Clinton County Historical Association

08/30/2026

PLATTSBURGH REPUBLICAN – January 24, 1880 – 146 years ago

“The first settler at Sciota is believed to have been Henry B. Titchout, though this is by no means certain. The names of some of the other old settlers are Asa Angell, who cam up to his possessions the first time in a canoe, Niles Helms, Obadiah and Isaac Maxfield, Joseph Ober, Jeremiah Hedges, George Stafford, with his father, Benjamin, and his brother, Abel, lived about two miles southeast of Sciota village before the war, returning to Esses during the war troubles and coming back to town in 1829, and Noah Stafford, son of George Stafford, settled here in 1841.

Joranthum Ober is probably now the “oldest inhabitant,” he having come here in 1820, where he still lives at Ober’s Corners, about half a mile above the village, at the “four corners” of the roads leasing north and south, and east and west; and the next oldest is probably Noah Stafford, who for forty years, has been intimately connected with the business interests of the place. The first settlement was about a mile below the village, and was called Angellville, after Asa Angell, one of the very earliest settlers.

The origin of the name Sciota, as applied to this place, is as follows: The first settlers in Chazy appeared to have contracted “Western Fever,” and some of them or their friends went to Scioto County, OH, about a hundred miles of Cincinnati, and there was much talk of that place, it being represented as a perfect paradise, and many Chazy people longed to be there. One day, old Mr. Sherman of Chazy village, a blacksmith, went up towards the headwaters of the Corbeau River, and was transported with the sight of the pleasant prospect (the rocks in the soil had not been uncovered then) that he told his friends he had been to Scioto. This appears to have passed into a sort of proverb, and so, when a post office and station came to be established, it was called Sciota.”

Today, when you travel north on Rte. 22, there is a historic marker for Ober’s Corners where it crosses the Miner Farm Road in Sciota.

08/26/2026

The Clinton County Historical Association, who is the steward of the lighthouse, recently added a page to our website explaining the history of the Bluff Point Lighthouse.
https://www.clintoncountyhistorical.org/bluff-point-lighthouse

On the page is a link to the trail guide for Valcour Island created by Kevin Kelley, inspired and supported by the research of Roger Harwood in conjunction with CCHA.
https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/685db25a602fc68b8f8bb9d7/68751b926f886dfc51c11cee_Valcour%20Island%20Trail%20Guide.pdf

If you have any information or questions about the island
please contact the Clinton Historical Association at
98 Ohio Ave, Plattsburgh, NY 12903 (518) 561-0340
[email protected]

08/24/2026

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

August 26th | Noon to 1:30 pm
TWO BATTLES, ONE BALLOT: AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS
Ausable Chasm Gazebo, Ausable Chasm, NY
North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association President Jacqueline Madison explores the extraordinary determination of Black women who fought simultaneously against racial discrimination and gender inequality to secure the right to vote. Through stories of courage, resistance, and perseverance, this presentation examines literacy tests, voter intimidation, racial violence, and discriminatory laws that sought to silence their voices. Focusing on the experiences of African American women in the North, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of their vital role in the long struggle for voting rights and the lasting impact of their activism on American democracy. Bring your lunch.

August 26th | 6:00 pm
A HISTORY DISCUSSION - WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY
Temple Beth Israel, 1 Bowman Street Plattsburgh.
County women and men were actively supporting women’s voting rights before and after New York women obtained suffrage in 1917. County Historian Dr. Anastasia Pratt and Clinton County Historical Association Director Helen Nerska share histories of these local citizens who helped to shape the era.

August 27th | 6:00 pm
REMEMBERING THE LADIES
Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel, 100 US Oval, Old Base, Plattsburgh
Abigail Adams famously charged her husband to “remember the ladies” as he worked to reform colonial government in early 1776. Though rarely on the battlefield, many American women were as invested in the success of the Revolution as the men who led and died in the war. Their contributions from the home front to the front lines established their place as partners in the new nation. Presented by Dr. Wendy Gordon, History Professor, SUNY Plattsburgh

August 30th | 1 to 3 pm
THE BLUFF POINT LIGHTHOUSE OPEN FOR TOURS
Valcour Island
The Bluff Point Lighthouse is open for tours hosted by Clinton County Historical Association volunteers. Transportation to Valcour Island is the responsibility of the visitor.

September 3rd | 3:00 pm
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY IN PICTURES
Champlain Memorial Library, 148 Elm Street, Champlain
Where and when did the County start and how did it develop. See photos of the towns and villages which formed to become part of the Clinton County story. With Helen Nerska.

