North Country At Work

Stone masons at work on the Dark Island Castle (now called Singer Castle) under construction. Circa 1900-1920. Hammond, NY.

Dark Island Castle (now called Singer Castle) boat house being constructed. Circa 1900-1920. Hamond, NY.

Allen Wilson painting a fence, doing spring chores on the farm. Behind him are barrels on pivots. Circa 1890-1900. Hammond, NY.

William Constantine drills a well using his portable drill at Allen’s Park. Circa 1950-1960. Hammond, NY.

Steam powered road-roller in action, packing down stone for road base, one of the first steps in road laying. Circa 1920s or 30s. Hammond, NY.

Men working on the construction of the dock at Knapp’s Island. Circa 1900-1910. Chippewa Bay, NY. Photo donated by Jennifer McGregor.  

Stump pulling was a spring chore in the early days of land clearing. The tough roots were impossible to burn so farmers pushed them into a fence formation and they would last many more years than an ordinary fence. The stump fence in this 1905 photograph was on the Peter R. Taylor farm in Pleasant […]

“Teams of horses were employed to construct the canal at our first mill in Deferiet, New York. The canal was used to channel water to the plant from the Black River. Construction on the giant project was completed in 1901.” Circa 1900. Deferiet, NY. Originally printed in the St. Regis News Volume 2, Number 9 […]

“A work crew took time out for this photograph during construction of the mill in Herrings, New York. Our company purchased the mill in 1912.” Circa 1910-1920. Herrings, NY.  Originally printed in the St. Regis News Volume 2, Number 9 of September 1974, a newsletter put out by the St. Regis Paper Company. Related stories […]

The area called Monument Park was not always a park; it began life as a cemetery (there are still graves of early settlers on South side of the lot).  In November of 1890 residents petitioned for a monument to “perpetuate the memory of soldiers and sailors who served in defense of the Union … and […]