Lewis County Historical Society

01/04/2023

Come join us for military appreciation night on January 14th and enjoy the big brass sounds of the 10th Mountain Division’s Army Band!

12/09/2022

Holiday Festival Raffle/Auctions Closed!

Thank you to everyone who supported the 2022 Home for the Holidays Festival by bidding on trees and wreaths and/or purchasing raffle tickets. If you have been contacted about a winning item, we will be open Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-5:00PM for pickup. Pickups are also available from 10:00AM-4:00PM Tuesday through Friday next week. If you prefer your tree taken down and boxed, please let us know.

Thanks again, and we wish our entire community a very Merry Christmas!

12/03/2022

Last day to come to The Lewis County Historical Society for the annual Home for the Holidays festival with stunning decorated trees, a silent auction, a ginger bread house competition, and of course the Lionel trains! Bring your friends and family. It’s free to enjoy and all are welcome. Today from 10am to 5pm.

12/02/2022

Final Days of the Holiday Festival! Join us today or tomorrow from 10:00 until 5:00 to enjoy some holiday spirit and support the Lewis County Historical Society. Over 100 raffle items up for grabs. 24 decorated Christmas trees and 17 Holiday Wreaths available in our silent auction. Bring the kids to view our huge model train displays and see Santa when he stops tonight from 6:00-8:00PM.

12/02/2022

Join us at the Lewis County Historical Society for the annual Home for the Holidays festival with stunning decorated trees, a silent auction, a ginger bread house competition, and of course the Lionel trains which will be chuggin’ along! Bring your friends and family. It’s free to enjoy and all are welcome - this Friday & Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with a special guest appearance from the “man in red” on Friday from 6-8pm!

11/27/2022

“Sing We Now of Christmas…”

Come one, come all. The Adirondack Community Chorus, directed by Peg Nuspliger, will present “Sing We Now of Christmas,” a concert to benefit the Lewis County Historical Society, at the Lowville Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28.

The concert will music feature carols, hymns and secular songs of the season based upon the historic 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale. Classic Christmas melodies include “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Joy to the World,” “Rise Up Shepherds,” “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Good King Wenceslas,” “O’ Holy Night,” “Go Tell It on The Mountain,” and many more.

Come to enjoy the music; come to have some fun; come to support the Historical Society; come for a bit of culture; come to get yourself in the Christmas spirit; or come just to say you did.

11/18/2022

Home for the Holidays Festival…

Oh my gosh, it’s that time of year again! Please come to the Lewis County Historical Society’s “Home for the Holidays Festival.” It’s free, it’s fun and it’s festive!

10/28/2022

Pomeroy Fund for NYS History Awards $5000
to The Lewis County Historical Society

Lowville, NY – The Lewis County Historical Society was among the 20 history-related organizations awarded funding during the fifth grant round of the Pomeroy Fund for NYS History to bring back or hire museum educators.

The Pomeroy Fund, which is a partnership between the William G. Pomeroy Foundation® and the Museum Association of New York (MANY), has awarded almost $300,000 to 96 history-related organizations across New York State since spring 2020.

“We are grateful to museum educators across the state who help enhance our understanding of history,” said Deryn Pomeroy, Trustee and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Pomeroy Foundation. “We are proud to provide funding and support to these organizations and their dedicated employees, who play a vital role in preserving and sharing New York’s rich historical heritage.”

The Lewis County Historical Society “promotes a broader appreciation of the present through a deeper understanding of the past.”

Educators receiving support through the fifth round of the Pomeroy Fund will plan and deliver interpretive programs, including school programs, teen programs, early childhood programs, family days, festivals, programs for older adults, programs for New Americans, and targeted audience-specific programs.

“We are honored to be able to continue this partnership with the Pomeroy Foundation to support the work of museums that tell the story of New York State’s history through their collections and programs,” said MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger. “This was an especially competitive grant cycle and awards were made to only the most outstanding applicants. Museum Education staff and the programs they deliver were especially hard hit in the past three years and these grants will make a real difference in twenty different communities.”

