From its origins as part of New France through the Civil War and eventual industrialization of the region, St. Lawrence County has been shaped by all too often overlooked Black families and individuals. In African Americans of St. Lawrence County (Arcadia, 2023) author Bryan S. Thompson reveals the history of the African American community in this part of Northern New York. [Read more…] about African Americans of St. Lawrence County
Cranberry Lake
Campers Evicted From State Campground After Cutting Tree
On July 18 at about 2:30 pm, New York State’s Cranberry Lake Campground staff called Ray Brook dispatch to request Forest Ranger assistance with a group of campers who cut down a maple tree and did not register their site. [Read more…] about Campers Evicted From State Campground After Cutting Tree
Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters
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Lotsa Screes in here tonight,” Willard spoke low. “Puts me in mind of a he-scree I see up in Hawk’s Nest one fall when I was trappin’.”
And so began a story that would enliven the trailside or campsite for those who had the privilege to spend time with Willard Howland. Little has been written about the life of this woodsman beyond bits and pieces of the stories he told. It could even be said that his tales, everything from experiences in the woods, to amazing fantasy creatures that inhabited his wilderness, tell more of who Willard was than anything a written history could reveal. [Read more…] about Woodsman Willard Howland and his Amazing Critters
A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State
In the motor toboggan era – the time before the advent of the modern snowmobiles we know today – motor sleds had been too slow for racing excitement. As a result they remained strictly utilitarian vehicles racing only occasionally for promotional purposes. Motor toboggan and later snowmobile maker Polaris traveled each year at the end of the 1950s to trapper festivals at The Pas, Manitoba where they helped organize ad hoc races.
“We tried to rig them a little bit so we had a zig-zag effect,” David Johnson said, remembering one of the first informal races, “one guy ahead, and then the other, and so on, at a terrific speed of about 20 miles per hour.” In February 1959, Johnson won the first organized men’s race on an oval at The Pas and in 1960, the first cross-country race was held there. [Read more…] about A History of Snowmobile Racing in New York State
DEC: Some Camps Will Remain at Long Pond Easement
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and JT Granshue LLC have announced the completion of a modification to the Long Pond conservation easement, which is located in the towns of Colton and Clare, St. Lawrence County. The modification allows for 15 hunting, fishing, and recreation camps originally slated for removal to remain on the property in perpetuity. [Read more…] about DEC: Some Camps Will Remain at Long Pond Easement