WCHS Local History Book Club

March 8, 2024 Meeting of WCHS Local History Book Club

Washington County Historical Society’s Local History Book Club will meet from 12 PM until 1 PM on Friday, March 8, at the society’s headquarters, 167 Broadway, Fort Edward. Historical society membership is not required.

Attendees are asked to read “An Introduction to Historic Resources in Washington County, N.Y.,” published in 1976 by the Washington County Planning Board. Published during the country’s bicentennial, survey teams selected photographs and maps to indicate important places and events in each town’s history. The preface was written by Sally Brillon, local historian now living in Hebron.

Each of the 17 towns in Washington County has a chapter with an old map of the town and interesting facts about the town’s origins. Black-and-white photos show important buildings, some of which have significant architectural features and some of which are no longer standing.

The book club meets regularly on the second Friday of the month at 12 PM, usually at the Historical Society in Fort Edward. The April meeting is entitled “Donkeys, Horses, and Mules, Oh My!” and will include discussion of the book “Saving Simon” by local author Jon Katz, as well as use of mules on the Champlain Canal, George Washington’s role as Father of the Mule in this country, and the use of donkeys in farming.

Future sessions of the club will include books about the larger Adirondack area as well as works by local authors. Proposed topics include the temperance movement in our area, agricultural fairs in Washington County, and the county poorhouse. For additional information, email Connie Harris Farrington at connieandlee@roadrunner.com.