Specific programming which will be developed with support of the grant will include Historic Walking Tours of the Village of Lowville, and the development of classroom learning kits to bring local history back into the classroom at Lewis County schools.

Learn more about the Pomeroy Fund for NYS History here https://nysmuseums.org/Pomeroy-Fund-for-NYS-History and the Lewis County Historical Society here: https://historicallylewis.org/

About the Lewis County Historical Society
The mission of the Lewis County Historical Society is to preserve, present and promote the stories, creations and history of Lewis County NY and its environs – including those of the Tug Hill plateau, the Black River valley and the western Adirondacks – and to use our collections, programming and partnerships to be the North Country’s preeminent institution for historic preservation, local history education and heritage tourism.

About the Museum Association of New York
The Museum Association of New York is the only statewide museum service organization with more than 700 member museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums. MANY helps shape a better future for museums and museum professionals by uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, training, and networking opportunities. Visit www.nysmuseums.org and follow MANY on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

About the Pomeroy Foundation
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients. Established by Trustee Bill Pomeroy in 2005 to bring together his two greatest passions, the Pomeroy Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historic roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded over 1,800 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 46 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about the Pomeroy Foundation, visit wgpfoundation.org.

Contact:
Cole Mullin
Lewis County Historical Society, Office Manager
135-376-8957 | [email protected]

Megan Eves, Assistant Director for Programs and Communications
518-273-3400 | [email protected]

Kathy Coffta Sims, Director of Communications
William G. Pomeroy Foundation
315-913-4068 | [email protected]

09/23/2022

The Ghosts of Greystone…

Join us on Saturday October 8th at 2:00PM at the Lewis County Historical Society, 7552 South State St. in Lowville for a hauntingly good time.

Local paranormal investigators, Central New York Ghost Hunters are joining us to explain their techniques and reveal their findings from two recent visits to the historic General Walter Martin mansion in Martinsburg.

Built in 1805, the mansion, known locally as "Greystone" has served as a family residence, convalescent home for WWI soldiers, elder care facility, library and restaurant. With over 200 years of stories, come and find out what the permanent residents of the mansion have to say.

09/09/2022

We have a new roof!!!
A huge thank you goes out to the McSweeney Foundation and the Northern New York Community Foundation for their financial support for this project! After several years of temporary patching and managing leaks, the support of these two organizations has helped us keep the rain out, which means our building and collections are better protected for the residents of Lewis County. This was an important step in our revitalization of the Masonic Temple in downtown Lowville, and now we can turn our attention to interior repairs! We couldn’t have done this without the steadfast and generous support of the McSweeney Foundation and the George Davis Fund.

08/18/2022

The eastern elk…

Have you ever noticed the antlers over the front door at Constable Hall? They’re elk antlers. And while deer still abound today in Lewis County and even the mighty moose occasionally shows itself here and there again, most do not associate Lewis County with elk. At one time, however, the majestic elk not only roamed Lewis County, but it was the dominant species. Indeed, with its haunting bugle-like calls and massive spreading antlers, elk were once the most widely distributed of North American hoofed mammals, traveling in herds across much of the U.S. and Canada and numbering in the millions.

By most accounts, the elk largely disappeared from the North Country in the early 1800s. One report put the last elk shot in the Adirondacks in 1836; another puts the last elk taken in New York as 1847; and yet, it is also reported that Dr. Seward Webb was stocking his Ne-Ha-Sa-Ne game preserve at the headwaters of the Beaver River with elk as late the turn of the 20th century. Regardless, the elk are here no longer.

There are a great many good reasons to visit Constable Hall. Add to the list standing under the front door antlers and imagining what it would have been like 200 years ago to see a herd of elk, to hear one bugle or to watch a thousand pound bull with a 6-foot rack fend off a rival male.

08/12/2022

Constableville’s Village Elm

This stately elm tree, fondly referred to as “The Village Elm,” once stood tall and proud at the center of Constableville for over 200 years before eventually being felled. The citizens of Constableville held the tradition for many years of reading the Declaration of Independence under this tree during Independence Day celebrations, paying homage to the ‘Liberty Tree’ in Boston, MA, an elm tree that soon became a symbol for rebellion after the first acts of colonists’ defiance against Britain took place there in 1765.

