North Country At Work

Imperial Paper Company of Plattsburgh paper making equipment. The mill operated from 1929 to 1996. Circa 1930-1940. Plattsburgh, NY. Clinton County Historical Association. Brewer Collection.

A worker at Plattsburgh Foundry in Plattsburgh inspecting one of their dust valves. The company began operation in 1898 and continues to this day. Circa 1930-1940. Plattsburgh, NY. Clinton County Historical Association. Brewer Collection.

Workmen near the Rice Emery Company Tannery and office. The superintendent, Miles E. Darby, is in the front row, sixth from the right. Circa 1880-1890. Griffin, NY. Photo donated by Frank Girard. Courtesy of the Hamilton County Historian’s Office. Garth Fisher worked in tanneries in Johnstown for 15 years. He remembers seeing the colored runoff […]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Griffin was a thriving community. Around 300 to 400 people came to work in the booming lumber and tanning industries – in fact, it boasted one of the largest tanneries in the county. But now, Hamilton County Historian Eliza Darling says it’s one of the county’s two […]

Structure fire at United Cigar Factory. Circa 1920s. Plattsburgh, NY. Courtesy of the Clinton County Historical Association, Brewer Collection.

Pictured is Plattsburgh Concrete Company before the paper mill was built. Date unknown but the company operated from this location from 1906 until 1910. Weed Street in Plattsburgh, NY. Clinton County Historical Association. Brewer Collection.

Two employees operating paper roll machinery inside the Newton Falls Paper Mill. Circa 1940s or 1950s. Newton Falls. Photo courtesy of the Town of Clifton Museum, from the Ernie Bognar Collection, as furnished through the courtesy of Randy Clark. Wayne Morrow started working at the Newton Falls paper Company in 1936 and retired in 1978. […]

Pictured is Lab Analyst Muriel Hennigan working at the Kraft cheese plant in Canton. Circa late 1970s. Canton, NY. Donated by Helen Bunt. Caption written by donor Helen Bunt: Muriel was “Mom” to many at the plant, always with a kind word, gesture, or instruction. 

Aerial view of the National Lead Industries mines. Circa 1940s-1960s. Village of Tahawus in the town of Newcomb. Photo courtesy of the Town of Long Lake Archives. James Cooney of Long Lake used to work at National Lead as the chief fireman in the boiler room. Listen to his daughter Patty remember her father’s work […]

Inside the Carbola plant, bagging talc powder based products. Circa 1910s. Natural Bridge, NY. Photo courtesy of the Town of Diana Historical Museum. For more information, check out our story on the Carbola Talc Plant.