Category Archives: Points of Interest

points of interest, locations and attractions related to the history of the Lake Champlain Valley

Adsit Cabin: Think You Know Champlain? December 2012

Adsit Cabin

Photo: Chris Sanfino

Lake Champlain and the surrounding lands are home to a ton of history. From massive battles, slave smuggling, and the development of revolutionary transportation methods, there are myriad stories to tell.

The Lake Champlain shoreline is home to one of the oldest (or the oldest, depending on who you ask) log cabins in the US still at its original location. The home was built by a man named Samuel Adsit. Originally from Connecticut, Samuel served under Peter Van Ness in the US army during the Revolutionary War. Upon retiring, he wanted a place to live out his years on the lake. He selected a spot in Willsboro, NY and in 1778 constructed his home.

Once settled in, he and his wife set out to start a family. As the children came, so did the need for more space. Gradually Samuel added bedrooms, living rooms, and other rooms until the entire cabin had been built into a large farm house big enough to fit all of their 16 children. Looking at the lofty structure, one would never have known the cabin ever existed.

And that is how it stayed until 1927, when the property was purchased by Dr. Earl Van DerWerker. Dilapidated and broken from over 100 years of weathering and use, Van DerWerker began to raze the old farm house in 1929 with the intentions of builing his own, new summer home. As the machines tore through the old buildings, the workers uncovered the cabin which had been built into the house. Van DerWerker ordered the rest to be dismantled by hand and, piece by piece, they removed the rest of the house until just the cabin stood.

It was remarkably well preserved, undoubtedly due to the fact that it had not experienced any weathering since being built into the farm house. It instantly became a cultural icon for the area. The cabin changed hands until it was deeded to the town of Willsboro, NY, which carried out a $70,000 renovation project.

The cabin is currently a popular destination for people exploring the Lake Champlain region of Vermont and New York. Stocked with local artifacts and items from the Adsit family, a visit there offers a rare glimpse into pioneer life. Volunteers are on hand to give tours, tell stories, and answer questions. In addition to several other historical markers in the area, there is great hiking and boating nearby for those looking to make a day of it.

For more, check out these links!

http://www.lakestolocks.org/content/adsit-cabin/ltlB07558115FB756854
http://www.aarch.org/resources/map/county/essex/window/adsit.html
http://www.aarch.org/archives/leeman/040917aVLPWillsboroPoint.pdf
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~havens5/p250.htm

45th Parallel Towns: Alburgh, Vermont

Alburgh, Vermont – A 45th Parallel Town

45th Parallel Town sign Alburgh, Vermont

Alburgh, Vermont
A 45th Parallel Town
Photo by Mary Fortin

Alburgh, Vermont is the only 45th Parallel Town located in Vermont’s Grand Isle County, and is the western-most of Vermont’s 45th parallel towns.

Alburgh offers the only land route (via bridges) between New York and Vermont north of Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont. Unlike the other four towns in the county (Isle La Motte, North Hero, Grand Isle and South Hero) which are on islands, Alburgh is a peninsula projecting southward from Canada into Lake Champlain. Like the other four towns, it has a considerably higher percentage of lakeshore property than other towns on the Lake, making it popular for summer homes and camps.

What’s in a Name?

Ira Allen and 64 associates are named on the charter, but it was Allen who paid the fees and it was always considered “his” town, so it is reasonable to accept that the name is a contraction of Allenburgh or Allensburgh.

The name was changed to Alburg in 1891 on recommendation of the United States Board on Geographic Names, which for the sake of standardization, determined that all municipal names ending in ”-burgh” were to be changed to ‘-burg”. Other Vermont towns affected were Enosburgh, Ferrisburgh and Irasburg. In 2006, a majority of Alburgh voters approved changing the spelling of the town’s name back to Alburgh.

Pronunciation?

Most residents pronounce the “Al” as in “Allen,” and this is the generally accepted pronunciation, although there are some who pronounce it as in “ball”.

History

In 1734, much of the land had been granted by the French in Canada. After the British victory in the French and Indian War, those titles were passed to Henry Caldwell and later to his son. This later led to disputes between the Republic of Vermont, the United States and Canada over the rights of various claimants. Ownership was eventually confirmed to the settlers who were actually in possession of the land.

Later in 1781, when it was chartered, Ira Allen was one of the commissioners appointed to negotiate the boundary between the Republic of Vermont and State of New York. It was agreed that Alburgh would be part of Vermont, but disputes continued.

Alburgh was an important rail hub until the early 1960’s providing connections between northern New York State, Vermont and the rest of New England, and Canada. With the ending of the railroad era, Alburgh has become primarily an agricultural and vacation home community.

