Tag Archives: Doris B. Morton

Doris B Morton, Miscellaneous

War of 1812 Ships

From many sources we learn that the story of the ships of the War of 1812 in East Bay has spread over the United States, south to Florida and west to California. Capping the experience is the telephone call received from London from a diver who wishes to participate in next year’s archeological diving if possible. Another writer tells of a renewed interest in life’s affairs when he read the story, and the Kiwanis of Ticonderoga would like the history of these ships. All inquirers were surprised to learn that Whitehallers knew of the existence of the ships that need to be protected from amateurish exploration.

The fifth U.S. Ticonderoga, CG47, will be commissioned 22 January 1983 at Ingalls Shipbuilding, West Bank Facility, Pascagoula, Miss. This town and village historian has received an invitation to be present at the commissioning and the reception afterwards from the captain, officers and crew. It will be remembered that Skenesborough Museum sent a plaque with a piece of the first Ticonderoga and a nail to the christening of this ship last spring, presented for Whitehall by the president of the Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce and the village mayor.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – Whitehall Times – January 6, 1983

Doris B Morton, Miscellaneous

Benedict Arnold’s Fleet

Have you looked at the framed piece of wood in the National Commercial Bank? The plaque reads “Part of oak rib of one of the last three vessels of Benedict Arnold’s war fleet, which were scuttled in Skenesborough Harbor (Whitehall) July 7, 1777. Parts of these wooden vessels, together with several cannon and other munitions of warfare, were removed by the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company during the summer of 1910 while dredging the Barge Canal entrance to Lake Champlain.”

Five ships of Arnold’s fleet took part in this battle of Skenesborough. The three destroyed there at that time were sloop Enterprise which was burned, and the schooner Revenge and galley Gates which were blown up and burned. The other two were captured and were in the service of the British for some time. These were galley Trumbull and schooner Liberty, the latter the first armed vessel in the United States Navy.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – Whitehall Times – January 11, 1973

Doris B Morton, Miscellaneous

Our Nations Flags During 1775 to 1777

The early American settlers used the British flag as a standard for about two centuries. It was red with a canton composed of the Union Jack. T he Union Jack consists of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew.

On 2 January 1776, the Grand Union flag was raised at Cambridge, Mass., with George Washington present at the ceremony. The Grand Union flag consists of seven red stripes and six white stripes with the Union Jack in its canton. This is the flag which Benedict Arnold flew on the ships of the first United States Navy at the Battle of Valcour and which he left flying when he had to abandon some of them afire in Onion creek. Such a flag is among those flown daily at Skenesborough Museum.

The Stars and Stripes came into being 14 June 1777 when Congress resolved “that the flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternately red and white, and that the union be 13 stars in a blue field representing a new constellation.”

Early in our history the flag was used mainly by the Navy. The first recognition of the Stars and Stripes by a foreign country occurred 14 February 1778 when John Paul Jones was saluted by French Admiral LaMotte Piquet in Queberon Bay, France. This recognition is immortalized in an oil painting by Edward Moran. A copy is among the pictures of the Navy series “Our Navy in Action” recently presented to Skenesborough Museum.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – Whitehall Times – July 25, 1974

Doris B Morton, Miscellaneous

Events From mid-1770’s to 1922

Someone took time to record events in Whitehall on dates from mid-1770’s to 1922. These bits of local history were gleaned for the month of September by collecting the dates by decades and months.

10/1781 British Commissioners met New Hampshire Grants at Skenesborough to arrive at some agreement for joining together. Unsuccessful attempt.

14/1777 Burgoyne ordered British troops to evacuate Skenesborough.

6/1814 Root’s Hebron Regiment of Militia embarked at Whitehall in two sloops for Plattsburgh to aid Macomb with only six effective muskets in the whole regiment!

10/1833 Delegates from Clinton, Essex, Washington Counties met at the Clinton House in Whitehall to deliberate the opening of a road on the west side of Lake Champlain.

10/1841 The recently organized Lodge I.O.O.F. first occupied their new rooms in the John G. Boyce Building.

19/1844 The Democratic Congressional Convention at Whitehall called at Anglo Saxon Hotel was postponed to 15 October for lack of delegates.

25/1847 A law passed authorizing people to vote on proposition of dividing the village into three wards, each ward to select two trustees annually.

14/1863 A slate slab sidewalk was completed from the Old National Bank to Dayton’s corner (Bellamy Street), the first of its kind in Whitehall

19/1867 Bishop McClusky deeded to the village land where the Catholic Church stood at corner of Saunders and Church streets.

27/1867 The cornerstone of Our Lady of Angels was laid.

27/1865 William P. Potter entered the U. S. Naval Academy.

17/1873 Some persons broke into the lockup. A reward was offered.

25/1874 Barnum’s Circus exhibited on the “depot meadows”.

25/1875 Herbert Bros, opened a slate quarry on Hatch Hill.

4/1883 Whitehall Lumber Company commenced a new mill.

26/1905 Ground was broken for Flee-man Knitting Mill on the Bar. This was afterwards known as the Staso Paint Company which began business 1 October, 1906.

7/1916 An informal meeting was held at Dennis’s office to talk of advisability of organizing a savings and loan.

28/1918 The campaign for the 4th Liberty Loan opened.

25/1922 The new State Road to Fair Haven was opened.

Doris B. Morton, Town Historian – Whitehall Independent – September 7, 1983