s Castle, Peter Pe...ter Pumpkin Eater’s House, the homes of the Three Little Pigs, Santa Claus’ house and a candy housethe park played host to a variety of entertainments. Fantasy Kingdom, on St. Armand Beach at what is now Point Au Roche State Park, featured musical acts and plays, a petting zoo, a train ride and the Jolly Roger Pirate Ship on the lake. Created, designed and constructed by Norman Dame, Sr., Fantasy Kingdom was co-owned by Dame and Robert Duley, on whose land the park was built. The park was wildly popular for a time, but growing expenses and middling attendance led to the closure of the park six years after it opened. Still, the memories that remain for the thousands of children from the North Country and neighboring Canada continue to warm the hearts of those lucky enough to have idled away the hours at Fantasy Kingdom. CCHA has offered seasonal ornaments since 2015 which started with the Old Stone Barracks. That was followed by the Champlain Hotel in 2016, Plattsburgh City Hall in 2017, and the Witherill Hotel in 2018. Last year, we featured the Bluff Point Lighthouse. Today we feature our new ornament and three others. The first two ornaments, the Old Stone Barracks and the Champlain Hotel have sold out. The ornaments are $17 plus tax and shipping and handling when appropriate. To buy an ornament, call to make an appointment for a pick-up time (Masks required) 518-561-0340 - Monday through Friday 10am to 3 pm, or you can contact us at: [email protected]. We do hope you like this year's selection and add it to your collection. #ClintonCountyNY #Ornaments #Seasonal #ILoveNY

DEER HUNTING SEASON has always been a much-anticipated time of year in Clinton County. What was going on with deer in your neck of the woods 130+ years ago? November 23, 1878 Chateaugay Ore Bed As Halsey Mitchell was returning home from his work on the afternoon of November 15th, he discovered a large deer quietly browsing near his house and, unluckily for him, but lucky for the deer, his rifle was at home. Now, Halsey is one of the best shots and had better be prepare...Continue reading

CCHA IS SUPPORTING - the GoFundMe drive in aid of the Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel, a chapel for all seasons and an important member of our community on the Old Base Museum Campus. They need your help! You no doubt understand the pressing need for monetary support for the non-denominational Chapel to operate. Let’s make sure the Chapel thrives through your generous contribution. Thank you so much! https://charity.gofundme.com//plattsburgh-memorial-chapel- You can "Like" them... on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/plattsmemorialchapel/ The historic marker in front of the Chapel says - Memorial Chapel - Dedicated on 24 October 1933, in memory of those stationed here who gave their lives in WWI. The project was sponsored by the Church Women's League For Patriotic Service costing $22,472. It was constructed of weathered brick from a historical structure near Plattsburgh. The chandeliers were made by the Post blacksmith. The pews and organ were donated by the 26th Infantry. The bell, installed in 1936, came from the U. S. S. O'Brien. Please donate - every dollar helps us maintain this historic building. #ClintonCountyNY #OldBaseMuseumCampus #ILoveNY See more