The Franklin County (NY) Historian

Spinning Demonstration

2012-02-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

Spinning wool is a skill that has been practiced for thousands of years. Perfecting it to an art is what spinners will demonstrate on Saturday, February 18th from 11 am to 2 pm at the Potsdam Public Museum.

Bring your children, your knitting, or your spinning wheel and join in the fun and excitement. Share your project with the group or just watch the magic happen. Refreshments will be served. Call the Potsdam Public Museum for more details at (315) 265-6910.

Rutland Railroad Historical Society Annual Convention

2012-02-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

The Rutland Railroad Historical Society Annual Convention is scheduled for Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th 2012. The convention begins on Saturday at 8:30 with check-in , registration and activities at Mo's Pub and Grill Banquet Room in Malone 518-483-8088. There will be various activities throughout the day and evening but a few of special interest are listed below:

10:30 -11:15 Presentation on the history of the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad
11:15 -12:00 Presentation on the Malone Switcher
1:30-2:30 Modeling the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad
2:30 -4:30 Tour 1: Walking tour of former Rutland Station, Freight House and Yard
Tour 2: Walking tour of Malone Junction
Banquet Presentation : Pictorial History of What Malone Junction Used to Be.

The program for Sunday May 6th starts at 8:30 at Mo's Pub and Grill and is a Auto/Walking Tour of the O&LC working east toward Alburgh.

Please contact the FCHMS at fcfms@franklinhistory.org or 518-483-2750 for addition information

The Skerry Dramatic Club

2012-02-06T12:19:00.001-05:00

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society

Seated (L to R): Newton Tarbell, Mrs. Gayus Lane, Romanzo Joy, Mrs. Joy
Standing (L to R): [?], Will King, Gayus Lane, Mary King, Wallace King (father of Will), Duncan MacNamara

From the April 4, 1895 Malone Palladium:

From the March 13, 1896 Franklin Gazette:

From the March 20, 1896 Franklin Gazette:

Town of Duane exhibit

2012-01-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

Mr. & Mrs. Clinton Ladd, pioneers of Duane, ca. 1908. Clinton was Town Assessor in 1879.

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society

Gloria Gori, Duane Town Historian, has coordinated an exhibit on the Town of Duane, which is now on display in the Main Street lobby of the Franklin County Courthouse. Stop by during business hours and check it out! The exhibit runs now through the end of March 2012.

Eliakim Briggs of Fort Covington

2011-12-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

Larry Gooley has a great article on a 19th century Franklin County Inventor over at the Adirondack Almanack blog:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/12/franklin-county-inventor-eliakim-briggs.html

Check it out!

American Bicentennial Flag

2011-11-07T13:40:00.001-05:00

From a piece in the Sept/Oct 1976 Empire State DAR News:

click image to enlarge

Caption:
PRESENTATION -- Adirondack Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, presented a Bicentennial flag to Troop 20 boy Scouts Fife and Drum Corps of Brushton. Directed by Bruce Jackson, the boys portray the Spirit of '76. Because of the historical significance of this troop and the part they are portraying, Adirondack Chapter made the award.

And from a July 7, 1976 Malone Evening Telegram article:

click image to enlarge

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These and other clippings were preserved in one of several scrapbooks compiled during 1960s-1990s by Adirondack Chapter DAR.

Jacob Smith and Family of Chateaugay

2011-11-05T14:35:00.000-04:00

One of the first families of Chateaugay, NY is the Jacob Smith Family.

Excerpted from a February 1978 article in the Chateaugay Record, written by John Andrew Bilow:

"A monument has recently been erected in the Willis Cemetery in Earlville honoring Jacob Smith, one of the first settlers in Chateaugay and a Revolutionary War Soldier.

Jacob Smith was born in East Haven Conn., July 7, 1742, the son of Thomas Smith and Eunice Russell. Smith married Elizabeth Blanchard, December 27, 1772 and had eight children: Eunice, Ruth, Thomas, Stephen, Jacob, Eli, Amaziah, and Salmon. Ruth was born in Shutesbury, Mass., Thomas at Sherburn, Vt., Stephen in Arlington, Vt., Jacob, Eli and Amaziah in Sunderland, and Salmon in South Hero, Vt. This family was well traveled.

Jacob enlisted in the Revolutionary War in May of 1775 in the state of Vermont in the company commanded by Captain Gideon Brownson in the regiment Commanded by Colonel Warner. He served in Seth Warner's Regt. for two years and saw service in the Battle of Hubbarton, the Batttle of Bennington in 77 and the Battle at the capture of Burgoyne. In the spring of 1778 he was transferred to Col Samuel Herricks Regt. and served for eighteen months when he was discharged.

According to a statement made by Jesse Down of Poultney, Vt. in 1828 Jacob was cited as a Lieutenant and was also at the taking of Fort Defiance and Crown Point. He was granted a pension of 15.74 semi-annually for his services in the Revolution.

Smith was a selectman in South Hero, Vt. and was also known as Major according to the census of 1790. Upon moving to Chateaugay in 1797, he established the first tannery in Franklin County, in the Northeastern part of town. This would be in the Earlville area. For the next 100 years his decendants were men of affairs in the town. Thomas was a Colonel in the War of 1812 and owned a Tavern. Salmon was a town justice. His grandsons, Eli B. and Henry B. were wealthy merchants, businessmen and politicians."

Jacob Smith served as Supervisor of the Town of Chateaugay from 1829 until his death in 1831 and his grandson Henry B. Smith was Supervisor 1841, 1845-1849, 1851, 1856-1858, and 1861-1862.

Hon. Henry B. Smith, a lifelong Democrat, was born in Chateaugay in 1805 and died in Chateaugay in 1863. He held numerous local and state offices in addition to Town Supervisor, including assesor, justice of the peace, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, collector of customs, and State Senator. (Hough, p. 469)

Henry's brother, Eli B. Smith donated four acres of "sightly grounds" as the site of the Chateaugay Academy and Union Free School, which opened September 15, 1879. (Hurd, p. 465)

Capt. Salmon Smith (Jacob's son and the twin brother of Amaziah), also a soldier in the War of 1812, is highlighted in the Album of Genealogy and Biography, Cook County, Iillinois by Calumet Book & Engraving Company, Chicago (1896):

"He was a most pronounced infidel up to the age of thirty years, when he was converted to the Christian religion.... He was so well known and had been such a vigorous opponent of religious belief, that his change of sentiment produced much good in the community, although he had always been regarded as an honorable and worthy man. He occupied some of the most responsible positions that the people could bestow. He was an able lawyer, and served the public quite as ably and well when elevated to the Bench, as he had previously in a military capacity. All his brothers did military service, and were pronounced workers in the Methodist Church. He was born January 12, 1786, in South Hero, Grand Isle County, Vermont, and at twelve years of age removed with his father to Chateaugay, New York, where he resided the remainder of his life and passed away May 24, 1828."

List of 1915 Forest Rangers and Fire Observers

2011-11-04T15:01:00.000-04:00

From May 7, 1915 Chateaugay Record and Franklin County Democrat:

click image to enlarge

Munger Grist Mill

2011-10-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

Recently donated to the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society by William Loring:

Handwritten on the back is: "Munger Grist Mill, Lower Park Street, Malone 1892"

From Seaver (1918), p. 450:

"A stone flouring mill, five stories in height, near the Gravell plant, which was begun by George F. Dickey in 1868 and finished in 1870, with the expectation that it would have an output comparable with that of the large mills at Oswego and Rochester. It was too big a proposition for Mr. Dickey's means, however, and the property soon went into the hands of Henry A. Paddock. About 1882 it was bought and run by A. Munger for a number of years. For a time it did an ordinary country mill business, and after Mr. Munger's death was converted into an excelsior mill. It burned in 1911."

The "Gravell plant" referenced was a slaughter house and pork packing plant north of the center of the Village of Malone. (ibid) Excelsior (wood wool) is a product made of stranded wood fibers - once used as protective packaging in wood crates and as filling material for bedding and furniture products, and now used as Easter basket grass, in cooling pads, animal bedding, erosion control and archery backstops.

Fun Facts

2011-10-19T14:28:00.001-04:00

(Well, if you consider historical/demographic facts fun, that is.... and we do.)

In any case:
o Chateaugay is the oldest town in Franklin County, NY (founded 1799)

o Tupper Lake is the youngest town in Franklin County (founded 1890 and renamed in 2004 – originally town of Altamont)

o Duane is the least populous town

o Malone is the most populous town

o The 2000 census recorded 51,134 people living within Franklin County.

o Harrietstown is the largest township (in square miles)

o Constable is the smallest township (in square miles)

Malone Streetscape

2011-10-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

The view that most of us are familiar with of the intersection of Main and Elm Streets in Malone either precedes the building of the Hotel Flanagan (1914) or includes that dominating structure. But almost every image of that section of the Village of Malone includes the Rutland Railroad depot.

Except this one:

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society

This print, taken from an ambrotype by Christie Fay, is from the 1850s. At left is the Hiram Horton homestead, which was torn down to make way for the Rutland Railroad Passenger depot and is now the site of Community Bank. The small building next to the Horton house is the first bank building in Franklin County, of which Vice President William A. Wheeler was its first cashier.

From Seaver's Historical Sketches of Franklin County:

(p.414) Describing Malone circa 1815: "On Elm street there were the Hosford Hotel at what is now the railroad crossing, the Horton home on the site of the present passenger station, a store and six dwelling houses. " and "... and Oliver Booge, just opposite the Wead Library on Elm Street."

(Pp.458-9) "... in 1851, when the Bank of Malone... was incorporated by Mr. Wead, John and Hiram Horton, Edwin L. Meigs, William King and William Andrus of Malone, Henry B. Smith of Chateaugay, Leonard Fish of Bangor, and a number of individuals residing in Vermont. Mr. Wead was the first president, and William A. Wheeler the first cashier. Business was begun September 15, 1851, and while a bank building was in course of erection was continued in the law offices of Asa Hascall on or near the site of the present Episcopal Church. The bank building was a one-story stone structure located where the Wead Library now stands."

[Ed. note: the Wead Library referred to in these passages is the first Wead Library building, established in 1881 and where the site of the current Village offices are (next to Community Bank), not the current library building on the corner of Elm and Park Streets.]

Annual Meeting Date is October 6th

2011-09-27T11:54:00.001-04:00

Please note that the annual meeting date has been changed from October 3rd (as previously stated in the July newsletter and on the website) to October 6th. The time is 5:30pm for tours and 6:00pm for dinner. The place is the Malone Elks Lodge on Elm Street in Malone. Paid reservations of $15 per person (includes tax) can be sent to Cheryl Learned, FCHMS, PO Box 388, Malone NY 12953 by October 1, 2011.

Annual Meeting Quickly Approaches

2011-09-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

The author of an upcoming biography of William Almon Wheeler, Herbert C Hallas, will be the guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society which will be held at the Malone Lodge of Elks, 67 Elm Street, Malone, New York , former home of Vice President Wheeler, on October 6th. The meeting will begin with tours of Mr. Wheeler's former home at 5:30 pm with an old fashioned dinner, business meeting, and speaker to follow at 6:00 pm.

For the past six years, Hallas has been researching and writing about the political life of the former 5-term congressman and vice president from Malone. Hallas has tentatively titled his book William Almon Wheeler: Political Star of the North Country and is currently seeking a publisher for it.

