ESSEX COUNTY

Chesterfield Town Historian
Address:631 Highland Rd., Keeseville, NY 12944
Telephone: (518) 834-7364
Contact: Grace Good
Position: Town Historian
Collection:Archival material, genealogy history of ancestors when Keeseville was Anderson Falls, and AuSable Chasm was Birmingham Fall/Adgate.
Crown Point State Historic Site
Address: RD #1, Box 219, Bridge Rd., Crown Point, NY 12928
Telephone: (518) 597-4666
Contact: William G. Farrar
Position: Historic Site Manager
Business hours: By appointment only.
Collection: Manuscripts, documents, published works, and microfilm dealing with the 18th-century history of the area with special emphasis on the French, British, and American military and civilian occupations of Crown Point.
Restrictions: Arrangements to use collections must be made in advance. It is very difficult to arrange access during the operating season, May through October; preferred time is during the off-season.
Elizabethtown Library Association
Address: Box 7, Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Telephone: (518) 873-2670
Contact: Amy Treffers
Position: Director
E-mail: elizabethtownlibrary@charter.net
Business hours: Monday and Wednesday, noon - 6:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; special hours on holidays.
Collection: Materials dealing with the history of Elizabethtown and Essex County.
Restrictions: No geneological records.
Essex Community Heritage Organization, Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 250, Station Road, Essex, NY 12936
Telephone: (518) 963-7088
Fax: (518) 963-4615
Contact: Robert Hammerslag
Position: Educational Programs Coord./E.D.
E-mail: echo@onepost.net
Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Collection: Historic photographs of buildings, landscapes, and people in the Town of Essex. Some photos of Lake Champlain, canal boats and sailboats from the late 19th century to early 20th century. Numerous books on Essex history. Access to historical records of the Town of Essex (held at the Essex Town Offices, Main St.) from 1880 to 1991. Much written and photographic materials on historic buildings in Essex (1969 to present).
Restrictions: Photographs can only be removed to be copied with special permission from the ECHO Board or executive director.
Website: www.essexny.net
Essex County Historical Society / Brewster Memorial Research Library & Archives
Address: 7590 Court St., PO Box 428, Adirondack History Center Museum, Elizabethtown NY, 12932
Telephone: (518) 873-6466
Contact: Margaret Gibbs or Jenifer Kuba
Position: Director, Assistant to Director/Library/Archives
E-mail: echs@adkhistorycenter.org
Business hours: The Brewster Library is open Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., or by special appointment. These hours are separate from the Historical Society and Adirondack History Center Museum, which are Monday thru Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. between Memorial Day and Columbus Day.
Collection: The Brewster Library of the Essex County Historical Society is an excellent research facility for the historian or genealogist. It houses over 2,000 volumes, vertical files, bio-files, photographs, map and newspaper collections, microfilm, and many other archival documents and ephemera relating to the history of Essex County.
Restrictions: Non-circulating. Fees apply.
Website: www.adkhistorycenter.org
Fort Ticonderoga/Thompson-Pell Research Center
Address: P.O. Box 390, Fort Road, Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Telephone: (518) 585-2821
Fax: (518) 585-2210
Contact: Christopher D. Fox
Position: Curator
E-mail: nick@fort-ticonderoga.org or cfox@fort-ticonderoga.org
Business hours: Weekdays, 9:30 a.m. - noon, 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Collection: 13,000 volume library; maps, photographs, engravings, microforms focused on 18th-century military history with special emphasis on French and Indian Wars and American Revolution. Manuscript collection is focused on campaigns in the Champlain Valley.
Restrictions: Library is closed stacks. Collections are accessable by appointment only. Collection is non-ciruclating.
Website:www.fort-ticonderoga.org
Friends of the North Country, Inc.
Address: 1A Mill St., Keeseville, NY 12944
Telephone: (518) 834-9606
Contact:Victoria Zinser-Johnson
Position: Executive Director
Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please call for an appointment.
Collection: Gerneral collection of pictures, publications, maps, files and records concering the local area.
Restrictions:Materials are avalible for use in the office under staff supervision. No materials my leave the office. Copies may be made for a fee.
