Stones by Drone Aerial Imaging

This behemoth barracks began being built in the late 1830's as part of a permanent Army presence on the military reserve. A complimentary officer's barracks was built adjacent to this that subsequently burned. The Old Stone Barracks was meant to house a company of infantry, and its first occupier was Company H, 2nd U.S. infantry in 1842. The 2nd was being stationed along the Northern border having come from brutal fighting in the swamps of Florida against the Seminole natives.... In the 1890's the base was greatly expanded and became home to the 21st U.S. infantry who left Plattsburgh by rail to go fight in Cuba during the Spanish American war. During the Great War the Delaware & Hudson brought thousands of educated young men from the cities to train in the "Plattsburgh Idea" or civilian-military training camps. These men would be taught the state of modern warfare and trained in the new weapons in tactics so when America entered the war, these men would be ready to become officers of the large groups of draftees. These camps were all in the shadow of the Old Stone Barracks. After the Second World War it was decided Plattsburgh would converted into an Air Force Base. The barracks became a family housing unit but eventually was found to be too small for the size apartments and the building was mothballed. It stood vacant for decades through the closure of the Air Force base until being bought by Terry Schmaltz and Mary Theresa Pearl in 2014. After extensive renovations it opened as the Valcour Brewing Company. Many were afraid this landmark would eventually crumble, but thanks to Terry and Mary it was preserved. Terry Schmaltz passed away in 2016 and is actually interred behind the barracks adjacent to the Old Post Cemetery.

In 1814 control of Northern New York was in peril. A large British army of over 10,000 men and a fleet of 4 warships, headed by the 36 gun frigate HMS Confiance (the largest warship to ever sail on Lake Champlain) was over the border readying an invasion. Two of the British warships had been American vessels captured by the British. On Lake Champlain Commodore Thomas MacDonough was building up his own fleet. His flagship was the 26 gun USS Saratoga. Among the American fleet ...built to match the British was the 14 gun schooner USS Ticonderoga. Originally laid up as a steamer in the shipyard in Vergennes, the vessel was bought by the navy and converted to a sailing warship. Her and her crew served admirably during the September 11, 1814 American victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh. After the war the ships were brought down to Whitehall and in 1825 sold for salvage. Eventually the various ships from the battle would be broken up or just sink. In 1958 the town of Whitehall would raise a vessel from the bottom and the Ticonderoga was it. Today the vessel is on display under this open shed. See more

Whitehall New York has some great things to see if you are in the area. A major highlight is the Skene Manor is a gorgeous Victorian mansion built in 1874 by Judge Joseph Potter. The building is alleged to be haunted by the ghost of Katherine Skene, wife of Phillip Skene, a British officer that had tried to settle the area before the Revolution. The Champlain Canal runs through Whitehall and along that is the Skenesborough Museum. The grounds of the museum contain the remnant...s of the USS Ticonderoga and the Delaware and Hudson caboose number 35843. This was a wooden caboose built for the D&H about 1920. It served on freight trains running in the area until the 1960's when it was donated to the community. In 2002 it was repainted as a Girl Scout project, and went through a thorough restoration and paint work in 2016. And the oldest piece part of the collection on display outside is the wreck of a US Navy warship from the War of 1812. In 1814 control of Northern New York was in peril. A large British army of over 10,000 men and a fleet of 4 warships, headed by the 36 gun frigate HMS Confiance (the largest warship to ever sail on Lake Champlain) was over the border readying an invasion. Two of the British warships had been American vessels captured by the British. On Lake Champlain Commodore Thomas MacDonough was building up his own fleet. His flagship was the 26 gun USS Saratoga. Among the American fleet built to match the British was the 14 gun schooner USS Ticonderoga. Originally laid up as a steamer in the shipyard in Vergennes, the vessel was bought by the navy and converted to a sailing warship. Her and her crew served admirably during the September 11, 1814 American victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh. After the war the ships were brought down to Whitehall and in 1825 sold for salvage. Eventually the various ships from the battle would be broken up or just sink. In 1958 the town of Whitehall would raise a vessel from the bottom and the Ticonderoga was it. Today the vessel is on display under this open shed.

So this is video made by under my companion page Champlain Valley Rail Snapshots that focuses on area rail activity and railroad history. This was a special train run through New York and into Vermont made up of privately owned vintage passenger cars. It was great seeing these historic cars move in such gorgeous fall foliage. All the pictures and most of the footage were taken from the air.