Hallas is no stranger to Wheeler's hometown having lived in Malone for ten years while he worked as an attorney and history teacher at Chateaugay Central School before retiring in 1999 and moving to Farmingdale, NY on Long Island. He first became interested in saving Wheeler from the dustbin of history while he served as president of the FCHMS from 1993 to 1996. A graduate from Yale with a degree in history, Hallas also has a master's degree in social studies from Wesleyan, and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

During his talk, Hallas expects to highlight Wheeler's role in the construction of the nation's northern transcontinental railroad and the creation of the Adirondack and Niagara state parks, as well as Wheeler's work to advance black civil rights and promote local public education.

The entire meeting is open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about FCHMS and Vice President William Almon Wheeler is invited to attend. Paid reservations of $15 per person (includes tax) should be sent to Cheryl Learned, FCHMS, PO Box 388, Malone, NY 12953 by October 1, 2011.

Chateaugay Historical Society

2011-09-22T16:09:00.000-04:00

On October 1, 2011, Jack Bilow will visit the Chateaugay Historical Society Archive Room to give a talk and book signing of his newest publication: "A War of 1812 Death Register: Whispers in the Dark".

Jack has spent over seven years, many of these in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. researching the names of the men who served, were taken prisoner, wounded and died in the War of 1812 in Vermont, New York and along the Canadian Border. Focusing on the northern front of the war from Maine to Niagara he has included approximately 20,000 soldiers in this hardcover book of 552 pages including sixteen pages of illustrations, many unpublished until now. Over 1800 militia men from Vermont and 1400 from Essex, Franklin, and Clinton counties in New York who particiated in the Battle of Plattsburgh are listed.

The book is an excellent resource for those who are researching their North Country roots or are interested in military history. It would make a nice addition to any North Country collection.

Please join Jack Bilow and the Chateaugay Historical Society for an informative and entertaining morning at the Chateaugay Memorial Library from 9am to 12 am. Jack will give a talk at 11am and will have books available for signing from 9-12.

Brushton High School

2011-08-29T15:46:00.002-04:00

From the August 12, 1914 Malone Farmer:

Grand Army of the Republic

2011-08-24T13:59:00.002-04:00

G.A.R. Members marching in

Decoration Day Parade 1896, Malone

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society

One of the outcomes of the American Civil War was the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), founded in 1866 and disbanded in 1949. Membership in the G.A.R. was limited to those men who served in the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Cutter Service during the Civil War.

From the NYS Archives site:

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a large multi-faceted organization (fraternal lodge, charitable society, special interest lobby, patriotic group, and political club) founded in 1866 by Union Army Surgeon Benjamin Franklin Stephenson. The organization was originally envisioned as a brotherhood of veterans who were dedicated to helping other veterans.

The first post was established at Decatur, Illinois in April 1866. Soon after a second post was organized in Springfield, Illinois, and others began to emerge throughout the northeastern states. By September of 1866, following a mass meeting of Civil War veterans in Pittsburgh, the movement began to spread east with the establishment of GAR posts by ex-union soldiers.

The GAR was, without a doubt, a powerful political organization. It has been described by many as a "bloody shirt Republican club," and while this may be true, it is overshadowed by the organization's patriotic and social work. It was through the GAR, and the pension lobby, that many soldiers and their families received pensions. The Grand Army also promoted patriotism through parades, national encampments, placement of war memorials, and the establishment of Memorial Day as a national holiday.

G.A.R. members pose

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society

1974.243

Franklin County Posts (adapted from the GAR site maintained by SUNY Morrisville):

Waverly: Post 101 - Named for Sgt. Guy Wynkoop, Co. H, 10th NY Cavalry - Joined at Waverly Oct. 1861 at age 20; captured at Sulphur Springs, VA, Oct. 13, 1863; died Aug. 30, 1864 at Andersonville, GA.
Malone: Post 213 Chartered Jan. 28, 1895 - Named for Private John W. Pangborn, Co. I, 35th NYSV. Joined at Elmira in May 1861 for two years; mustered with Co. H, moved to Co. I in Aug. 1861
Malone: Post 284 Chartered Aug. 12, 1882 - Named for Captain William D. Brennan, Co. A, 142d NYSV. Born 1839; joined Aug. 21, 1862 at Malone as 1st Lt., age 22; Capt. May 1864; WIA Sept. 29, 1864 at Fort Gilmer, VA and lost a leg; discharged May 17, 1865; brevet Lt. Col. NYSV; brevet Major USV; taught school upon his return home and eventually became a lawyer; served as county treasurer and three terms in NYS Assembly; suffered a political reversal and took strychnine March 7, 1881.
Brushton: Post 363 Chartered April 19, 1883 - Named for Captain Horace L. Aldrich, Co. H, 106th NYSV. Joined at Morris Aug. 14, 1862, as 2d Lt., age 26; Captain July 9, 1864; discharged June 22, 1865.
Dickinson Center: Post 462 D. Robbins
St. Regis Falls: Post 504 Active Aug. 6, 1884 to 1921- Named for Colonel Charles Durkee, 98th NYSV. Malone businessman and a Democrat; joined at Malone as Lt. Col. Jan. 10, 1862, age 35; discharged Feb. 25, 1863; elected to lead Malone's home guard during the St. Alban's scare of 1864; died 1879.
Chateaugay: Post 562 Chartered Oct. 6, 1885 - Named for Rear Admiral Theodorus Bailey, US Navy. Born 1805 in Chateaugay; second in command of Farragut's fleet at the battle for New Orleans; died 1877
Saranac Lake: Post 621 Active July 23, 1897 to 1921- Named for Corporal Francis M. Bull, Co. A, 77th NYSV. Joined in Oct. 1861, age 22; discharged for fractured thigh, July 19, 1862.

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Additional Resources:

Memorial Cards

2011-08-17T10:23:00.000-04:00

In the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society are many examples of the mourning or memorial card. The design changes over time, and includes simple black-bordered paper and envelopes, more elaborate die cut paper memrorials, and these local examples of black cards with gilt embossing:

For more information on Western funereal and mourning customs, visit The Art of Mourning.

Teacher Examinations

2011-08-16T14:55:00.000-04:00

From a March 1864 issue of the Malone Palladium:

1912 Sanitary Code of Village of Malone

2011-08-04T14:25:00.000-04:00

From the May 22, 1912 Malone Farmer:

(Excerpts from) The Sanitary Code of the Village of Malone, N.Y.

The Sanitary Code took effect June 20, 1912 and was published in the newspaper on the authority of William L. Allen, Thomas Adams, and A.N. Henderson of the Board of Health and Dr. A.G. Wilding, the Health Officer.

Fort Covington Presbyterian Church

2011-08-03T14:24:00.000-04:00

From the 8-29-1867 Malone Palladium:

Collapse of Malone Hotel building

2011-07-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

In January, we posted about the former Smith/Hogle House hotel on Main Street in Malone. Unfortunately, this 145-year old structure collapsed early Monday, July 25, 2011. The remainder of the building was demolished Monday evening and the rubble is being removed today.

Photos by Doug Buchanan of The Malone Telegram

Political Cartoons from the Past

2011-07-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

Locally, we have Marquil to put the events of the day into satirical images. In the 19th century, Thomas Nast skewered politicians with whom he disagreed. Check out this fabulous resource of Nast cartoons in Harper's Weekly!

Thomas Nast cartoon "Compromise-Indeed!" Harper's Weekly January 27, 1877

Depicting disputed Presidential election of 1876 and Nast's perception of the Democrats' attitude.

Frederick Douglass on the Fourth of July

2011-07-03T16:24:00.001-04:00

From a 4th of July speech to the citizens of Rochester, NY in 1852:

"...At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation's ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.

What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.

...Allow me to say, in conclusion, notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened," and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from "the Declaration of Independence," the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age. Nations do not now stand in the same relation to each other that they did ages ago. No nation can now shut itself up from the surrounding world and trot round in the same old path of its fathers without interference. The time was when such could be done. Long established customs of hurtful character could formerly fence themselves in, and do their evil work with social impunity. Knowledge was then confined and enjoyed by the privileged few, and the multitude walked on in mental darkness. But a change has now come over the affairs of mankind. ..."

Born into slavery in 1817, Frederick Douglass escaped to the north in 1838 and became a leading orator in the Abolition movement and publisher of "The North Star" anti-slavery newspaper.

Luther Bradish of Moira

2011-06-30T16:19:00.001-04:00

Luther Bradish was born in Hampshire County, MA in 1783 and served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. For six years beginning in 1820, he traveled through the Middle East at the behest of President Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, holding one of the first passports issued by the new government, in an attempt to form a treaty between the U.S. and the Ottoman Empire.

An attorney, Bradish moved to Moira, NY about 1826 and shortly thereafter commenced a brief career in politics. He served as a member of the New York State assembly 1827-1830 and 1835-1838 and then as Lieutenant Governor of NYS (1838-1842). Following his service in state government, he led several organizations including the New-York Historical Society (as President 1850-1863) and the American Bible Society (as President 1862-1863). Bradish was also appointed Chair of the NY City Postal Reform Committee and Assistant U.S. Treasurer for NYC.

Bradish was one of the founders of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Malone and, in 1831, was elected (along with James Duane) as one of the first wardens of the church. Also in 1831, he joined 73 other men from northern Franklin County in mortgaging personal property to provide the founding capital for Franklin Academy high school in Malone.

Luther Bradish became a target for anti-Whig rhetoric in the 1838 election for his public statements supporting the abolition of slavery. In an open letter, William Jay and Gerrit Smith of the New York Anti-Slavery Society asked the candidates three questions:

1st. Are you in favor of a law, granting to persons in this State, claimed as fugitive slaves, a trial by Jury?
2nd. Are you in favor of abolishing all distinctions in the Constitutional rights of the citizens of this State founded solely on complexion?
3rd. Are you in favor of a repeal of the law, which now authorises [sic] the importation of slaves into this State, and their detention here as such, for the term of nine months?

Bradish's response, which was to affirm his support of the Abolition position on all three questions, was satirized in a blatantly racist anti-Whig broadside:

What Bradish actually wrote was:

"I am, therefore, in favor of abolishing all distinctions in the Constitutional rights of the citizens of this State, founded solely on complexion."

The base appeal to racist sentiment was not successful in preventing Bradish from being elected in 1838; the Whigs were successful in that gubernatorial election, as well as in the national 1840 election.

Although Luther Bradish spent his latter years outside of Franklin County, NY, he remains an important part of the history of the county, and his home in Moira is marked with a state historical marker.

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Further Resources:

- NY Times Obituary - Hon. Luther Bradish

- Luther Bradish's Letter to the NY Anti-Slavery Society -- at the Library of Congress

Black Homesteaders in the Adirondacks Exhibits

2011-06-28T09:19:00.001-04:00

click to enlarge

In addition to the exhibit and public programs at the Whallonsburg Grange, be sure to visit the story of Franklin County homesteader John Thomas, at the North Star Underground Railroad Musuem in Ausable Chasm.

Benevolent Societies in 1850 in Franklin County

2011-06-17T15:42:00.002-04:00

In 1850, in addition to the fraternal societies such as the Masons and Odd Fellows, there existed several benevolent societies in Franklin County:

Franklin County Bible Society
Temperance Society
Peace Society
Tract Society
Missionary Society
Anti-Slavery Society

Plank Road from Ft. Covington to Malone

2011-06-16T15:39:00.000-04:00

From January 1850 Malone Palladium

click to enlarge

Chateaugay & Burke Tornado

2011-06-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

Larry Gooley has a great article over at the Adirondack Almanack on the highly destructive tornado that ripped through Franklin County 155 years ago, leveling Chateaugay and tearing through Burke. Check it out!

