Program “My Odyssey with Solomon Northup”

The Washington County Historical Society will host “My Odyssey with Solomon Northup”, a program presented by Fort Edward historian Paul McCarty at 7:00 p.m. (please note that the starting time is 30 minutes later than our other WCHS programs) on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at the Old Fort House Museum at 29 Broadway, Fort Edward, N.Y.

Paul first discovered the story about Solomon Northup the year he became Historian of Fort Edward. Doris McEachron at that time was the Argyle Historian. She helped to show Paul the ropes as a new historian. Doris gave him enough information to go looking for the book Twelve Years a Slave which he found at the Village Book Smith in Hudson Falls (for under $20 each!). He found the reference to the Old Fort House which Solomon occupied with his wife upon their marriage in 1828. Overtime, he has worked with historians, scholars, and interested parties studying the Northup story. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the Old Fort House and especially the Solomon Northup room after the program.

R. Paul McCarty was appointed Historian of the Town and Village of Fort Edward in 1975. In his 51 years as historian, Paul has been dedicated to telling the history and preserving the past of Fort Edward and its surrounding areas. In 1981, Paul was appointed as the first Executive Director of the Old Fort House Museum, a position he still holds today. In that time, the museum has acquired and restored several area historic buildings including a Greek Revival Law Office, Fort Edward Water Works Barn, the one-room Riverside Schoolhouse, the Cronkhite Pavilion which is the oldest surviving Washington County Fairgrounds building (c. 1875), Moreau Station Toll House, a colonial Dutch-style home from 1790 and the infamous 3-seater outhouse from the Lakeville Church in Cossayuna.

He is a member of the Fort Edward Historical Association, Washington County Historical Society, Sandy Hill and Fort Edward Union Cemetery, and Roger’s Island Visitor’s enter. He is also the historian of the William H. Hill Historical Collection at SUNY Adirondack.

Paul was one of the first certified public historians by the Association of Public Historians of New York State. In 2015, he was given the Franklin D. Roosevelt Historian Professional Achievement award from APHNYS.

Paul is also a certified History and Industrial Education teacher and began teaching in 1974. He retired from the Saratoga Springs City School District as Technology Department head in 2007. He was also Director of Adult and Continuing Education for SSCSD for six years.

The program is free and open to the public. Donations are gladly accepted. We hope to see you there!