[The] History Museum
Address: Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society Museum, P.O. Box 189, 242 Station St., Lake Placid, NY 12946
Telephone: (518) 523-1608
Contact: Jennifer VanBenschoten
Position: Executive Director
E-mail: thehistorymuseum@verizon.net
Business hours: The museum is located in the 100-year-old train station in Lake Placid and is open on weekends from Memorial Day thru the third week in June, and Wednesday thru Sunday from the third week in June until Columbus Day. Daily hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum generally follows the schedule of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, which departs from the Lake Placid train station. Winter hours: The society office is located at the Beach House on Mirror Lake during the months when the museum is not in operation.
Collection: The society maintains a notable collection of documents and photographs, including many of early winter sports and the Lake Placid Club, owned by Melvil Dewey. Other artifacts include an 1890 Adirondack Guide Boat made by Albert Billings, rustic furniture from the early 1900s, an 1890s general store exhibit, and antique agricultural implements.
Restrictions: All material must be used under supervision at the museum or at the Beach House office by appointment only.
Jay Town Historian
Address: 276 Sheldrake Road, Au Sable Forks, NY 12912
Telephone: (518) 647-5959 (also serves as fax number)
Contact: Sharron Hewston
Or Deputy Town Historian Amy Shalton, Rt. 9N, Box 77, Jay, NY 12941; (518) 946-7321.
Position: Town Historian
Business hours: By appointment.
Collection: Pictures of past years of Town of Jay (includes Upper Jay, Au Sable Forks, and Jay), maps, books, 1908 Tri Centennial State Centennial of Lake Champlain. Also, collective history on WW II.
Restrictions: By appointment.
Website: www.jaynewyork.com
John Brown Farm, NY State Historic Site
Address: 2 John Brown Rd., Lake Placid, NY 12946
Telephone: (518) 523-3900
Contact: Brendan Mills
Position: Historic Site Assistant
Business hours: Saturday and weekdays, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
Collection: Books and research material relating to the life of John Brown.
Restrictions:There is an admissions fee of $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for seniors and children.
Keene Public Library
Address: P.O.Box 751, Keene, NY 12942
Telephone: (518) 576-9550
Contact: Janet Hall
Position: Town Historian
Business hours: Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Collection: Historic photographs, clippings, albums with house histories, and some genealogical information.
Restrictions: Town Historian available by appointment.
Keene Valley Library Archives
Address: P.O. Box 86, 1796 NYS Rt. 73, Keene Valley, NY 12943
Telephone: (518) 576-4335
Fax: (518) 576-4693
Contact: Patricia M. Galeski
Position: Director of the Archives
E-mail: archives@kvvi.net
Business hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - noon
Collection: Books, maps, manuscripts, photos, and tapes on historical aspects of the Adirondacks, especially Town of Keene. Some emphasis on Adirondack artists, including the poetry and music of Timothy Cheney. Minutes and records of Adirondack Mountain Reserve and the Ausable Club. Local genealogy and cemetery information.
Restrictions: Materials for room use only.
Website: www.kvvi.net/~library
Keeseville Free Library
Address: 1721 Front St., Keeseville, NY 12944
Telephone: (518) 834-9054
Contact: Mary Anne Goff
Position: Director
E-mail: kesvlib@northnet.org
Business hours: Winter: Monday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. - noon, and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - noon, and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Summer: daily, 10:00 a.m. - noon, and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Closed weekends.
Collection: Adirondack books and books on the area issued by the various towns' scrapbooks and five old ledgers.
Restrictions: Some old area history books to be used in the library only.
Keeseville Village Historian
Address: 49 Liberty St., Keeseville, NY 12944
Telephone: (518) 834-7220
Contact:James C. Blaise
Position: Village Historian/Licensed Surveyor
Collection: Old and new maps of the Adirondack area. 1800-present archival information; a member of the Anderson Falls Heritage Group. Cementary records - Clyde Rabideau, Sr. compilation of "Evergreen Cementary Records."