From April 24, 1953 Chateaugay Record

click to enlarge

William A. Wheeler Event

2011-06-07T16:04:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

Join the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society and the Malone Lodge of Elks on Saturday, June 18 at 10am at Morningside Cemetery for the annual Vice President William A. Wheeler Memorial Event. Commemoration of the 192nd birthday of the Franklin County-born U.S. Vice President at the graveside service includes a tribute to Wheeler and veterans' gun salute and a reception following at the House of History Museum.

Free and open to the public. Call the museum at: 518-483-2750 for details.

View Larger Map

Juneteenth

2011-06-07T15:14:00.000-04:00

J.A. Higgins' Select School

2011-06-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

(click to enlarge)

From 5-21-1861 Malone Palladium

Poem: "Picking Hops"

2011-06-01T12:50:00.001-04:00

From an August 1861 Frontier Palladium, this poem evokes the poet's desire for hearth and home versus duty to fight during the American Civil War.

The Frank Pond Music Company

2011-05-31T11:04:00.000-04:00

In honor of Memorial Day and the fallen soldiers of America, we present this 1941 sheet music by the Frank Pond Music Co. of Mountain View (from the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society):

(click to enlarge)

An unidentified newspaper clipping (circa 1965):

Malone Popcorn Vendor

2011-05-27T09:50:00.001-04:00

From undated (ca. 1970s) Malone Evening Telegram:

Ca. 1930s Photo of Frankie Browning, by Floyd Lord

Courtesy of George Pond

In the 1930s, Frankie Browning operated a mobile popcorn machine outside the Grand Theatre in Malone, from which he also sold peanuts and raisins. Harold F. Brown wrote in his Do You Remember When? Editor's Column, "A kerosene burner supplied the heat for making popcorn and Frankie had to turn the roller popper by hand. The picture shows the kerosene can and snouted pourer underneath the stand. The pail hanging on the back caught the parts that did not pop. The fragrance of popcorn filled that section of Main Street each evening, tempting theater goers." Peanuts cost a dime, a box of raisins a nickel, a bag of popcorn cost a nickel and big box could be had for a dime. According to Brown, Frankie Browning was "badly crippled" and laboriously wheeled his popcorn cart across Main Street from its storage area behind Pond's store each night.

The Settler

2011-05-26T09:54:00.002-04:00

The Settler
By Alfred B. Street

His echoing axe the settler swung
Amid the sea-like solitude.
And rushing, thundering, down were flung
The Titans of the wood;
Loud shrieked the eagle as he dashed
From out his mossy nest, which crashed
With its supporting bough,
And the first sunlight, leaping, flashed
On the wolf's haunt below.

Rude was the garb, and strong the frame
Of him who plied his ceaseless toil:
To form that garb, the wild-wood game
Contributed their spoil;
The soul that warmed that frame, disdained
The tinsel, gaud, aud glare, that reigned
Where men their crowds collect;
The simple fur, untrimmed, unstained.
This forest tamer decked.

The paths which wound 'mid gorgeous trees,
The streams whose bright lips kissed their flowers.
The winds that swelled their harmonies
Through those sun-hiding bowers,
The temple vast—the green arcade,
The nestling vale, tho grassy glade.
Dark cave and swampy lair;
These scenes and sounds majestic, made
His world, his pleasures, there.

His roof adorned, a pleasant spot,
'Mid the black logs green glowed the grain,
And herbs and plants the woods knew not,
Throve in the sun and rain.

The smoke-wreath curling o'er the dell,
The low—the bleat—the tinkling bell,
All made a landscape strange.
Which was the living chronicle
Of deeds that wrought the change.

The violet sprung at Spring's first tinge,
The rose of Summer spread its glow,
The maize hung on its Autumn fringe,
Rude Winter brought his snow;
And still the settler labored there,
His shout and whistle woke the air,
As cheerily he plied
His garden spade, or drove his shore
Along the hillock's side.

This poem, and others extolling the delights of the New York wilderness were reprinted in Forest Leaves, a quarterly magazine published by the TB Sanatorium at Gabriels, 1903-1934. The poet Alfred B. Street, the onetime NY State Librarian, often wrote about life in the wilderness with poetic descriptions of nature. Street's "The Forsaken Road" evokes the balance of wilderness and settlement that is part of the Adirondacks in its first few lines:

In the deep bosom of the wilderness,
Arbor'd with green, now hidden by the leaves
Dropp'd at the breath of Autumn, seaming here
The hollow wet with oozing springs, and there
Traced lightly on the firm and level glade
Winds, in two wheel-marks, a forsaken road.

Evert A. & George L. Duyckinck, The Cyclopedia of American Literature p.435

(Philadelphia: William Rutter & Co., 1880)(Vol. 2)

Alfred Billings Street

1811-1881

Alice Hyde Hospital Auxiliary Centennial

2011-05-26T09:12:00.001-04:00

2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the "Women's Hospital Club" which is now known as the Alice Hyde Hospital Auxiliary.

The Malone Farmer July 6, 1911

September 6, 1911 Malone Farmer

The Hospital Women's Club was often in the news for its many and successful fundraising efforts on behalf of the hospital in Malone.

October 15, 1913 Malone Farmer

Click to enlarge

December 19, 1934 Malone Farmer

We salute the Auxiliary of the Alice Hyde Medical Center on their centennial and look forward to their work supporting the hospital for the next hundred years.

R.C.A.F. Plane Crash

2011-05-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

In 1942, several Royal Canadian Air Force airplanes crashed near Ragged Mountain.

click to enlarge

June 19, 1942 Chateaugay Record

Curiously, there was no further reporting in the local press on this tragedy. Wartime censorship may perhaps account for this resounding media silence.

.

Marital Separation, 1851-style

2011-05-24T13:15:00.000-04:00

From Franklin Gazette:

Malone Schools in 1891

2011-05-17T12:05:00.000-04:00

We stumbled upon this list of Malone village schools (while researching something else, naturally) in the July 3, 1891 Franklin Gazette. It is from a report on the schools' enrollment and attendance, but it is also useful as a run-down of the school buildings throughout the village near the end of the era of neighborhood schools. Do you recognize your ancestors in the lists of students?

Santa Clara Lumber Company lumber camp

2011-05-10T16:22:00.002-04:00

From the January 30, 1974 Tupper Lake Free Press and Tupper Lake Herald :

Santa Clara Lumber Company camp near Tupper Lake, ca. 1914

The newspaper caption reads:

AWAY BACK WHEN - The late Frank McCormick, Tupper photographer, snapped this picture about 60 years ago at one of the logging camps operated by the Santa Clara Lumber Co. In the remote Cold River country. His camera caught a glimpse of what was "home" for the winter for a lot of early Tupper residents, in an era when lumberjacks stayed in camp all winter. Horse-power was still of the four-footed variety, and more than 30 were led out by their teamsters for this photo. The teamster seated on his horse at left center cradles a puppy in his arms. Perhaps some of the old timers among our readers can identify some of the lumbermen in this photo.

Frank McCormick operated his photographic studio on Park Street in Tupper Lake from 1904, when he moved it from its location on Cliff Ave, until his death in 1942. His son James ran the studio from 1945-1955.

And from the March 17, 1964 Malone Evening Telegram:

Santa Clara Lumber Camp on Ampersand Pond, circa 1905

The newspaper caption reads:

TURN OF THE CENTURY -- The three men sitting in front were prominent Malone businessmen who were being entertained at the Santa Clara Lumber Co. Camp of Ferris J. Meigns on Ampersand Pond along about 1905. N. Munroe Marshall, sitting against the left post, Fred Amsden, with the pointed hat and clasping his knees and Jack Flanagan, wearing the knee socks, were in the party which also included several well-known Tupper Lake residents.

Other Resources and Images:

- Photo of: Horse-drawn load of lumber (1915) in the collection of the NYS Archives
- Photo of: Interior of log bunk house (1920s) of the Santa Clara Lumber Co. in collection of NYS Archives
- Photo of: Santa Clara Lumber Co yards and office (1920s) in collection of NYS Archives
- Photo of: Lumber Camp on Mt. Seward in Town of Harrietstown in collection of NYS Archives

- History of Town of Santa Clara from Seaver's (1918) Historical Sketches of Franklin County, NY

Langdon's Earliana Tomatoes

2011-04-19T16:14:00.000-04:00

From Historical Sketches of Franklin County, New York (1918) by Frederick J. Seaver, p.263:

The soil [in the town of Constable], though generally light, is rich and heavy in a few localities. Market gardening is practiced successfully and upon a large scale, especially by Herbert P. Langdon & Son, successors to Fayette Langdon & Son, who entered upon the business some fifteen years ago. Their first venture was melon raising, which was successful for a time, but latterly has been a failure, and therefore abandoned. At present the concern's specialties are early cabbages, early corn, early tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, etc. Of corn they market forty to fifty thousand cars in a season, and of tomatoes eight hundred to a thousand bushels. Most of their products are shipped to summer hotels in the Adirondacks at fancy prices, though considerable quantities are sold in Malone also. They have developed a particularly early and fine tomato, called the Langdon Strain of Earlianas, from the most carefully selected specimens of which they put up large quantities of seeds for sale to seedsmen. For the choicest of these seeds they have no difficulty in disposing of all they raise at five dollars per ounce, with other grades selling at varying figures down to sixty cents per ounce. They had a contract in 1916, outside of the Earliana seed, to furnish a large house with all of the seed from two acres that were cultivated solely for this purpose. Their tomato seeds alone brought them two thousand four hundred dollars in 1915!

From the Weekly Market Grower's Journal, January 20, 1912:

From The Southern Planter, January 1911:

Damages for sheep killed by dogs

2011-04-13T08:51:00.001-04:00

From the 1853-1867 Minutes and Account Book of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors (forerunner of the Board of Legislators) in the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1984.118.1):

The following list appears in the minutes of November 11, 1863:

"The following claims were presented before the Board for damages to sheep killed by dogs.

Luther D. Green        Burke
William Woods            "
Henry Mallon              "
David Bush                  "
Josiah T. Barnum         "
Sarah Percy                "
Mary Bingham             "
Mathhias Emerick        "
David Crippin             "
B.O. Neil                     "
M. Hurlbut              Constable
Francis Graves             "
Jacob Lanks                  "
Richard Cunningham      "
John L. Rogers              "
Norman Cook         Chateaugay
William A. Joslin            "
Samuel Stuart                "
E.A. Silver                    "
Jel Sunderland              "
Patrick Nolan               "
R.D. Whitehead            "
Ransom Ives                 "
B.B. Reynolds         Bombay
George Davis              "
Emery Howes             "
Edmond Cotter           "
John Burke                 "
M.H. Sanders             "
Abial Frye                  "
Nelson Wiley            Westville
David M. Freeman        "
Ira D. Martin                 "
George P. Poor             "
Edward Stinson            "
Philemon Berry              "
David Craig                  "
John Lahy                 Fort Covington
A.M. Cushman                 "
Patrick Dunovan               "
Mrs. James Summerfield    "
R.N. Cushman                   "
Cornelius O'Keefe              "
James Costelo                    "
John G. Keefe                   "
J. White                  Constable
Royal G. Hascall      Malone
Dan Avery                   "
Homer Berry           Bombay
Fisk B. Platt            Constable"

Civil War Sesquicentennial

2011-04-12T16:26:00.005-04:00

Today, April 12, 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the opening of military action during the American Civil War. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on Fort Sumter, a Union garrison in Charleston (SC) Harbor. The fort was surrendered the next day.