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Alburgh Dunes State Park

Alburgh Dunes State Park

Alburgh Dunes State Park

This 625-acre property became a state park in 1996. It is named for the sand dunes near its’ natural sand beach. This beach is one of the longest beaches on Lake Champlain.

The beach and dunes make up a barrier island, geologically similar to formations commonly found along ocean shorelines. The sand here has come from a layer of glacial till, the soil that was left when the last glacier melted.This sand settles out in a pocket between the rocky “Point of Tongue” to the east and “Coon Point” to the west, forming the beach. Southerly winds blow the sand back from shore to form dunes. This forms a barrier between the lakeshore and the wetland behind, and an island because the beach and dunes, however slowly, continue to migrate into and over the wetland.

The wetland behind the beach includes the largest black spruce bog in Grand Isle County. Black spruce swamps and bogs are more typical of colder, northern climates than of the Champlain Valley, which is Vermont’s warmest area. Core samples from the bog reveal peat to depths of more than 26 feet.

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Alburgh, Vermont Masonic Lodge

Alburgh, Vermont Masonic Lodge

http://www.alburghvt.org    Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9 AM-5 PM

 (802) 796-3468                 email: townofalburgh@fairpoint.net

45th Parallel Towns: Alburgh, Vermont

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Alburgh, Vermont

A 45th Parallel Town

45th Parallel Town sign Alburgh, Vermont

Alburgh, Vermont
A 45th Parallel Town
Photo by Mary Fortin

Alburgh, Vermont is the only 45th Parallel Town located in Vermont’s Grand Isle County, and is the western-most of Vermont’s 45th parallel towns.

Alburgh offers the only land route (via bridges) between New York and Vermont north of Crown Point, New York and Addison, Vermont. Unlike the other four towns in the county (Isle La Motte, North Hero, Grand Isle and South Hero) which are on islands, Alburgh is a peninsula projecting southward from Canada into Lake Champlain. Like the other four towns, it has a considerably higher percentage of lakeshore property than other towns on the Lake, making it popular for summer homes and camps.

What’s in a Name?

Ira Allen and 64 associates are named on the charter, but it was Allen who paid the fees and it was always considered “his” town, so it is reasonable to accept that the name is a contraction of Allenburgh or Allensburgh.

The name was changed to Alburg in 1891 on recommendation of the United States Board on Geographic Names, which for the sake of standardization, determined that all municipal names ending in ”-burgh” were to be changed to ‘-burg”. Other Vermont towns affected were Enosburgh, Ferrisburgh and Irasburg. In 2006, a majority of Alburgh voters approved changing the spelling of the town’s name back to Alburgh.

Pronunciation?

Most residents pronounce the “Al” as in “Allen,” and this is the generally accepted pronunciation, although there are some who pronounce it as in “ball”.

History

In 1734, much of the land had been granted by the French in Canada. After the British victory in the French and Indian War, those titles were passed to Henry Caldwell and later to his son. This later led to disputes between the Republic of Vermont, the United States and Canada over the rights of various claimants. Ownership was eventually confirmed to the settlers who were actually in possession of the land.

Later in 1781, when it was chartered, Ira Allen was one of the commissioners appointed to negotiate the boundary between the Republic of Vermont and State of New York. It was agreed that Alburgh would be part of Vermont, but disputes continued.

Alburgh was an important rail hub until the early 1960’s providing connections between northern New York State, Vermont and the rest of New England, and Canada. With the ending of the railroad era, Alburgh has become primarily an agricultural and vacation home community.

.

Alburgh Dunes State Park

Alburgh Dunes State Park

Alburgh Dunes State Park

This 625-acre property became a state park in 1996. It is named for the sand dunes near its’ natural sand beach. This beach is one of the longest beaches on Lake Champlain.

The beach and dunes make up a barrier island, geologically similar to formations commonly found along ocean shorelines. The sand here has come from a layer of glacial till, the soil that was left when the last glacier melted.This sand settles out in a pocket between the rocky “Point of Tongue” to the east and “Coon Point” to the west, forming the beach. Southerly winds blow the sand back from shore to form dunes. This forms a barrier between the lakeshore and the wetland behind, and an island because the beach and dunes, however slowly, continue to migrate into and over the wetland.

The wetland behind the beach includes the largest black spruce bog in Grand Isle County. Black spruce swamps and bogs are more typical of colder, northern climates than of the Champlain Valley, which is Vermont’s warmest area. Core samples from the bog reveal peat to depths of more than 26 feet.

.

.

Alburgh, Vermont Masonic Lodge

Alburgh, Vermont Masonic Lodge

http://www.alburghvt.org    Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9 AM-5 PM

 (802) 796-3468                 email: townofalburgh@fairpoint.net

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Drawbridge? No, drawboat!