Restrictions:
Lake Placid Public Library
Address: 2471 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 12946
Telephone: (518) 523-3200
Contact: Patricia Perez
Position: Director
E-mail: lkp@northnet.org
Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday evenings until 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Collection: The Village of Lake Placid/Town of North Elba Historical Collection has been transferred to the Archival Room of the Lake Placid Public Library. (Town Historian Beverly Pratt Reid may be contacted at 518-523-2965 to reference the collection.) The library also has its own Adirondack Collection; a collection of Olympic materials including official Olympic Report books from the years 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1956, 1980, 1984 and 1988. They also have a scrapbook collection covering 1926-1944 kept by the late John White on Lake Placid. The Lake Placid Club Archives are housed here.
Restrictions: In-house use only; photocopying on premises.
Website: www.lakeplacidlibrary.org
Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum
Address: Olympic Center, 2634 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 12946
Telephone: (518) 523-1655, ext. 226
Fax: (518) 523-9275
Contact: Liz DeFazio
Position: Director
E-mail: ldefazio@orda.org
Hours: Daily, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and Easter.
Collection: Materials relating to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, and winter sports history, includes over 750 linear feet of paper archives, 3,000 sq. ft. exhibition area.
Restrictions: By appointment for archvies research.
Lewis Town Historian
Address: 8001 US Rt. 9, Lewis, NY 12950
Telephone: (518) 873-6798
Contact: Catherine G. Sweatt
Position: Town Historian
Business hours: By appointment.
Collection: Private collection of Lewis Town cemetery records, historical books, and personal papers relating to the history of the Town of Lewis.
Restrictions: Available only through conference with town historian.
Minerva Town Historian
Address: PO Box 937, Minerva, NY 12851
Telephone: (518) 251-2869
Fax: (518) 251-5136
Contact: Shirley McNally
Position: Town Historian
E-mail: historian@townofminerva.us
Business hours: By appointment.
Collection: Genealogy of families who settled town, many papers from early school system, manuscripts and documents associated with town government.
Restrictions: Must not be removed from depository.
Newcomb Town Historian
Address: Box 477, Newcomb, NY 12852
Telephone:
Contact: Helen O'Donnell
Position: Town Historian
Business hours: Write for an appointment.
Collection: None, except newspaper articles.
Restrictions:
North Country Community College
Address: Library, 23 Santanoni Ave., P.O. Box 89, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Telephone: (518) 891-2915, ext. 218
Contact: Patrick F. McIntyre
Position: Director of Libraries
Business hours: Varies, call for schedule.
Collection: Town histories, biographies, wildlife, geology, works of fiction, colonial and Indian history, all related to the Adirondack region.
Restrictions: Cannot be removed from library.
North Hudson Town Historian
Address: North Hudson Town Hall, Route 9, North Hudson, NY 12855-9702
Telephone: (518) 532-9273
Contact: Sally Vinskus or Joseph Provoncha
Position: Town Clerk, Historian
Business hours: Anytime during the day.
Collection: Cemetery books; also records of deaths, births, marriages and (sometimes) the weather.
Restrictions: None
Paine Memorial Free Library
Address: 2 Gilliland Lane, Willsboro, NY 12996- 3727
Telephone: (518) 963-4478
Contact: Cheryl Blanchard
Position: Director
E-mail: painefreelib@willex.com
Business hours: Monday thru Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday evening, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Collection: The following collection has been moved to the Heritage Association: Daniel Ross papers, letters and legal papers. Historic picture collection - early days of Willsboro. Genealogy papers of Albert Hayward and other local families. Rare books, local history and local authors.
Restrictions: Must use in-house only.
Penfield Homestead Museum
Address: 703 Creek Rd., Historic Ironville, Crown Point, NY 12928
Telephone: (518) 597-3804
Fax: (518) 597-3229
Contact: Jesse Natha Kimler
Position: Administrative Director
E-mail: penfield@bluemoo.net
Business hours: June thru Mid-October: Thursday thru Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; or by appointment.
Collection: Civil, industrial, genealogical, and military records for Hammondville, Ironville, and Crown Point. Photographs, ledgers, maps, and publications pertaining to local industry, local railroads, iron mining, and early applications of electricity.