Bombardment of Fort Sumter.

Perine, George Edward (1837-1885) engraver

1 print : b&w ; 14 x 20 cm. (5 1/2 x 8 in.)

NY Public Library/Public Domain.

Although no battles were fought in NewYork, this state contributed more supplies and money than any other state in the Union and more than 48,000 New York soldiers lost their lives in the conflict -- the highest casualty rate in the nation.

Commemmorate this historical event by brushing up on your Civil War knowledge, and plan now to attend a lecture, tour a battlefield, or support a museum's efforts to preserve this important period of history. The Civil War Sesquicentennial is from 2011 - 2015, so there's plenty of time to learn, participate, and commemmorate!

Upcoming Local Events:

•Saturday, May 7, 10:00 AM - Recruitment Day in Canton. A reenactment of the signing up of volunteers will be held on the front lawn at the Silas Wright House in Canton, NY from 10 am - 4 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

•Sunday, May 22, 1:00 PM at the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society - 1st Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) presentation by Carl Marshall

•Saturday, August 27, 10:00 AM through Sunday, August 28 - Civil War Weekend at Robert Moses State Park, Massena. Reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas; President Abraham Lincoln, USA and President Jefferson Davis, CSA; live period music and an evening concert by the 77th Regimental Band; informational talks and displays

•Sunday, August 28, 10:00 AM - Civil War Weekend at Robert Moses State Park, Massena. Reenactment of the 1st Battle of Manassas; President Abraham Lincoln, USA and President Jefferson Davis, CSA; live period music and an evening concert by the 77th Regimental Band; informational talks and displays

Links and Resources:

Civil War News Sesquicentennial News Briefs:
          http://www.civilwarnews.com/civil-war-sesquicentennial.html

Civil War Trust's articles, maps and descriptions of the Battle of Ft. Sumter:
          http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html

Fort Sumter Sesquicentennial - Bernard Powers on Secession & Racial Anxiety (C-Span 3 YouTube Video):
          http://youtu.be/albyR85ztfk

Fort Sumter History - National Park Service Historian Rick Hatcher (YouTube Video):
         http://youtu.be/zoj_fNAn9OE

NYS Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission:
         http://www.nycivilwar150.org/home.html

New York State and the Civil War history site:
         http://localhistory.morrisville.edu/sites/

National Civil War Museum
         http://www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org/

1853 Franklin County Board of Supervisors

2011-04-05T15:49:00.000-04:00

From the 1853-1867 Minutes and Account Book of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors (forerunner of the Board of Legislators) in the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1984.118.1):

"At the annual meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Franklin County held at the court house in the town of Malone on the 11th day of November 1853
Supervisors Present -

Joseph Eldred         Bangor
William Weed         Bellmont
George Russell        Bombay
Jason Baker            Brandon
Elisha Marks           Burke
Thomas Bennet       Chateaugay
Joseph Hastings       Constable
Peter Whitney          Dickinson
James Duane            Duane
Chandler Ellsworth   Fort Covington
John N. Merrill         Franklin
Wiliam F. Martin      Harrietstown
Henry S. Brewster    Malone
Simon D. Stevens     Moira
Philemon Berry        Westville

On motion, James Duane was unanimously chosen chairman of the Board.

Adjourned, on motion, to the house of C.M. Gifford in Malone."

Wide Awake Clubs of Franklin County

2011-03-31T16:10:00.002-04:00

The political campaigns and elections of 1860 between the Democratic and the newly-formed Republican Parties were fraught with many thorny issues, among them slavery in the United States. Into this hot political contest came the formation of local groups called "Wide Awake Clubs" made up of Republican-affiliated young men. These groups held rallies and host speakers and police the polling stations, but their most remarkable feature was the torch-lit parades at night in which they engaged, many wearing capes and other military-like uniforms.

These clubs, which encouraged support of local, regional and national Republican-Party candidates and platforms, while springing up throughout the Northern half of the country, were organized on the local level. Wide-Awake rallies in large cities such as Boston, New York City and Chicago consisted of hundreds of thousands of particiants. While not nearly as huge as in more populous areas, Franklin County had several Wide Awake Clubs.

This article from the June 7, 1860 Malone Palladium noted the spread of the Wide Awake campaign to Chateaugay and urged the formation of a Malone group:

By August, it appears that such a club had, indeed, been formed:

From August 16, 1860 Malone Palladium

The Palladium was effusive in its description of huge Wide Awake rallies in Malone in July 1860:

From July 26, 1860 Malone Palladium

... and in Brush's Mills (Brushton) in August 1860. (The whole article can be found here, but it is difficult to read parts of it.)

From August 23, 1860 Malone Palladium

From November 1, 1860 Malone Palladium

After the election of 1860, the term "wide-awake" continued to be used to describe those that were politically active and usually progressive in outlook.

From September 2, 1880 Malone Palladium

___________________________________

Additional Resources:

- "Young Men for War": The Wide Awakes and Lincoln's 1860 Presidential Campaign by Jon Grinspan (Journal of American History. 96. Sept. 2009. 357-78)

- Wikipedia entry "Wide Awakes"

1864 Report of the County Poor House

2011-03-29T16:42:00.001-04:00

From the 1853-1867 Minutes and Account Book of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors (forerunner of the Board of Legislators) in the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1984.118.1):

Among the reports to the 1864 Board of Supervisors from the Committee on Noxious Animals, Committee on Equalization (similar to property assessments), and the Committee on the Court House and Jail, is the November 18, 1864 report of Loyon C. Lathrop, Superintendent of the Poor for Franklin County.

click image to enlarge

List of animals and goods in the inventory of the Poor House

Transcription of Report:

"The expenditure on account of the Poor House and Farm: 2874.77. Includes the general supply bills, such as merchants' mechanics', physicians', undertakers', provision, clothing, bedding, fuel, labor hired and also funeral expenses, and all the incidental expenses connected with the house and farm, from which is to be deducted as having been realized from the sale of products of the farm the sum of 280.61 - leaving the amount of expense chargeable to farm from this last amount mentioned deducted as having been expended for the benefit, use of and permanent repairs for the poor house and farm the amount of one hundred and twenty three dollars and fifty cents - as shown by schedule G, leaving the actual expenses of the poor house and farm thus - 2470.66. The whole number of paupers relieved and assisted at the poor house during the past year, is one hundred and nine persons, an increase of nine over last year, of which number forty five have received permanent relief and support, and sixty four have received temporary relief, as shown by schedules D & E, annexed."

click images to enlarge

List of "permanent paupers" -- those who resided at the Franklin County

Poor House for 52 weeks each year

Transcription of Report continues:

"The number of deaths from among the inmates of the poor house for the year ending with the date of this report, is nineteen, as shown by schedule H. hereunto annexed."

It appears that disagreements in public policy regarding the financial and moral responsibility to provide for the indigent is nothing new, to wit:

"The superintendent would further state that he is well aware of the many denunciations uttered by those unwilling to inform themselves against those upon whom the duty falls, to make or call for the making of appropriations from the peoples money, for the (to them) seemingly reckless and unwarranted calls made upon their generosity for the support of the unfortunate and oppressed who from some sad cause are doomed to eke out a pitiful existence, supported by the charities of those more highly favored or fortunate. To such as may be disposed to find fault with the present call for appropriating for the support of the poor of the county, I can only ask them to review the different schedules hereunto annexed, make a minute of the several amounts noted as the actual expenses of the several towns, notice the list of permanent paupers, as also that of the temporary ones relieved, to which after allowing in all candor actual or necessary expense as he or they in their judgment may deem proper, add the necessary incidental costs occasioned by sickness, death and transportation from the several towns to the county house, at the same time having reference to the present high price of those things most needed for their care, comfort and support, and I fear not but they will consider with me in the present call which I have herein made upon your honorable body as an appropriation for the care and support of the poor of the county which it may fall to our lot to nourish and protect, and not repine that they out of their abundance are permitted to thus contribute their mite. Being about to retire from the position of superintendent of the poor I could not in justice to the poor of the county, the superintendent elect, your honorable body, or to myself do less than I have in stating to you my opinion of the necessary amount to be appropriated for the benefit of the unfortunate under your supervising care, while much more might justly be appropriated to meet this class of expense for the present incoming fiscal year.

All of which is most respectfully submitted.
Dated Malone N.Y. Nov. 17, 1864"

Wilder Barns Burn

2011-03-27T15:28:00.000-04:00

From July 26, 1851 Franklin Gazette:

Shell Gasoline Stations

2011-03-24T12:35:00.004-04:00

From the June 29, 1962 Malone Evening Telegram:

click image to enlarge

1867 Arithmetic Textbook

2011-03-24T09:22:00.000-04:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1974.68.1):

This 1867 edition of the Greenleaf's Common School Arithmetic textbook contains not only mathmatical theory and exercises, but also a preface that is surprisingly inspiring. Benjamin Greenleaf writes,

"The examples are of a practical character, and adapted not only to fix in the mind the principles which they involve, but also to interest the pupil, exercise his ingenuity, and inspire a love for mathematical science."

Indeed, some of the problems are very practical in nature:

The preface goes on to say:

Four girls signed the front of the book: Frances Douglas, Katie Caldwell, Maria Caldwell and Margaret McNeirney. It's impossible to say whether the students who used this textbook were suitably inspired in their mathematical studies, or whether they had their young minds on other pursuits. The concluding pages and inside the back cover are covered in short poems expressing school-friend wishes, such as those scrawled in yearbooks today.

Jennie C. writes:

"Remember me and bear in mind
That a true friend is hard to find,
But when you find one just & true,
Change not the old one for the new."

An unsigned, and rather maudlin verse:

"May the roses of Love
Encircle thy cot
And flourish long after
This friend is forgot."

One more:

"When distant land divide us,
And you no more see me,
Remember it was Eliza that wrote these lines to thee."

Paddock Block

2011-03-23T12:33:00.000-04:00

The Paddock Block (also known as the Gorman Building) on the corner of West Main Street and Harrison Place in Malone, ca 1910-1920. Note the pre-1930 Franklin County courthouse and Kirk-Maher building in the background.

Reprinted in the June 5, 1991 Malone Telegram from a photo belonging to Leland Martin.

Chateaugay Basketball

2011-03-22T11:35:00.002-04:00

In honor of the Chateaugay highschool basketball teams past and present:

1901-02 CHS Basketball Team

Top row L-R: James W. Duffy, John Lyons, E. F. Prairie

Bottom row L-R: David Wills and Elmer Barnes

1917 CHS Basketball Team

Back row L-R: Babe Douglass, Bill Dupree, Clarence Terry, Henry Bergevin

Front row L-R: Clarence Wills, George Fitzgerald, Joe Rovelle, Walter Silver and Principal and Coach Irving Gladstone

(from March 31, 1965 Chateaugay Record)

1924-24 CHS Basketball Team

Back row L-R: Jerry Dwyer, Art Hammond, Principal Ceylon Wheater, ___ Fitzgerald

Front row L-R: Bill McKenna, Howard Fay, John Franklin

(from March 1976 Chateaguay Record)

Roberts House Hotel

2011-03-21T10:40:00.000-04:00

From the September 30, 1964 Chateaugay Record:

According to Seaver (1918) in his chapter on Chateaugay, "The Roberts House ... was originally a log structure, built in 1837 by John and Alonzo Roberts, who were landlords there for a considerable time, and who replaced the log with a frame building."