Drawbridge? No, drawboat!

Drawbridge? No, drawboat!

Photo credit: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. www.lcmm.org.

 

Despite what little commercial activity currently occurs, Lake Champlain once played a major role in the commercial transportation of goods. In the late 1800s large barges and freighters covered the water, and several trains rode the tracks up, down, and across the lake. With all this traffic, it’s no wonder Lake Champlain is widely known as one of the best places to dive and view under water wrecks.

The most intact, and one of the largest, was discovered in 1999, in Port Henry, New York’s, Bulwagga Bay. This is its story.

In 1870, the iron ore industry was booming. NY’s Port Henry became a shipping hub for the thousands of tons of ore being drilled out of the surrounding Adirondack foothills. The issue that arose, however, was how to most efficiently move the ore to the furnaces in Crown Point, NY. Rail wouldn’t work – a trestle would block all boat traffic to the bay, and to go around would be too far. Even by boat, you would have to get the ore to the boat, load it, ship it, unload it, and truck it to the furnaces – far too much work. The solution would need to allow for rail and boats to coexist.

The answer, it was determined, was a drawboat. This early style of drawbridge connected two sections of trestle. Most of the time, the barge stayed in place so the regularly scheduled trains could pass uninhibited. When a large boat did need to pass through, the barge was unbolted and pulled out of the way.

Made from 12” x 12” oak beams and reinforced with cross -bracing and iron plates, the Port Henry drawboat measured 250 feet long, 34 feet wide, and nearly 12 feet tall. It perfectly fit the gap in the new trestle, known as the Port Henry Bridge, which was built to connect the ore depot in Port Henry to the furnaces in Crown Point. When the system opened up for use in the early spring for the 1870 hauling season, it worked perfectly.

The drawboat continued to function throughout the season until the ice came in and operators were forced to close it down for the winter. Problems arose in the spring, however, when engineers did their inspection before opening up the railway. They discovered that over the winter, ice had lifted and shifted the trestle itself. The cost of repairs was more than anyone could afford. Left with no other choice, they dismantled the trestle for scrap and sank the barge.

Fast forward to 1999, Arthur Cohn, Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, picked up the shape of a boat on radar. A follow-up dive revealed the largest and most well-preserved ship wreck ever found on Lake Champlain. With the exception of two long holes on the deck, perhaps caused when workers salvaged the metal from the attached rails and hardware, the barge sits in the same condition as the day it was sunk.

There is still an air of mystery surrounding the barge. It is unknown who constructed, and subsequently sunk, the barge. Nor is there any record of the barge ever having been named. What is known, however, is that this beautiful piece of well-preserved history is a reminder of just how much used to happen on Lake Champlain.

 

For more information, please see the following links and resources.

http://bit.ly/PMkgAH – Press Republican news article. July 15, 2000

http://bit.ly/O0XqSA – Adirondack Heritage-Travels through Time in New York’s North Country. A collection of stories by Lee Manchester

http://bit.ly/SVDP9R – extensive write-up by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Rock Dunder: The Story of The Transformer

 

Rock Dunder: The Story of The Transformer

Lake Champlain points of interest

Rock Dunder. Credit: Ray Brown.

Scientific knowledge has concretely described the formation of Lake Champlain from millions of years of geological shifting.

The Abenaki, however, tell a different story.

Off the Burlington shoreline, southwest of the ferry dock, a tiny outcropping of rock juts out of Lake Champlain. Known simply as “Rock Dunder,” this miniature island holds a sacred history. As Native American legend has it, this is the permanent form of an ancient deity known as Odzihozo, which translates into “the Transformer.”

Odzihozo was a not a god, but he was a creator. The story goes that he even created himself. When first sent to earth, he made his body, his head, and his arms. However, Odzihozo was impatient and, frustrated by how slowly his legs were forming, he set about his work by dragging himself across the land. Where he dragged himself became the rivers. He lifted the mountains from the ground, dug the holes for lakes and ponds, and flattened out the fields.

As his last project, Odzihozo created Lake Champlain. He was so impressed with his own work that he decided to change himself into stone so he could forever observe and enjoy his creations. He chose the spot off Burlington Bay, transformed, and now forever sits at “Rock Dunder.”

The rock would play many important roles in the coming years. Newspapers from the late 1800s reported that the island was used as a neutral meeting spot for rival native tribes. As late as the 1940s it was documented that Abenaki members would bring offerings of tobacco and other gifts out to the rock.

But what of the name “Dunder?” There is no official documentation of it being named after any particular person or event. It is most likely the product of a commonly used slang term during the late 1800s meaning ‘stupid’ or ‘damn.’ Being a hindrance to navigation and difficult to see, one can imagine the cursing it caused being located right in a major shipping lane…