An eventful week, July 10, 1976:

Not quite as thrilling when it arrived July 6 with flags flying and bells ringing, the experience of seeing the New York State Bicentennial Barge leave on its journey to Plattsburgh was still exciting.

By 5a.m. July 8, the barge was at Lock 12, battened down, waiting for its escorts, Governor Cleveland and Governor Roosevelt, and a small houseboat to be locked through. Then, accompanied by the tug Waterford, the barge itself almost completely filled the lock, with just a short space between the deck and the bridge above.

After leaving the lock, the 250-foot barge was picked up by the two tugs and went down the channel. Its blue, orange and red colors soon became blurred as it rounded the curve and went into Lake Champlain. It will be seen here again as it passes on its way to Fort Edward for a stay July 17-18.

The colonial history of New York State was delightfully told in panels, pictures and objects. Colonial Skenesborough was mentioned as an important colony north of Albany. One of the many grants of Skene’s lands was singled out because he received it for war service, as did the neighboring grantees. His saw mill and blockhouse were copied from the Anburg picture. This section of the barge journey took it through the early Revolutionary War arena.

The visit of the barge coincided with the chamber commerce’s annual Old Home Week. Added to it were Celebration ‘76 activities and those of the firemen companies. Volunteers for these activities have been many. Untold man-hours of time and labor were spent to provide a week of worthwhile entertainment and fun. It’s great to see a successful event but, unless one is a part of the preparation process, he does not realize the planning, the times of anxiety, the money necessary to provide even the barest necessities for such a program.

The organizations that provided this event have no great source of income. What there is has been used for the benefit of the town and village — and the demands-’ are many, even from those who are not members. Workers are needed. It is hoped that “volunteers” would volunteer, not wait to be searched out and asked. Whitehall and its affairs belong to its inhabitants and friends who should make it a good place to live, and not just “let the other fellow do it.”

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – July 15, 1976

The reenactment of the Battle of Valcour will take place this weekend [October 9 & 10, 1976]. Among the activities will be a symposium on Benedict Arnold, the battle with a British frigate included in the line-up, and a banquet. Valcour was the scene of action for 12 of the first naval ships built in Skenesborough.

One of the practices of museums is the exchange of items for cultural and practical information in special exhibits. Skenesborough’s part in the observance of the Battle of Valcour is such a loan of naval artifacts and art work to the Historical Society of Plattsburgh. This exhibit after the weekend will be on display in the rooms in City Hall from 2 to 4 p.m. each Thursday, Friday and Saturday until Oct. 31.

The fact that all the first navy’s ships were not destroyed or captured in 1776 is not well known. Many articles and orators still make the statement that the whole fleet was destroyed.

Part of Skenesborough’s celebration in 1977 (Bicentennial observance is not over) will be the reenactment of the battle in Skenesborough Harbor July 6, 1777.~ This was where the last five ships of the first navy were, destroyed or captured by Burgoyne’s navy when he followed them from Ticonderoga. Schooner Liberty and row galley Trumbull were captured while schooner Revenge, row galley Gates and sloop Enterprise were burned and sunk in the harbor.

When Lock 12 was constructed, at the time the canal was set over into Wood creek, the excavation turned up these remains. Two cannon on one, authorities think row galley Gates, were stored for a time in the Masonic Temple. Later, they were presented to the armory where they now rest on the lawn.

Boards from these ships were still usable. Many were taken to a carpenter who made them into billiard cues and checker boards, and probably other items. Many of them have been erroneously labeled as having come from Liberty.

The gift to the armory was made about 1928. The late Arthur Miller of Saunders Street constructed the frames for the cannon. Mr. Miller was a carpenter in the silk mill. Various examples of his work are in existence, including the frame for the church cross in Castleton. Mr. Miller was also a bee keeper and, extractor of honey; a business which he was still conducting at the time of his death at 93 years. He lived with his daughter Beatrice Miller, a 39 year retiree from The Bank. The bee business is still in existence in the country near Sciota under the management of Kenneth Miller a retired contractor from Hartford, Con. who has returned to Whitehall to live.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – October 7, 1976

A Bicentennial project of the Town Historian is a picture essay of the Town of Whitehall. Entitled “Day Before Yesterday” it will soon be off the press of the Whitehall Times.