1870's Weather

2011-03-11T10:34:00.001-05:00

Appearing in the December 18, 1878 Franklin Gazette:

January 17, 1879 Franklin Gazette:

April 11, 1879 Franklin Gazette:

The "Breed's Thermometer" referenced was a thermometer hung at C.W. Breed & Co. Druggists on Main Street in Malone.

1851 Assessments and Taxes

2011-03-10T12:50:00.004-05:00

From the 1851 Franklin County Board of Supervisors annual report:

click image to enlarge

as reported in the December 25, 1851 Frontier Palladium

1932 Winter Olympics

2011-03-09T10:34:00.000-05:00

Much like its sister event in 1980, the 1932 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, NY involved the greater Adirondack North Country region. Two Franklin County men were part of the organizing committee:

Member, New York State Olympic Winter Games Commission

Member of III Winter Olympic Games Committee

Saranac Lake voted to provide $10,000.00 in funding and housing for athletes and dignitaries, as well as lodging for spectators. The housing issue was of particular concern, and help was enlisted from neighboring communities and local Housing Committees were formed. In Tupper Lake, P.J. Hickey agreed to be the committee chairperson, in Malone it was Dr. John E. White, and in Saranac Lake, Francis Leggett. A formal system of cottage rental in locations such as Paul Smiths, Vermontville and Rainbow Lake was also employed.

During the Games, a detail of 53 New York State Police (including 23 from Troop B in Malone), led by Lieut. H.C. Herrick, were stationed at Lake Placid. The detail also had at its disposal 3 automobiles and 4 horses.

Resources:
- Official Report of III Winter Olympic Games, Lake Placid 1932
- Olympic.org's 1932 Winter Games website, including video of the winning U.S. 4-man bobsled team
- 1932 & 1980 Winter Olympic Museum

Chateaugay Soldiers

2011-03-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

From a May 1908 Chateaugay Record, a list of local soldiers' graves:

1910 Season J.O. Ballard & Co. Baseball Team

2011-02-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1968.239):

The J.O. Ballard and Co. Baseball Team

1910 Season

Back row (L-R):
O. Roda, sub; George Bradish, 2nd base; Vital Dumas, Left Field; Arthur Hickey, 3rd base; Cloophas Stone, Center Field; Nelson Desnoyers, 1st base; Archie Manson, Short Stop

Front row (L-R):
A. Girard, Right Field; Percy Jarvis, Catcher; Eddie Jarvis, Pitcher

This summer league consisted of employees of two Malone mills: McMillan Mills and Ballard Mill. The Ballard team took the 1910 season 4-1.

The 1910 Season:
June 25, 1910      McMillan 15/Ballard 14
July 9, 1910         McMillan 12/Ballard 13
July 16, 1910       McMillan 12/Ballard 19
August 10, 1910 McMillan 0/Ballard 4

Amateur and semi-professional baseball thrived in Northern New York for many years, as attested by this February 14, 1900 article in the Malone Farmer:

and this article about the Malone City League's 1915 season:

June 2, 1915 Malone Farmer

Winter Fun

2011-02-12T16:02:00.001-05:00

Winter is a great time to gather together your friends, don some knickers and mufflers and head out for a snowshoeing and shooting party!

click image to enlarge

From the collection of Steven Bryan, and used with his permission

At the Hale Camp (Camp Edgewater), Lake Titus, Malone, NY
L-R:   (front) Bessie Deerkee, Miller Sabin
         (middle) G.H.Hale, Josephine Lawrence, Maud French, Mary Flanagan, unknown, Mabel Lawrence, Bert Cushman, Geo. Lincoln
         (back) Unknown

Cold Then, Cold Now

2011-02-10T10:35:00.000-05:00

The very ... wintry winter we are having just now in Franklin County makes some folks rejoice and some folks grumble. In the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1968.573.5) is a day book belonging to Charles W. Wilson of Fort Covington, NY that he used in 1914 to record his personal finances and other events of his daily life such as the weather.

Since the warmth of summer tends to erase our memory each year of what North Country winters are like and we are surprised anew at snow and cold, we present Charles Wilson's record of the winter of 1914 as a sort of commiseration as well as perspective that winter comes every year...

A sampling of entries: [editor's comments in italics]

January 6: Cold east wind. The wind has been in the east for 6 days & changed to-night

January 9: I was at home all day. Nothing doeing [sic]. It has snowed a part of day to-day.

January 10: It snowed all last night & all day to-day. I have shovelled [sic] twice to-day the walks. I drew 800 out of Bank to-day for to use by my own check.

January 11: Sunday. Verry [sic] cold.

January 13: The Coldest this morning of any so far. Anywhere from 30 to 38 degrees below zero. I shovelled [sic] out Billings walk.

January 20: Stormed Snow all day & pretty much of last night.

[sound familiar?]

January 21: Verry [sic] Cold. I shovelled [sic] out the walks & shovelled [sic] the walks for the corporation 15 minutes.

January 22: 12 degrees below zero this morning & roads verry [sic] heavy.

January 24: It has rained & thawed most all day & turned cold at night.

January 25: Sunday. 4 below zero to-day.

January 31: It hailed & Snowed all day & all night. Not verry [sic] cold but windy. Bad to be out.

[perhaps February will look up?]

February 2: Candelmas day. Sun Shone bright a part of day & part cloudy. Warmer to-day.

February 3: A nice warm day & thawed a good deal.

[nope]

February 7: I Shovelled [sic] Billings walk, Mrs. Laws & my own. About 3 inches of Snow fell last night. It thawed most all day & turned cold & windy & blustering.

February 8: Sunday. Pretty cold & clear. I had my eyes tested & a new pair of glasses.

February 11: A Cold day. 20 degrees below zero this morning & the same to-night at 6 o'clock at night.

[Perhaps the weather will have pity on Mr. Wilson for his birthday... or not]

February 12: My birth day - 67 years old. Last night & to-day terrible cold. Anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees below zero. Verry [sic] Clear. I paid Kelsey for coal delivered on the eleventh - 30.50 lbs of coal by check [$]10.93.

February 15: Sunday. Cold & clear. We are on the sick list. None went to church.

February 18: A Real Nice Day. I went up to my place & up to Eliza's & back home. I gave Eliza her last year's card for the 2 cords of wood she sent to the Church.

February 19: Another nice day. I split wood here.

++++

February 1914 turned nice eventually and we suppose so will ours in 2011. Get out there and split some wood.

Vacationland Malone

2011-02-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

Fueled in part by the increasing number of transportation options: personal automobile, bus, train, and airplane, regional tourism in the mid-20th century was booming. The Malone Chamber of Commerce sought to tap into the mobile American vacationer with this travel brochure, recently donated to the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society:

The brochure goes on to detail the transportation options, manufacturing and other businesses, and recreation opportunities of the area, including hunting and fishing, the Rec Park, the Franklin County Fair, and an "established night baseball league."

1915 Map of St. Regis Falls

2011-01-28T10:29:00.001-05:00

For reference and research in the Schryer Center for Historical and Genealgoical Research of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society are copies of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Franklin County, NY towns/villages in our collection are: Ft. Covington, Moira, Malone, Chateaugay, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake, St. Regis Falls. Excellent for exploring how Main Street has changed through the years or for settling bets on where that store was back when our memories were young, these maps are available during the open hours of the Schryer Center (winter 2011 = Wed, Thurs, Fri 1-4pm).

A teaser to show you the value of this rich resource:

St. Regis Falls, September 1915

click to enlarge

Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. To order individual maps directly from the Sanborn Map Company (now owned by Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR)) please call 1-800-352-0050 or visit their website at http://www.edrnet.com/

Franklin County and Saskatchewan

2011-01-25T15:05:00.000-05:00

A query from a resident of Nokomis, Saskatchewan led us to research the role that two Franklin County, NY companies and numerous local individuals played in the development of that town in Western Canada.

Following the 1904 opening of the area to homesteading, the first settlers began to arrive in the area that would become Nokomis. The Franklin Realty and Trading Co. was incorporated April 30, 1907, with brothers-in-law Aaron (A.C.) Allison of Malone and George Brush of Brushton as its principals. Allison had previously been a railroad superintendent and partner in the Symonds & Allison confectionery business and now turned his attention to the real estate and land development business. Beginning in 1907, Mr. Allison spent summers in Nokomis and winters in Malone for many years:

November 27, 1907 Malone Farmer

December 10, 1908 Malone Palladium

September 7, 1910 Malone Farmer

And George Brush appears to have moved to Nokomis entirely, although by 1917 he had sold his farm and returned to NY:

January [...] 1913 Malone Farmer

A November 6, 1907 article in the Malone Farmer highlighted the charms of Nokomis:

The article goes on to describe the geographic situation and development possibilities of the area, and refers to Mr. Allison as the "pioneer and king of Nokomis." The hard-working settlers and entrepreneurs were lauded thus:

"The men who are making Nokomis seem to have confidence in the camp. They believe that Nokomis is the coming town and her merchants will recognize it at once as a great distributing point, a sort of commercial center for the Last Mountain Valley and Quill Plains country."

and the boom is described:

"More than thirty buildings have been completed in ninety days, all fairly good-sized buildings up-to-date, and really remarkable for so new a town. ... While the development has been remarkable at Nokomis during the past three months and will continue until winter sets in, the real push will probably not be in full swing until next spring, when both the Grand Trunk Pacific and the Canadian Pacific will have a regular through service from Winnipeg to Edmonton."

In 1909, A.C. Allison was already reporting success in his land development and farming operations:

May 27, 1909 Malone Palladium

From the start, Franklin Realty & Trust Co was hiring other North Country men to help manage its Nokomis interests, thus deepening the ties between NY and Saskatchewan:

July 17, 1907 Malone Farmer

March 23, 1910 Malone Farmer

March 28, 1917 Malone Farmer

A.C. Allison was not the only Franklin County son to try the bounty of Saskatchewan. Herman Phelps of Brushton conducted a livery business in Nokomis beginning in 1907. In 1912, the Carter Land Co., another Malone-area business, was incorporated in order to take advantage of the Nokomis boom:

January 17, 1912 Malone Farmer

January 14, 1914 Malone Farmer

More than a decade after its founding, the Franklin Realty & Trust Co. was still reporting success in Nokomis:

January 16, 1918 Malone Farmer

August 6, 1919 Malone Farmer

September 3, 1919 Malone Farmer

September 10, 1919 Malone Farmer

January 17, 1923 Malone Farmer

Malone Art School

2011-01-21T13:25:00.002-05:00

Brochure of the Malone Art School from the Collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1973.459.4):

December 15, 1892 Malone Palladium

December 8, 1893 Franklin Gazette

November 30, 1894 Franklin Gazette

December 7, 1894 Franklin Gazette

October 21, 1900 Malone Farmer

1918 Address Honoring Fallen Soldiers

2011-01-20T16:34:00.000-05:00

From the pages of the Malone Evening Telegram, December 16, 1918:
(click section to enlarge)

Hogle/Smith House Hotel

2011-01-13T16:47:00.002-05:00

The three-story building on the corner of Academy and West Main Streets in Malone has stood vacant for several years now, but it has a history as a prosperous tavern and hotel, as well as a slightly seedy rooming house. It has been known alternately as the Hogle House, Cushman House, The City Hotel, Hill Crest Inn, Smith House, the Franklin Hotel Annex, The Tavern, the Tavern Arms, and Nikki's Place.