Elm trees originate from Central Asia, but spread throughout North America and Europe. They especially flourished during the 19th century as these trees were a popular landscaping choice for gardens, streets, and parks due to their natural beauty. Unfortunately, many mature elm trees were wiped out during the peak of Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s, but there are now modern practices and treatments in place in an effort to restore and protect these grand trees.

08/06/2022

We always love to see the mastery of craft complete with beautiful details in historic structures, and these two houses that once stood on Trinity Avenue in Lowville are a fine example.

These houses, of a very similar plan and design, were built in the Second Empire style, which was a popular architectural style in the later half of the 19th century and often associated with the affluent. It is characterized by its structures being of a larger size, having many eclectic embellishments and ornate details, and the presence of a mansard roof, a four-sided, gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each side of the roof. The upper pitch stretches nearly to the edge of the building, and the lower pitch is generally very steep and has dormer windows, and makes for a large top floor. It was an era in which structures contained a mixture of many different architectural styles, but energized with modern materials such as iron.

In the late 1870s, George Sherwood bought a plot of land on Trinity Ave. (previously referred to as Mrs. Bostwick’s lane) from the estate of Hannah Bostwick, the widow of Isaac Bostwick. When he began construction on his house (the first house pictured), Sherwood sold some of the land east of his house to LeDette Bostwick, who then built a house next to Sherwood’s of a remarkably similar design (the second house pictured). The houses were private residences for many years before they were demolished to accommodate the expansion of Lowville Academy. Some today may remember Sherwood's house as the old Falck house and Bostwick’s house as the old Phelps house.

07/26/2022

1875 Hose Cart, Turin, NY

A fantastic piece of local history was showcased in Lowville last week during the Lewis County Fair parade. This hose cart was built in 1875 by C.G. Riggs for the Turin Neptune Fire Co., now known as the Turin Volunteer Fire Co.

Charles Giles Riggs (1814-1886) of Turin, NY was a locally renowned businessman and citizen. Across his life, Riggs served as the Supervisor of Turin, Town Clerk, a Justice of the Peace, blacksmith and mechanic, a businessman, as well as a member, steward, and trustee of the Methodist-Episcopal Church. The Riggs Block, also known as the Brick Block, was built by the Riggs family in 1870 and became a center of commerce in Turin. He also opened the first hardware store in Lewis County in 1838!

Before there were fire trucks, there were hose carts!

07/20/2022

201st Lewis County Fair

The 201st annual Lewis County Fair has returned to Lowville for the week! If you find yourself at the grounds, make sure to stop under the grandstand and see our exhibit on the prolific writer, scientist, and Father of American Forestry, the one and only Franklin B. Hough!

Hope to see you there, and remember to have a safe and enjoyable week at the fair!

07/18/2022

Mary Lyon Fisher Memorial Chapel

Settled near the entrance to Wildwood Cemetery in Lyons Falls, NY lies a lovely chapel of limestone, gothic inspired windows, and an imposing front gable roof. The Mary Lyon Fisher Memorial Chapel, built in 1921 and dedicated in 1922, was designed by the firm Gouge and Ames out of Utica, NY, and greatly reminiscent of late-gothic religious architecture. It was erected by Clarence Lyon Fisher and Florence Fisher Jackson to honor their mother, Mary Lyon Fisher, and to be used as a place for religious services and a holding vault for Wildwood Cemetery.

Mary Lyon Fisher was born in 1841 to Lyman R. Lyon (son of Caleb Lyon Sr.) and Mary Northrup Lyon. A member of the prominent and affluent Lyon family, Mary Lyon Fisher and her relatives were great philanthropic members of their community. Mary Lyon Fisher was known to be a caring and selfless woman. She died in 1913, and is memorialized at both Wildwood Cemetery and Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is buried with her husband, William Hubbel Fisher.