In Chestertown, Warren County, New York lies an impressive burying ground along Route 9 a little South of the town center. I initially drove by it and did a double take, turning around in a nearby business and went back. After exploring the cemetery for a bit I decided to do some airborne photos. I was very impressed with how well maintained the graveyard is. It is a quite large area and impeccably organized, including street signs for the various avenues. Along the North end... is a solar array. Maybe to provide power for the residents of the graveyard? It is interesting being able to use the clearing of the graveyard to allow for better solar pick up. These panels are part of a move by the Town of Chester to become the first municipality in the Adirondacks to switch to solar power. Through several sites in the town they erected enough solar panels to generate enough power for the town buildings. It's a first cemetery solar farm for me! It is an old burying ground with its first burial dating back to 1795. In the corner near the front gate appears to be the oldest stones. The signs says there are soldiers buried here from every major American conflict up to the war on terror. I haven't found a ton of information on the history of it. Irish artist John Butler Yeats is interred here. It is a pleasant little stop and well worth a visit while strolling the Adirondacks. #Adirondacks #FallFoliage #NY

American Association Private Rail Car Owners was formed in 1977 as a not for profit organization for owners of private railroad cars. The AAPRCO organizes chart...ers and conventions and facilitates the movement of historic private railroad cars over the nations railroads and National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) This weeks marks the AAPRCO American Autumn Explorers train. The AAPRCO has traveled in the Adirondacks and in Vermont previously. This years charter began out of Albany on September 27, North to Whitehall into Vermont to Benington then to Hoosick Junction, NY. Subsequent legs of the trip will be up to Burlington, Vermont then back through Vermont back to Albany, NY. The train was a lot smaller than most charters that gets run. Sometimes they normally reach 15 to 20 railroad cars. This years train consisted of just 8 historic passenger cars with quite a variety of livery represented. The oldest car is the San Marino that is a 104 years old! A couple of the other cars are not far off the 100 year old mark. This is a run down of the passenger equipment of the train before I cover the various areas that we were able to photograph the train. Train order from East to West: NYC 3 Built in 1928 by Pullman for the New York Central Railroad for director Harold S. Vanderbilt. Promontory Point Built in 1953 by Pullman for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. It saw service for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Missouri Pacific before falling under the ownership of the Union Pacific until being sold into private ownership. Northern Sky This dome car was built in 1955 by the American Car and Foundry Company for the Union Pacific Railroad. Northern Dreams Built in 1955 by Pullman-Standard for the Union Pacific Railroad. Dagny Taggart The only rounded end observation car on the train. It was build by BUDD Car Company in 1949 for the New York Central Railroad as a marker car on the Southwest Limited. It would eventually be sold into private hands and be named after the protagonist of Ayn Rands novel Atlas Shrugged. San Marino The oldest car on the train was built in 1916 by Pullman for Henry Huntington, nephew of Central Pacific founder Collis Huntington, who himself would form the major interurban Pacific Electric Railway (recognized as the Red Cars) The car would be acquired by the Southern Pacific as the Del Monte then sold to the Mexican Ferrocarril Del Pacifico as an executive car. The car was sold into private hands and now roams as a charter car. Wisconsin Built in 1948 for Milwaukee Road by the railroads own shops to serve as the president's car. It was used by the Union Pacific before coming back to the Milwaukee and being taken over by the Soo Line until it was sold into private ownership in 1991. Chapel Hill Built in 1922 by the American Car and Foundry Company as the car Hussar for American stock Broker E.F. Hutton and wife Marjorie Merriweather Post owner of General Foods before becoming a Chesapeake & Ohio office car in 1937. Being able to be airborne really lent itself to capturing this historic equipment in the grand fall foliage of the mountains. The first stop was in Comstock, NY along N Old Route 4 adjacent to the Champlain Canal lock 11. In the lead for the first stretch was Amtrak engines 123 and 94. This was at 10:53 am. Next it went to Vermont via Whitehall and was able to get a spectacular vantage point along Route 4A of it meandering along the Castleton River on the way to Rutland Vermont. In Rutland it stopped in the yard where the Amtrak locomotives were traded out for Vermont Rail System locomotive 307 a GP40-2 built in 1984. From Rutland it ran long hood forward through the wilds of Vermont in the midst of brilliant fall foliage. It left Rutland at 12:30 pm. The first spot was as it crossed the Alfrecha Rd. in Clarendon at 12:46 pm. Then at 1:21 pm as it passed the True Temper Corporation mill in Wallingford, VT at the Maple St. crossing. For awhile it snaked along the Otter Creek and I picked it up again running along the Hartsboro Rd. crossing in South Wallingford, VT. At 2:21 pm it came into Mount Tabor, VT where it passed an old industrial location, maybe an old feed or grain elevator. At 2:55 I caught it as it passed under Rt. 7 near the Emerald Lake State Park. At 3:43 it passed through Manchester Center and passed a bridge over the Batten Kill River. At 4:21 it crossed the E. Arlington Rd. passing the old Arlington Station. At 4:31 it crossed Old Depot Rd. and passed Millers Pond South of Arlington. The days adventures would come to a conclusion around North Bennington. Coming in by the passenger station built in 1880 at shortly after 5 pm. In Bennington they ran the power around to shove the train down to Hoosick Junction and run back with the 307 in the lead. A special treat was at Bennington when a number of the passengers got off the train and it did a photo run by. With light getting scarce and the trip to Hoosick going to take until after dark, we settled on one last shot. That of the train shoving across the Walloomsac River shortly after entering NY at 6:24 pm. What a long day on the road, but rail equipment like that combined with the great foliage is not something you see very often. #PrivateVarnish #AAPRCO #ClassicTrains #OldTimeRail #PassengerRail #VermontFoliage #RailHistory