The Tavern, late 1930s

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1986.102)

click image to enlarge

Over the years, ancillary businesses have also been housed with the hotel, such as a barber shop , billiard room, bowling alley, and livery stables. Additionally, it appears that on at least one occasion, a gambling parlor operated out of the hotel:

September 15, 1926 Malone Farmer

The building was erected about 1866 by Canadian Hotelier James L. Hogle and operated by him as the Hogle House until 1875, when Hogle sold it and opened the Elmwood House hotel on the corner of Main and Pearl Streets.

The hotel nearly constantly changed hands, almost always with name changes. In 1877, George H. Hogle was proprietor of the Hogle House. But beginning in April 1885, George W. Cushman leased the hotel from George Hogle and renamed it the Cushman House.

May 26, 1887 Malone Palladium

In October 1887, Cushman decided to try his hand at the running of a hotel in Oswego, however, and leased it to J.A. Stratton, who was obliged by June 1888 to relinquish his lease. Alex Chisholm took over the lease and changed the hotel's name to The City Hotel.

September 7, 1888 Franklin Gazette

Chisholm's lease was revoked in September 1889 when George Cushman, returning to Malone, purchased the hotel from George Hogle and resumed management, reverting the business' name to Cushman House. Chisholm purchased the Elmwood House hotel (also from George Hogle) in July 1889 upon receiving notice that his term as landlord of the City Hotel was nearing its end.

In March 1902, the firm of Ladd & Smallman (primarily a lumber and mill business) purchased Cushman House, with George Cushman continuing as manager.

March 13, 1902 Malone Palladium

Despite the optimism of the Palladium's editors, by December 1903, Charles McCarthy was the proprietor and the hotel's name had changed to Hill Crest Inn. Not two years later, Fred A. Smith owned the hotel and changed its name to the Smith House.

Businessman F. Roy Kirk purchased the hotel around 1921 and changed its name to the Hotel Franklin Annex (or Franklin Hotel Annex or Franklin House Annex), and operated it as a rooming house in conjunction with the Franklin House Hotel (located where the W. Main St. Stewart's Shop currently stands).

After the sudden and early death of F. Roy Kirk, in October 1921 the hotel was sold again and renamed the Smith House.

It was leased and operated by Henry Badore from its new owner, local businessman George Northridge (who had been associated at various times with the Malone Milling Co. and the Benware Broom Co., in addition to his own feed and produce firm of G.D. Northridge & Son and earlier real estate business). From June 1921-January 1922, Troop B of NY State Police, newly located at Malone and in advance of the construction of their barracks, were housed at the Hotel.

October 5, 1921 Malone Farmer

After Northridge's death in 1923, it was purchased by Badore's brother Herbert and William Monaghan.

July 9, 1924 Malone Farmer

In 1927, the business again changed hands:

August 31, 1927 Malone Farmer

The Smith House found itself in the hands of an old friend again in 1935, when former hotel clerk and manager Henry Badore purchased the property as an investment, but with no intention of being involved in its daily operation again.

July 3, 1935 Malone Farmer

Under the ownership of Henry Badore and the management of W.E. Rodman, the hotel became known as "The Tavern."

July 24, 1935 Malone Farmer

Malone Fire Department

2011-01-11T13:13:00.002-05:00

These four photographs of the Malone Fire Department are from the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society, and were donated by Dr. M.M. Kissane in 1979.

Ca. 1890 William Devine on right (1979.296)

1890 Frank McEnrue, Bill Metcalf, William Devine (1979.293)

In 1890, the volunteer fire department became a paid service. The Malone Callfiremen's Association, which more closely represented a modern fire department organization, was formed in 1938. William Devine (pictured above) became Fire Chief in 1922 and retired from the department in 1934. ("Fire Department" Malone Sesqui-Centennial booklet, 1952. pages 14-15)

1914 Pearl Street Station (1979.292)

Original framed by Trautmann Studio, 24 Catherine St., Malone

and "Given to M.M. Kissane M.D. by Monk Earl of Malone, 1954"

From Seaver (1918), page 432:

"Malone's first fire engine was bought in 1832, and, an extremely crude contrivance, amounted to little more than a pump set in a box on wheels. It was operated by a crank on each side, and not more than eight men could work on it at a time. It was back-breaking business when one kept at it long. The water had to be dumped into the box from buckets, and the stream which the pump delivered was small and feeble."

Longtime service of Ballard Mill employee

2011-01-07T13:54:00.001-05:00

1914 Newspaper Article

Click to enlarge

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1968.261.1)

Letter Transcription:

"March 13-1889 - March 13-1914
Twenty-five years
Began work Whittlesey & Co hired by J.O. Ballard March 13 1889 - Mr. Ballard I wish to thank you for your advice and good will which you have done to me in the past. I was a fourteen year old boy out of six graded school wearing my father [sic] pants turn up to the [knees] and sewed with white cotton thread to hold them up when you bean to fix me out, if you remember how I looked, for I have not forgotten my feeling when you give me a pair of pants and you still have not give me up but have got me with a good home which had it not been for your good will and kindness I could not of had. With a family and a debt on my shoulders and all alone to earn I hope God will spare you and me for more years to come so I may have the pleasure of working for you for more years to come and that your health may be of the best and that you can enjoy the world with the rest and that your business may be prosperous. I remain your obedient servant
Joseph L. Yops"

1926 Newspaper Article

Photograph probably of Joseph Yops and South Pearl Street Residence

Photograph of unidentified employees of Ballard Mill

From the Collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society

(1968.234) Photo taken Jan.8, 1932 on J.O. Ballard's birthday

Pictured: C.L. Passino (22 years of service at Ballard Mill), Frank Boda (30 yrs), J.O. Ballard (45 yrs), Joseph T. Yops (43 yrs), H.E. Passino (30 yrs)

Joseph Yops was one of a group of Ballard Mill employees who in 1933 again visited Capt. J.O. Ballard at his home at 150 Elm Street in Malone to wish him a happy 75th birthday. At that time, Yops had been continuously employed at the mill for 44 years.

1965 DAR Display

2010-12-21T13:27:00.001-05:00

The Adirondack Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently donated their records to the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society. These records include many press clippings of the activities of the local DAR chapter over the course of more than 50 years. Of particular interest to us were this article and photograph published in the Malone Telegram in February 1965:

click to enlarge

The Telegram article details many of the historical items featured in the DAR display in the vacant storefront window at the corner of Main and Elm Streets in Malone. Among the items mentioned is this one, which is now part of the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society:

Rev. Parmelee's chair, as it is currently displayed in the House of History Museum.

Annual Christmas Tea and Open House

2010-12-02T16:44:00.000-05:00

The Franklin County Historical and Museum Society invites the community to its annual Christmas Tea and Open House on Saturday, December 4, 2010 from 12:00-4:00pm at the House of History Museum, 51 Milwaukee St., Malone. The museum will be decorated for the holiday and visitors will be treated to formal tea service, including delicacies, hot tea, cofee, and cider. Tours of the museum will be available, as well as a gift raffle of items from local businesses. The gift shop will be open, with its wide selection of local history books that makes Christmas shopping easy for the history buff on your list. There is no cost to attend the tea and open house. For your convenience, membership dues for 2011 are welcome and will be accepted.

This year, several small trees have been decorated by groups from the Franklin County community (click each image to enlarge):

From the Malone American Legion Auxiliary

From Mrs. Jones' 4th grade class at Chateaugay Central School -- featuring Victorian paper dolls

From Mrs. Lavigne's 4th grade class at Flanders Elementary School in Malone -- featuring homemade cinnamon ornaments

From Mrs. Hans', Mrs. Premo's and Mrs. Stone's 4th grade classes at Flanders Elementary School in Malone -- featuring little brooms, candles and 'milk and cookie' ornaments in honor of the crafts the students do when visiting the House of History

From the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) -- featuring volunteer angels

There's no reason to sit home this Saturday if you live in the North Country: in addition to the Christmas Tea at the House of History, there's also the Wilder Farm event, the Market Barn event and the Holy Family School Silent Auction -- all in Malone!

Henry C. Brush

2010-11-16T15:19:00.001-05:00

This Lewis Hepburn over under rifle once belonged to Henry C. Brush.

Its owner, Larry Avery of Toledo, OH, describes it as a "over and under double rifle percussion muzzle loader ... made by L.L. Hepburn of Colton, N.Y." The silver oval plate inlaid into the left side of the butt stock is stamped in three lines:

Henry C. Brush
Float Pat. Aug. 23, 76

Brush’s Mills, N.Y.

Mr. Avery also describes the rifle as "fully engraved on the right and left lock, butt plate, trigger guard, toe plate, patch box and the upper tang. All the rifle furniture is German silver. Butt stock is figured walnut. The sights are a custom globe front sight with a pin head insert, a flat V notch barrel sight, and a custom made vertically adjustable tang sight."

Henry Corbin Brush was the son of Henry Neilson Brush, from whom the village of Brushton derives its name. Brushton, NY was originally named "Brush's Mills."

From Frederick Seaver's "Historical Sketches of Franklin County, NY" (1918), page 719:

"H. Corbin Brush, son of Henry N., was born in Brushton in 1838, and always made his home there. He had large property intersts, and to the care of these applied most of his energies and time. Finely educated, possessing exceptional business abilities, genial, companionable and public spirited, Mr. Brush enjoyed the respect of everybody, and was of great usefulness in the hamlet that was his home. He died April 19, 1898."

Also from Seaver: (p. 519)
"The industrial enterprises of Moira were never numerous or large. The community is distinctively agricultural, but with two small unincorporated villages -- Brushton and Moira. Each is a station on the Rutland Railroad, and each is on an improved trunk-line highway. Almost with the first settlement in the town, Appleton Foote, as the agent of Gilchrist and Fowler, erected a saw mill at what is now Brushton, and a grist mill there in the year following, which was displaced by the present stone mill in 1823, built by Robert Watts, and later improved and enlarged by Henry N. Brush."

Henry C. Brush also invented a shallow-running submersible fishing lure known as the Brush Trolling Spoon.

(From the Scientific American Vol XXXVI No. 8 February 24, 1877. NY: Munn & Co.):

Improved Trolling Hook

Mr. Henry C. Brush, of Brush's Mills, N.Y., has patented through the Scientific American Patent Agency an improved troller, the novel feature in which consists in attaching a float to the shank of the implement under the revolving blade, the object being to keep the troller near the surface of the water, where the fish may see it more readily, and whereby the liability of catching in weeds and logs is obviated.

Trolling Hook

A is a float, attached to the shank, a, of the troller. B is the spoon, which is swiveled in the usual manner. The device is very simple, and is claimed to prevent all the annoyance arising from the hook catching in sunken obstructions.

H.D. Thompson & Co.