08/23/2026

YESTERDAY ON CRAB ISLAND - Roger Harwood, Todd Collins and Kevin Kelley went to the island with a drone to check out some damage at the top of the flagpole.
Our next trips to the island will be next year. We're looking for volunteers to help people get on and off the boat at the Peru
Dock and Crab Island and to give information on the sites on the island.
Contact us at [email protected] or 518-561-0340.
Thanks for the photos, Roger. Can you see the drone?
To see more of Todd Collins' photos, go to the Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island page at: https://www.facebook.com/bluffpointlighthouse/

08/21/2026

PERU DOCK - the flagpole was installed yesterday near the Battle of Valcour monument.
Dedication will take place on October 10th as part of The Town of Peru’s America250 Celebrations.
October 10th is also the date when CCHA and Captain Mick Maynard will be offering free rides to Valcour Island.
Photo by Ricky Barber who is on the Peru Town Council.

08/20/2026

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION EVENING - Thanks to our host, Carol Arnold, for the venue and the sandwiches - the Board for other refreshments - all the volunteers who work at the museum and the lighthouse and for those who give talks or work on projects at home.
It takes a village to run a museum and we all enjoy it!

08/20/2026

GREAT NEW EXHIBIT — and nice coverage by NBC5!!!

Thank you Channel 5.

https://www.mynbc5.com/article/new-exhibit-at-clinton-county-historical-museum-honors-native-black-and-female-patriots-from-revolutionary-era/73477975?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&fbclid=IwY2xjawTzHBdwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXNROUxtM1l4eHZBV0gxTUVzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe-9__dyrkOj6DSIqvFavtAlH0WI-QACwYBa2ZwxHJQdMIwvCYtcD3HUB-Mkg_aem_qa1yGDzX8-LN_wWdyeOXVg

A new exhibit at the Clinton County Historical Museum seeks to honor Native, Black and female patriots from the Revolutionary era.

08/19/2026

DONATE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS - Caroline Durand LaValley and Abraham LaValley, Sr. were Rita Rae Babbie Laurin's great-grandparents. The photo was taken at the family farm on Glass Road in Champlain, NY, near the Canadian border in 1929. Rita Rae, a noted local history lover, donated the image to the “Je Me Souviens...I Remember: Presenting and Preserving the Heritage of Upstate New York's Franco-American Communities” Collection.

The photo is on the New York Heritage Digital Collections site where many digital images of Clinton County can be found – many donated by residents of the county. You may find pictures or maps relating to your family on the site - https://nyheritage.org/

PLATTSBURGH DAILY PRESS - May 15, 1936 – 90 years ago
“Abraham William LaValley, Sr., of Champlain, passed away at the Champlain Plato Valley Hospital in Plattsburgh at three o'clock Wednesday morning at the age of 87. He was born in Champlain in 1849, the son of Peter LaValley and Emily Lussier and had lived on a farm in the town all of his lifetime. Mr. LaValley, who was very highly regarded throughout the section, had not been in good health for more than 5 years.
Funeral services will take place at 9 o'clock this morning at St. Mary's Church in Champlain. The Rev. Robert Dafort pastor, officiated. Interment will be made in the church cemetery.
The deceased is survived by ten children: Mrs. Ellen Boudieau, Mrs. Louise Mayo, Mrs. Sarah Langevin and Abraham LaValley, Jr., of Champlain; Mrs. Laura King, of Mooers; Mrs. Nellie Rabideau, Mooers Forks; Mrs. Ida King and Mrs. Elizabeth Dandurant of Chicopee Falls, MA; Mrs. Lena Monette, of Albany, NY, and Mrs. Delia Desso, of North Adams. MA.”

Abraham joined his wife, Caroline, in the Old St. Mary’s Cemetery seven years after she died. They were married in 1870.

PLATTSBURGH DAILY REPUBLICAN – June 17, 1929 – 97 years ago
“Mrs. Abraham LaValley, Sr., passed away at her home in Champlain on Wednesday. A high mass of requiem was celebrated on Saturday morning with Rev. Father Valois officiating. The remains were buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery.”
Thank you for sharing for future generations, Rita Rae. Sadly, she died in January of this year, but, thanks to her generosity, her gift lives on.

If you’d like to share or donate items to the CCHA museum, contact us at 518-561-0340 or [email protected].

08/18/2026

Today's ceremony at the Macdonough Monument from our Video Historian, Calvin Castine. Thanks, Calvin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaDKTB0UgYM

A brief ceremony to recognize the 100th anniversary of the dedicati...

08/18/2026

From Anne Bailey, one of CCHA’s volunteers, who attended the ceremony today.

The McDonough Monument @ 100 years today. Speeches by the Mayor and dignitaries gave a brief history, and the bagpipers opened and closed the centenary celebration. While the participants didn’t match the excitement of the thousands gathered in 1926, a good number of residents came to acknowledge their appreciation of our rich history.

Thanks, Anne.

Anne’s husband, Jim, used to open the monument on special occasions when he was City of Plattsburgh Historian.