North Country At Work

Stores on Park Street; on the left is Merchant Tailor, and the sign on the right advertises J.B. Goff, Jeweler. 1899. Tupper Lake, NY. Photo courtesy of the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library.

The City of Watertown highway department with a roller and steam traction motor, built by the Buffalo Steam Roller Company. September 27, 1909. Watertown, NY. Photo by C.M. Gelman. Courtesy of the Jefferson County Historical Society.

Two workers from the D.E. Van Wirt Construction Company with a horse-drawn dump wagon and steam roller. They are doing work for the Hudson Valley Railway Company. Circa 1910. Glens Falls, NY. Courtesy of the Chapman Museum.

Employees of the D.E. Van Writ Construction Company laying down a tar road as part of railroad work for the Hudson Valley Railway Company. Circa 1910. Glens Falls, NY. Courtesy of the Chapman Museum.

Workers for the D.E. VanWirt Construction Company working on a road project, using several dump wagons and teams of horses. Circa 1910. Glens Falls, NY. Courtesy of Chapman Museum.

Construction crew builds NY-58 through the village of Natural Dam (Town of Gouverneur). Written on photo: “BUILDING THE STATE ROAD THROUGH THE VILLAGE NATURAL DAM. N.Y.” Photograph by Henry M. Beach. Circa 1910. Natural Dam, NY. Courtesy of the Adirondack Experience.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers use a Cletrac tractor and scraper to build High Rock Road. May be from camp S-90. 1933-1934. Speculator, NY. Courtesy of the Adirondack Experience.

Steam shovel engaged in road construction. Two unidentified men with shovels, one operates steam shovel, and another drives horse drawn dump wagon. Photograph by McCormick’s Studio in Tupper Lake. 1905. Adirondacks , NY. Courtesy of the Adirondack Experience.

Building main street in Keeseville. A steam roller compresses road bed as workers look on. Photography by George W. Baldwin. 1910. Keeseville, NY. Courtesy of the Adirondack Experience.

Workers pour concrete into forms to build sidewalk in front of Spaulding’s Store in downtown Morley. Two workers use hoes to mix concrete in mixing tub. The Erwin House appears in the background. Circa 1900-1910. Morley, NY. Photo from the collection of Jo Ann Waite Zenger.