2010-11-04T13:30:00.003-04:00

From Illustrated Malone: Commercial, Financial, Manufacturing Special Souvenir Number. (1909) Stevens & Turner Co., Malone, NY. Page 22:

"The wholesale and retail hardware business of H.D. Thompson & Co., is one of the most important mercantile industries of Malone. This business was established about 1840, by Mr. H.H. Thompson, father of the present President of the company. In 1880 Mr. Thompson, Sr., was succeeded by his two sons, Mr. H.D. Thompson and Mr. R.R. Thompson, and in 1904 a company was formed and incorporated according to the New York state statutes, with a capital stock of $65,000. The officers of the present firm are, Mr. H.D. Thompson, President and Treasurer, Mr. N.M. Marshall, Vice-President, and Mr. A.H. Proctor, Secretary. They occupy a splendid five-story brick block at 91 East Main St., besides seven storehouses located near the Rutland depot. In all the business covers, with its stores and warehouses, over an acre of floor space, which provides excellent accommodation for the immense stock carried, which includes everything in the way of hardware for the supply of the wolesale and retail trade. The show rooms are stocked with full lines of light and heavy, shelf and builders' hardware, saddlery and saddlery hardware, carriage supplies, guns and ammunition, and in fact everything for the stocking of a retail hardware store, many of the establishments of this nature in this district getting their supplies here. A large staff of assistants is employed, and two travelling salesmen, Mr. L.F. Hutchison and Mr. Earl E. Maher, are kept on the road, and cover Franklin, St. Lawrence, and Clinton Counties. Though the interests of the business are mainly devoted to the wholesale trade, they have, as well, a wide retail connection all over Malone and the surrounding district, and equal satisfaction is assured the retail customer as to the merchant giving an extensive order. The members of this firm are prominent men in commercial circles of Malone, and are well known all over Northern New York as most reliable men to deal with."

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1969-1089):

Interior of H.D. Thompson Hardware Store (click to enlarge)

Detail of H.D. Thompson Hardware photo

H.D. Thompson & Co. operated through the mid-20th century. This scale was recently donated to the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society:

Newspaper ads from March 8, 1916 Malone Farmer:

and February 12, 1936 Malone Farmer:

Excerpts from obituary of H.D. Thompson, son of the business' founder, from August 1, 1917 Malone Farmer:

Lake Titus

2010-10-26T15:36:00.002-04:00

From the collections of Steven Bryan and the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society:

1938

1936

Watercolor painted by M.E. Parmelee

Taken near Crowner Camp, ca. 1971

Last Train departs Malone

2010-10-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

The end of railroading in Malone came Sunday, March 30, 1980, which saw the final train depart from the Malone Junction. This image and brief caption in the Malone Telegram served as the only fanfare.

Camp Edgewater, Lake Titus

2010-10-12T16:41:00.001-04:00

Editor's Note: Steven Bryan, son of Eleanor Hale Bryan (dau. of Robert Hale, son of G.H. Hale) noted our reference to the extensive collection of O'Neil and Hale Insurance materials at the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society in previous posts and brought by a small sample of his Hale Family materials. We are indebted to him for sharing these materials with us.

The Hale-French camp on Lake Titus, "Edgewater," was established in 1891 by Hiram F. and Hannah E. French, who purchased the property from the esate of A.B. Parmelee. Ownership passed to their children, Gertrude French Hale and Calvin A. French, in 1903 and then in 1941 to Robert F. and Dorothy Stephenson Hale and Eleanor French. In 1951 Robert and Dorothy Hale took full ownership, and the camp was sold out of the family in 1979. [L.M. House, et al. (2005) Our Lake Titus. Potsdam, NY: Parkhurst Brook Publishers. P. 280]

The Hale and French families, and their many guests, logged their days at Camp Edgewater in a series of "camp books" that include photos, poems, sketches and narrative entries describing the weather, visitors and daily activities at camp. The set of camp books spans nearly the entire time Edgewater was in the family, from 1891-1979. The entries paint a colorful picture of life on Lake Titus, from trails hiked to fishing holes plumbed, to games played.

Robert Hale, Libe Washburn, Calvin French, J. Stewart Gibson at "Community Flag Pole" at Lake Titus, ca 1933

(click image to enlarge)

This entry from August 1, 1924 reads:

Although I have known Lake Titus for many years yet my present visit has impressed me more vividly than ever before with its many charms. Instead of losing its wilderness characteristics by the passage of the years and the increasing occupation of its shores by people the lake has developed a still greater appearance of unspoiled seclusion. The lovely forests clothing its shores and the embracing hills continue to grow and extend a sheltering fellowship to the homes set in their midst and to welcome the people to one of nature's delectable places. To the wayfarer like myself Camp Edgewater with its dear and friendly habitants adds the human touch that makes a sojourn here an added joy and departure a gloom.
- EW Nelson August 1/24

Another entry, this one from September 3, 1923:

It reads:

"Labor Day, Sept 3rd, 1923.
The Day we leave. "The best summer yet" was the unanimous vote at the breakfast table on this the last morning of the vacation of 1923. Good health, good eats, good funs, much gaming (mostly Mah Jongg) and dancing have all helped to make glad the days that have passed all too swiftly. A pleasnat time was had by all on two grand picnics; one on Brown's Mountain, the other on Owl's head Pinnacle; not to forget the most enjoyable expedition to Skerry and Coat Hill. Many fine hikes have been particiapted in by various members of the camp - some along familiar trails and some over new territory. "Yes, we have no bananas to-day," "Beale Street Momma," "Barney Google" and other classical melodies have enlivened our spirits and our feet at early morn and late at night. Only ten months till we come again. Hasten the glad day."

The Mah Jongg set mentioned in this entry is still owned by Nancy Hale:

The temperatures and barometer readings recorded daily during the summer of 1923:

This 1934 poem by Dorothy S. Hale indicates that recording the weather thus was routine at Edgewater:

THE CHART KEEPER
One panel in the living room is lined
With weater charts full ten years old and more.
And all the years my memory serves there's been
Beside the wet thermometer upon the wall,
A paper neatly lined and numbered off
Showing the days both passed by and to come:
And those passed by all neatly written in: -
What wind- what sun and what precipitation.

----------------------------------------------
Other Resources:
- June 11, 1885 Malone Palladium article by A.B. Parmelee recalling an 1842 excursion to Lake Titus
- "History of Lake Titus" by Robert F. Hale in Franklin Historical Review, vol. 6, 1970.
- L.M. House, et al. (2005) Our Lake Titus. Potsdam, NY: Parkhurst Brook Publishers.

- Lake Titus Potpourri by Frances Willson Daily

Loon Lake Railroad Station

2010-10-12T10:15:00.000-04:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society:

Loon Lake, after 1918

(click image to enlarge)

Chateaugay Historical Society Antique Appraisal

2010-10-11T09:02:00.001-04:00

An Antique Appraisal, sponsored by the Chateaugay Historical Society, will be held on October 23, 2010 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Knights of Columbus building located on Rt. 374 in Chateaugay. Four Appraisers will be available:

Barb Bilow – Toys, dolls and general items.
Dee Skinner – Coins, Jewelry, dishes and porcelains.
Frank Bova – Furniture.
Shirley Fleury – Articles from the 20’s thru the 50’s.

Donations welcome. Food will be available.

Questions? Call:
John Martin 497-6855

Peggy Roulston 425-0425 or 497-0497

Composer James Houston Spencer

2010-10-07T08:37:00.001-04:00

Franklin County, NY native James H. Spencer is being honored in the 30th season of the Adrian, Michigan Symphony Orchestra. A former professor at Adrian College, Spencer composed The Fiddler of the Northern Lights, which debuts as part of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra's October Program.

From the ASO website's program note by Amy Winberg:

The Fiddler of the Northern Lights

James Houston Spencer (1985–1967)

These past few weeks, the Music History class of Fall 2010 has had the opportunity to delve into the past and become acquainted with our wonderful new building’s namesake, James Houston Spencer. We would like to thank Hildreth Spencer, James’s daughter, for taking the time to help us reconnect with our past. Peeking into this composer’s mind has allowed us to experience history, both in the past and currently in the making. We invite you to join us as we venture deeper into the life that was James Spencer.

James Houston Spencer was born on July 28, 1895 in Malone, New York, a small town on the border between New York and Quebec, to parents Franklin Talmadge Spencer and Mary Elizabeth Houston. Even without formal training, both of his parents were proficient musicians, his father in trumpet and violin and his mother in piano, which exposed James to the joys of music from a very young age. Spencer studied piano and cello during his childhood in Malone and later pursued music at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It was here that Spencer made the decision to give up the cello in favor of the organ and pursue his interest in conducting and composition, studying under Arthur Foote as well as George Whitefield Chadwick. In the summer of 1921, Spencer interviewed for the position of music director at Adrian College and soon made Adrian his home, teaching and composing numerous works. Tonight, we remember Spencer with the premiere of his final work, The Fiddler of the Northern Lights.

Fiddler was finished, according to the final page of the score, at 4:00 pm on September 29, 1966. It combines Spencer’s natural story-telling ability with his mature musical style. Living so near the Canadian border, the local store would sell to customers not just from Malone, but also those who came down from Canada, specifically those from Quebec. We see this cultural influence in the appearance of the two French folk songs employed in the piece, "Frère Jacques" and "Allouette," and in the story from which the work draws its inspiration.

Fiddler is a tone poem depicting the old French Canadian folk legend of the myth of the northern lights. According to the legend, a mysterious, grisly old man would appear unannounced in the night carrying with him a black fiddle and would come knocking on the door. If the unsuspecting family allowed him entrance, he would begin to play. As the stranger began to play, the Aurora Borealis would appear in the sky and the more frantic the music became, the more brilliant the ethereal lights would flash, until as quickly as he had come, the fiddler would disappear again into the night.

The Fiddler of the Northern Lights was the last piece James Spencer ever composed. After his death, Hildreth and her mother decided to allow the Detroit Public Library to house his compositions in the Burton Historical Collection, but elected to retain his last, feeling that it would not live up to his normal standards due to the fact that Spencer was dying of prostate cancer at the time of its composition.

However, sometime after her father’s death, Hildreth Spencer brought the work to the attention of a Dr. Poole, a staff conductor for the Detroit Symphony, who pronounced the piece workable after viewing it. After holding back the score for over 50 years, Hildreth brought the manuscript to Adrian Symphony Orchestra Music Director John Thomas Dodson, who then prepared a performing version of the work for tonight’s premiere. The Fiddler of the Northern Lights, then, is the last fantastic tale told in music by James Houston Spencer, the father of our new building.

According to a 1928 article in the Malone Farmer, Spencer took music lessons from the Mother Superior of the Ursuline Convent in Malone, Rev. Mother Stanislaus, who also taught at St. Joseph's Academy.