Wildwood Cemetery sits on land that was donated by the estate of Lyman R. Lyon, including Mary Lyon Fisher. The cemetery was incorporated in 1906 and includes a large burial plot honoring the Lyon family and their descendents.

The Mary Lyon Fisher Memorial Chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (listed in 2011), along with two other properties associated with Mary Lyon Fisher, including her historic home “The Pines” (listed in 2007) and the Forest Presbyterian Church (listed in 2004), all located in Lyons Falls, NY.

07/12/2022

The Castorland Journal…

Here’s a time-appropriate follow-up to our recent post about the earliest roads in Lewis County — and that is the upcoming presentation on the Castorland Journal by Dr. John Gallucci, which is taking place at the Lowville Academy auditorium on Thursday, July 28th at 7 pm (doors opening at 6:30).

While we may be a bit biased here at the Historical Society, this is an absolute must-see event (which you can attend in person or by Zoom) — a first-hand account of the earliest days of the Castorland Community (1793-1797), where French explorers Simon Desjardins and Pierre Pharoux attempted to establish a settlement for refugees displaced by the French Revolution on a couple of hundred thousand acres of land along the east side of Black River that a group of Parisian businessmen just had purchased from William Constable. Let us say that again: A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT!

Care to learn what life was like on the Black River in 1794? Hear about the Independence River, the Beaver River, and the long falls at Carthage. Did you know that the first Castorland settlement was actually at the foot of the falls in Lyons Falls? Any idea what travel to this part of the country was like back then? What did you do for food? How did you get supplies? How and where did you build something? Indeed, what were the challenges to your very survival back then.

Details on our calendar https://historicallylewis.org/calendar/dr-john-gallucci-the-castorland-journal/

07/11/2022

Lewis County Historical Society updated their business hours.

Lewis County Historical Society updated their business hours.

07/11/2022

Lewis County Historical Society updated their business hours.

Lewis County Historical Society updated their business hours.

07/11/2022

Lewis County’s first roads…

Putting aside the various trails of indigenous peoples that passed through what is today Lewis County, the earliest known recorded roads in our area were those cleared by or at the behest of the “Compagnie de New York” — often called the Castorland Company — as they first attempted to establish a settlement for refugees displaced by the French Revolution on land that a group of Parisian businessmen led by Pierre Chassanis had purchased from William Constable.

The first of these roads was an extension of a road that came north from old Fort Schuyler (Utica) to Baron von Steuben’s estate (outside Remsen). This extension, sometimes called the Castorland Road or the French Road or even the Steuben Road, ran from Steuben’s north to "the great falls” at what later would become known as High Falls and today is Lyon’s Falls (the first Castorland settlement was established on the east side of Black River at the foot of those falls).

Planning for the Castorland Road began in 1793 and the road was actually cleared by the Castorland Company in 1794. Because of the difficult travel over that road, however, the Castorland Company almost immediately started plans to lay out another road, which they thought would be a shorter route north from the Mohawk River, running from what was then Fort Stanwix (today’s Rome) up over Tug Hill and down through Shalersville (today’s Constableville) to the Black River at High Falls. Plans to lay out that road —sometimes called the Fort Stanwix Road or also the French Road — began in 1794, although it was not fully cut out and completed until about 1796-97.

While these first roads were in use for several years, they eventually fell to the wayside as other, more central and convenient roads became the preferred route of early settlers. By the time of Franklin Hough’s second History of Lewis County in 1883, he would note that not even a mile of these early roads remained in use in Lewis County.

Other prominent roads that were quickly established after the first Castorland roads included: "Dustin’s Track," from Turin to Lowville, 1799; the Number Three Road, from Lowville to Copenhagen, 1800-1803; and the East Road, from Lowville to Denmark, c. late 1790s-early 1800s, and referred to at the time as the "Base-Line Road."

By 1803, New York State had established a patronage for public roads through legislation, but the early roads before that were largely paid for by those that settled along their routes and were cleared by land proprietors. Some of these early roads can be seen on later maps, and parts of a couple of them remain in use by travelers today.