In the sleepy little hamlet in Madrid, NY is a place called the St. Lawrence Power and Equipment museum. An organization that dates back to the 1970's as a group of vintage farm equipment enthusiasts that started getting together for shows. In 2006 they created this campus out of a farm in Madrid as a permanent home. Here are a number of historic buildings and replicas of historic buildings housing the collection. They have living history programs including an old school hous...e and a working blacksmiths shop where they actually show the blacksmiths trade. They feature a selection showing technologies and how people lived through the 19th and 20th century. Their latest attraction has been the building of Fort Tribute. This was a project spearheaded by a local Civil War reenacting group and funded by a number of businesses and organizations. This wooden fort is an example of at what time would have been numerous outposts dotting the frontier of the United States at the time of the American Civil War. So far it includes the wooden wall and two buildings. The officers headquarters building and a soldiers barracks. The headquarters building is set up as a working office, looking as what a company officer would work out of during the time period. The barracks building is mostly empty now, but is planned to be a museum space with artifacts, reproduction uniforms and interpretive panels. Many fortified camps sprang up at the time of the war where volunteers gathered and would be inducted into army life before going to the South. This is planned to be a base for many education programs out of the museum. Today they held the annual St. Lawrence County Chamber Craft Show. Normally this event would be held in one of the arenas in the nearby college town of Potsdam. This year due to the pandemic it was held at an outdoor venue being this museum. There were several Civil War reenactors manning the fort and talking about life in the Union army during the war. I was able to get some of the reenactors to post for my pictures as if they were on duty at this frontier outpost. They were very eager to show off this new site. At the entrance to the fort is a monument dedicated to soldiers from the are that were awarded the Medal of Honor for service in the war. Check on them in the future to see what's going on. You can also check out the website for the museum. https://slpowermuseum.com/

From up at the top of Hardscrabble Rd. where it intersects with Flat Rock Rd. in Cadyville, NY the fall foliage in the mountains is really coming to life. From here you can see to the West up to Dannemora and to the East you can see Plattsburgh and Lake Champlain. The colors this year are really mesmerizing.

Twilight at Chazy Lake.

Plattsburgh Air Park 9/20/2020 Plattsburgh is home to so much wonderful history. It has a rich military heritage dating back to before the United States was even a country. Of it's more grand periods was the Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Opened for business in 1955 the Plattsburgh Air Force Base was a major Strategic Air Command (SAC) base where bombers were stationed during the height of the Cold War. Plattsburgh was a strategic location that allowed aircraft to take the Arcti...c shortcut to the Soviet Union in the case of a war between the two super powers. Fortunately that never occurred, but during the period the brave service men and service women stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base made Plattsburgh one of the top bases in the country. The base was open between 1955 and its eventual closure in 1995 and during that time many types of aircraft were flown off of the 11,759 foot runway. Two of those have had a permanent place on display for decades in the community. One being a large silver Boeing B-47E Stratojet (in use from 1951 to 1969) and a swept wing General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark (in use from 1968 to 1991.) Both planes have found their home near the roundabout at the intersection with U.S. Avenue and New York Rd. After many years facing the North Country weather the planes, these symbols of freedom, were showing the effects of the snow, rain, sun and birds. A dedicated group of former service members formed the Plattsburgh Aircraft Restoration group has come together and over the last couple years has dedicated itself to making these historic airplanes look their best. An entirely volunteer group they have already done an incredible job restoring the FB-111 to looking like new. They threw their efforts into the even older B-47 and are working hard to make that look just like it came off the Boeing line. Where they have polished the aluminum it shines like new. The decals are replicated and placed with the utmost attention to detail. The Clyde Lewis Air Park is a great little spot highlighting the Air Force history of the base and the 380th Bombardment Wing with some of the trophies won by service members from the base on display. It's worth a stroll and to check out the airplanes. Also check out their Facebook page for updates on the work they do.

Was able to participate in the 206th commemoration of the Battle of Plattsburgh. Because of the pandemic the scale of the event was greatly reduced this year. Instead of the normal camp out and battle reenactment, a lot of the commemoration was virtual, with a number of videos and online presence. The in person activities were down to a handful of memorial ceremonies, and a small display today by a few local reenactors at the waterfront in Plattsburgh.

I was really honored to be able to collaborate with The Greater Adirondack Ghost and Tour Company on this video. This is a real testament to how fabulous drones can be for movie and filmaking. All the primary filming of Matt Boire and the aerial shots around Fort Brown and Plattsburgh were done by drone. Audio was captured separately and everything put together in the post production process. This was a lot of fun to work on and as a life long history buff it is subject matte...r very dear to me. I have made a number of videos since I got into digital video making, but this I feel is the finest one I have put together. Matt is fantastic to work with and I was truly excited to work on this project.

The sort of thing you can only do by air. Combining a number of historic elements of the former Delaware & Hudson Railroad yard in Rouses Point, long abandoned, with modern railroad equipment.