B.A. Whitney & Son Music Store

2010-10-06T14:28:00.001-04:00

A Franklin County resident recently inquired about the firm of B.A. Whitney & Son, Malone, NY, which was on his piano. A little research turned up multiple newspaper ads and the 1931 obituary of Byron A. Whitney, which reads in part:

  "Byron A. Whitney, for many years engaged in the piano and music business in Malone, and a former trustee of Malone village, passed from mortal life Saturday evening at his home, 115 West Main street, aged 85 years.
[...]
   Byron A. Whitney was born in the town of Dickinson in June 1845, a son of Peter ad [sic] Lucinia Whitney. His parents were pioneers of the town and came to Dickinson with others from Alburgh, Vt., making the journey by ox team and cart, when this North Country was little more than an unbroken wilderness. Peter Whitney and his wife were among the founders of the hamlet of Alburgh, a community which lies partly in the town of Dickinson and partly in the town of Moira. They gave the first settlement the name of Alburgh in honor of the Vermont town from which they came.
    Byron A. Whitney received the rudiments of his education in the district schools of Dickinson, and later completed his education in the old Lawrenceville Academy. For several years after his graduation he taught school in the districts adjacent to his home, being an instructor [in] nineteen school terms. He possessed natural talent in music, and while engaged as a district school teacher also taught singing school in various communities.
    He later went to Des Moines, Iowa, remaining there for a few [years]. Returning east he established himself in business in Norwood, remaining there until he removed to Malone in 1893, and established his piano and music business here, eventually purchasing the property at 115 West Main street, which was thereafter his home and business location. At the time of his comign to Malone he conducted an insurance agency as a branch of his business, but later disposed of the agency to O'Neil & Hale and devoted his entire time to the sale of music merchandise.
    In this he was busily occupied and for years he personally delivered the pianos and organs he sold, driving his delivery team and wagon long distances to all parts of Franklin and St. Lawrence counties. Always greatly interested in church muisc he presented organs to many churches in the local territory.   Four years ago he sold his business to his son, Olin H. Whitney, who has since conducted the piano and music business at the West Main street location. For a time the firm was known as B.A. Whitney & Son."

January 29, 1897 Franklin Gazette:

1895 ads from Franklin Gazette:

From 12-21-1894 Franklin Gazette:

Fourth Grade School Program

2010-10-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

Busy minds and hands at the first day of the fall 2010 Fourth Grade Museum Day school program at the House of History museum in Malone:

Antique Appraisal Event

2010-09-21T15:32:00.000-04:00

Curious what your great-grand-mother's shawl or old family Bible is worth?

The Franklin County Historical and Museum Society will be holding an Antiques Appraisal fund-raising event on September 22, 2010, from 4:00-7:00pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 41 Elm St., Malone.

Saranac Lake resident Ted Comstock, former curator at the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, will be providing verbal appraisals of antiques for the community. Members of the public are encouraged to bring objects from their attics and display cases to the K of C to obtain an independent appraisal of the value of their family heirlooms.

Unlike for-profit ventures which seek to purchase valuables for resale, this appraisal event is independent and for the benefit of the community. Attendees are encouraged to stay to hear Ted Comstock’s fascinating explanations of the objects and their history as it relates to the area. Ted graciously donated his time and expertise in September 2009 for a similar event, which drew a capacity crowd.

The cost to have your antiques appraised is $5 per object or 3 for $12 (limit 3 objects, please). All proceeds go to support the work of the Society.

Please omit coins, stamps and jewelry.

Malone Fish and Game Club Sign

2010-09-21T15:11:00.001-04:00

According to an article in the April-May 1930 edition of American Game magazine, the Malone Fish and Game Club "... adopted a new sort of posting sign on the theory that 'more flies can be caught with molasses than vinegar.' The poster... is displayed on a number of the best trout streams in that neighborhood."

Courtesy Steven Bryan

The article continues:

"It is intended to secure a better and more fraternal feeling among visiting sportsmens [sic] and anglers. Outside anglers are welcome provided they conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner, respect the laws and the rights of land owners and observe the code of ethics of the true angler. The Malone Fish & Game Club is an organization fourteen years old which has grown from eleven charter members to more than 1,100. ... It is conceded by members of the club that a great deal of the credit for the success of the organization is due to its promoter and president for many years, Fred J. Taylor, a local banker. One of the most active of the officers or members, who devotes much time and energy to the work of the organization is its treasurer, R. F. Hale."

Photographs from the September 20, 1936 Malone Fish and Game Club clean-up of the trout ponds at Chasm Falls (courtesy Steven Bryan):

Photographs of the Malone Fish and Game Club buildings at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, ca 1930s (also courtesy Steven Bryan):

Allen Mooney murder case

2010-09-07T12:56:00.000-04:00

Head over to the Adirondack Almanack for Lawrence Gooley's description of the turn of the century Allen Mooney murder case in Saranac Lake that held all of Franklin County in thrall.

Another account of the incident can be found in the online archives of the Northern NY Library Network's Northern New York Historical Newspapers Project. See: November 12, 1902 Malone Farmer and May 11, 1904 Malone Farmer. Even Frederick Seaver includes the incident in his Historical Sketches of Franklin County (p.395).

The Malone Cookbook

2010-08-31T16:30:00.001-04:00

The history of The Malone Cookbook stretches back 128 years, and includes nine editions. The cookbook was sent all over the world, including to troops in World War I, and was given to Grace Coolidge (wife of President Coolidge).
From the August 18, 1926 Malone Farmer:

The Malone Cookbook appears in kitchens throughout Franklin County and across the country. A recipe for Adirondack Trout from the 1923 edition was included in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Writers' Project [unpublished] "America Eats" project. The recipe for "House of History Molasses Cookies," used for 30 years in the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society's fourth grade Museum Day program, appears in the 1982 edition.

4 c. flour

1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1 c. shortening
1 c. molasses
2 eggs

Sift together the first six ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add molasses and eggs. Mix well, using hands. Roll teaspoonful of dough into a ball and roll in extra sugar in dish or on wax paper. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 8-10 minutes (12-15 for crunchy cookies).

The first Malone Cookbook was published in 1882 by the Ladies' Aid Society of the First Congregational Church of Malone, as a means of raising funds to build their third (current) church building. Mrs. C.S. Richardson (the pastor's wife) and Mrs. M.E. McClary were editors of this first edition. An 1882 article in the Franklin Gazette noted that

The 500 copies of the small book, costing $.75 each, sold so well that a second edition was published in 1888. Ten years later, the third edition of 700 copies was offered to the public, and in 1903 1000 copies of the fourth edition were for sale. The 1908 (fifth) edition, priced at $1.25, sold 2500 copies and was also chosen to be used as a textbook in New York State Institutions for the Blind. This abridged edition was published in New York Point (a predecessor of Braille).

From the August 26, 1908 Malone Farmer

The sixth edition was printed in 1917, priced at $1.50, and sold out by the early 1920s. The 1923 (seventh) edition was revised and expanded, and half of the 3000 copies (selling for $1.75) were sold within a year. Although the church continued to receive letters requesting copies of the cookbook, a space of 45 years intervened before the eighth edition (1968) was created.

The current (ninth) edition of The Malone Cookbook was produced in 1982 as an anniversary edition in commemoration of the cookbook's centennial, and also to celebrate the centennial of the church building, in 1983. This edition contains recipes submitted by three great-granddaughters of one of the original editors, reprinted recipes and advertisements from earlier editions, and a list of all the editions' editors.

(Note: Copies of the 1982 edition of The Malone Cookbook can still be purchased from the office of the First Congregational Church of Malone by calling 518.483.3950, although we understand that supplies are low.)

Trout "a la Woods"

2010-08-31T16:28:00.001-04:00

This article first appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of "New York Archives" magazine, a benefit of membership in the Archives Partnership Trust www.nysarchivestrust.org. It is reprinted here with permission from the Trust.

Trout "a la Woods"
by Christine Karpiak

Fishing in the Adirondacks is great sport. Cooking and eating the catch is good, too -- especially with lake trout on the menu. This "Adirondack Trout" recipe by Martin E. McClary appears in records of the New York State Federal Writer's Project. As part of the Works Progress Administration, the Writer's Project gave jobs to thousands of unemployed writers during the Great Depression. Editors and "field workers" compiled guides, collections of rural and urban folklore, ethnic studies, and oral histories for publication

In 1941, research was underway for New York's contribution to a series on food customs, to be called "America Eats." On January 8th, WPA field worker Alfred S. Bendell (Franklin-Saranac Lake district) sent Mr. McClary's recipe, as it had appeared in the Malone Cook Book, to the project director's office for consideration. But with the advent of World War II, the Writer's Project was nearing its end, and as the program was phased out cookery suggestions joined other works in progress sent from district offices to Albany for review. Mr. McClary's trout recipe has today fared better than "America Eats," which was never published.

+++++

Note: The recipe appears in the 1923 (7th) edition of The Malone Cookbook (page 33).

Other resources:
- Photos taken for WPA "America Eats" project at the Library of Congress
- 2008 book based on the unpublished "America Eats": America Eats!: On the Road with the WPA - the Fish Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chitlin Feasts That Define Real American Food by Pat Willard
- Listen to NPR segments on the "America Eats" project
- New York's contribution to the Federal Writers' Project "American Guide" Series
- National Archives Guide to Records of the Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Map of Loon Lake Hotel property

2010-08-31T14:33:00.001-04:00

The Franklin County Historical and Museum Society is hosting Joseph LeMay on September 3, 2010 at 6:30pm for a discussion of the history of Loon Lake, NY. The event is free and open to the public. If you have your own photos and memories of Loon Lake, and especially of the Loon Lake House hotel, please bring them to share. We'll be meeting in the Schryer Center behind the museum at 51 Milwaukee St., Malone. Call 518-483-2750 for more details.

This map of the Loon Lake Hotel and associated buildings in 1940 is in the collection of the Historical Society. It is part of an extensive collection of maps and drawings of structures from the O'Neil and Hale Insurance Agents of Malone.

1968.462.78

Click Image to Enlarge

Previous posts and other web resources on Loon Lake, NY:

http://franklinhistorian.blogspot.com/2009/11/loon-lake-hotel.html

http://www.townoffranklin.com/loonlake.html

http://loonlakehoa.org/history.html

http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/franklin/postcards/loonl2.jpg

http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/09-1963a.gif

http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/images/photodb/09-1964a.gif

Lake Placid Schools

2010-08-19T14:20:00.001-04:00

While not strictly speaking part of Franklin County History, we can't help but highlight a wonderful history of Lake Placid schools on the Lake Placid Alumni Association website. The article was written by Mary MacKenzie, Historian of the Village of Lake Placid and Town of North Elba (Essex County).

1933 Lake Placid school students and teachers from the alumni website

19th century underthings

2010-08-06T15:53:00.001-04:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society (1980.309.1):

Cage crinoline, ca. 1858

W.S. Thompson patented the cage crinoline in the late 1850s (patent US21581), which was quickly adopted by women of all social classes. This modest bell-shaped crinoline is an earlier style, with the enormous widths peaking around 1860 and styles shifting to a flat front and bulbous back by the late 1860s.

From the Malone Palladium, January 26, 1865:

According to an 1893 article in The Adirondack News, a bill was introduced in the NYS Assembly banning the sale, loan or wearing of hoopskirts and crinolines as they took up too much space and were an "annoyance and inconvenience." The article goes on to say:

"Mr. Smith read a statement to the effect that he did not introduce the bill in any spirit of levity, but to call the attention of women of common sense to the silly demands of fashion. He trusted the first lady of the land would not lend her countenance to the fashion, simply because it might be taken up at the queen's drawing room."

Malone Skating Rink

2010-07-16T12:21:00.001-04:00

From the 1868 Malone City Directory:

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society

From Seaver (1918), page 435:

"In 1867 and for a few years immediately following ice skating was as much a craze as roller skating became forty years later. An ice rink was built on Catherine street in 1867 by Jerome and Russell Wentworth, Benj. Webster and L.R. Townsend, and did a great business."

More Malone Businesses

2010-07-09T13:45:00.003-04:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society:
Malone, NY business receipts

Hotel reservation, 1886-style

2010-07-08T13:44:00.000-04:00

From the collection of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society:

click to enlarge