The purpose of the book, besides celebrating the Bicentennial, is to present in permanent form the perishable scenes of our town. It is hoped it will bring to light many other pictures, postcards, snap shots, and fliers that may be copied for preservation.

The book contains over three hundred pictures of scenes and events of Whitehall. Pictures of people included are to represent some industry or organization. The histories of the town’s transportation systems, the industries, the schools, are captioned for identifications and location.

This project is sponsored by Supervisor Horace Scott and the Town Board. Pic-tures, loaned, were copied by G & M Photos. Editorial advice was given by the editor of the Whitehall Times Benjamin Carpenter. The president of the Historical Society of Whitehall Carol Greenough assisted in planning.

The pictures come largely from the files of the Historical Society, Skenesborough Museum, and the Town Historian. These have been given over the years by individuals for preservation. Many others have loaned materials to be copied for the book.

Five hundred copies are being printed for sale. Requests may be made to the Whitehall Times or the Town Historian.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – June 23, 1977

Two important events occurred in New York during 1777. One was the organization of an independent state and the other was the invasion of the British troops from Canada under Lieutenant General Sir John Burgoyne.

The 200th anniversary of New York statehood will be observed statewide in this bicentennial year of 1977.

After the Declaration of Independence was endorsed, New York’s Fourth Provin-cial Congress declared its independence 9 July 1776. The representatives of Charlotte County in this congress were John Williams, William Duer and Alexander Webster. This congress changed its name to the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York. In Kingston, the capital at that time, it established a committee to recommend a form of government. Those on the committee were an illustrious group of New Yorkers: John Jay, John Sloss Hobart. William Smith, William Duer (Charlotte county), Gouverneur Morris, Robert R. Livingston, John Broom, John Morris Scott, Abraham Yates, Henry Wisner, Samuel Townsend, Charles DeWitt, Robert Yates and later, James Duane.

Little is known of the work of this committee but on 12 March 1777 it presented a proposed state constitution to the Congress. For month the members considered this report and on 20 April 1777 accepted it without some important provisions that Mr. Jay, forced to be absent, had intended to include. One was the abolition of slavery. The constitution was published and read to the Congress and later to the people by Robert Benson.

Modeled on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution provided for a legislature composed of a senate and an assembly. Senators were to be members of four sectional districts elected for four years; assemblymen, based on the population of the counties, were to be chosen for one year. The chief executive was elected for three years with his power limited to get away from the resemblance to a Royal Governor. Voting was limited to property owners.

The first governor was George Clinton elected in June 1777 who held the office for 18 years.

Elishama Tozer was the first assemblyman to be chosen from Skenesborough. He held the office for the year 1778-1779 and was elected to the senate in 1780. Thus he was Skenesborough’s first assemblyman and first senator.

The Tozer family was an early one in Skenesborough. Elishama was a close friend of Philip Skene but became a rebel at the time of the Revolution and was a captain in the Charlotte county militia.

The Tozer farm was on the west side of Wood Creek and extended approximately between Saunders Street and Gilmore Street. The map of 1830 shows a strip of land marked Widow Tozer between the creek and the first canal. Elishama had a brother Thomas. Baruch Tozer held early town offices.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – January 20, 1977

There will be celebrations in 1984 in the 200th year of Washington County, in the 225th year of Whitehall, and in the 75th of Granville Pember Library and Museum.

Already, formal plans for the observance of Washington County are under way and others will soon follow.

Before the American Revolution, the whole of upper New York was known as Tryon. In 1763 five new counties were carved from the area, one of them being Albany, extending from the north line of Massachusetts and north of the Mohawk to the Canadian line. On 2 March 1772 Charlotte County was set off from Albany. Each of these was named for a political person, the first two for men and the last for the wife of King George III. After the Revolution, on 6 September 1783, people were still anxious to “get rid of all things British” and so Charlotte County was renamed Washington County to honor the great general of the Revolution. It is supposed that this was the first county to be so-named. Finer detail of action will be reported as programs progress.

A committee for the county observance has been appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. It is led by the county planner under the supervision of the Whitehall Supervisor appointed head of the county committee. A core committee includes the county historian, two town historians representing the northern and southern blocks of towns, a financial advisor, two presidents of the chambers of commerce, two representatives from the county preservation committee, and the president of the Washington County Historical society.

It is hoped that assistance will be provided voluntarily by many organizations and individuals.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – The Whitehall Times – September 15, 1983