Restrictions: Records must be used on site under supervision. Appointments preferred.
Website:www.penfieldmuseum.org
Schroon-North Hudson Historical Society, Inc.
Address: P.O. Box 444, Schroon Lake, NY 12870
Telephone: (518) 532-7615 (museum), 532-0533 (president)
Contact: Loris Clark
Position: President
Business hours: Wednesday thru Sunday, 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. July thru Labor Day: Saturday and Sunday only after Labor Day; until Columbus weekend. Same hours.
Collection: Artifacts and memorabilia of Schroon-North Hudson area; files on historic hotels and camps, many old photos, clothing, family histories, cemetary listings, military room and military records.
Restrictions: Nothing may be removed; copies may be made; space provided for reasearch.
Sherman Free Library
Address: 20 Church St., Port Henry, NY 12974
Telephone: (518) 546-7461
Contact: Jackie Viestenz
Position: Librarian
E-mail: sherman@bluemoon.net
Business hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, noon - 4:00 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon - 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Collection: Records from Witherbee-Sherman Mining Company in Mineville and Witherbee. Histories of Essex County, Port Henry, Ticonderoga and the Lake Champlain region. Histories of Washington and Jefferson counties. Atlases of Plattsburgh, Franklin, Clinton and Essex counties.
Restrictions: Must be used within library.
Website: www.porthenry.com
Stevenson Society of America, Inc.
Address: Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage, P.O. Box 1212, 44 Stevenson Lane, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Telephone: (518) 891-1462
Contact: Mike Delahant
Position: Curator
E-mail: pennypiper@capital.net
Business hours: Open daily July 1 thru Columbus Day. Closed Mondays; Tuesday thru Friday, 9:30 a.m. - noon, and 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Open by appointmentthe rest of the year.
Collection: Large collection of memorabilia covering Robert Louis Stevenson's life including personal items, pictures, first editions, and his Samoan experience.
Restrictions:
Website: www.pennypiper.org
Ticonderoga Historical Society
Address: 6 Moses Circle, Hancock House, Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Telephone: (518) 585-7868
Fax: (518) 585-6367
Contact: Robin Trudeau
Position: Assistant Director
E-mail address: ths@capital.net
Business hours: Wednesday thru Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Collection: Features the town of Ticonderoga in all its social and business aspects, from its historic past to current activities. Adirondack region and Champlain Valley materials feature personal accounts of settlement and travel in the area. Genealogical collection includes book and manuscript materials.
Restrictions: The reference library is for use only within the building.
Website: www.thehancockhouse.org
Wells Memorial Library
Address: 12230 NYS Rt. 9N, P.O. Box 57, Upper Jay, NY 12987
Telephone: (518) 946-2644
Fax: (518) 946-2644
Contact: Karen Rappaport
Position: Library Director
Email: upperjaylibrary@whiteface.net
Business hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Archives open Thursday, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., or by appointment. Archives open by appointment.
Collection: Video and audio taped interviews and discussions on town history, organization and business records. Genealogies, documents, and photographs of the Wells Memorial Library, its founding family, and the communities of Upper Jay and Jay. Prime Bros. General Store correspondence, bills, letterheads, accounts payable, accounts receivable, from 1880s to 1910. Includes art Monaco design requests; army recognition, service, and correspondence; lists of toys and games, design and production from 1940s thru 1980s.
Restrictions: Must be used on premises. Photo copying available on-site.
Website: www.wellsmemoriallibrary.oafproductions.net
Westport, Town of
Address: P.O. Box 465, 22 Champlain Ave., Westport, NY 12993
Telephone: (518) 962-8287
Contact: Betty White
Position: Town Historian
E-mail: bwhite@westelcom.com
Business hours: Town office, Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Historian hours by appointment.
Collection: Miscellaneous town records, some military records, town historian records dating back to 1954; birth, death, and marriage records back to 1882.
Restrictions:No records may be removed.
Wilmington Historical Society
Address: P.O. Box 174, 7 Community Center Circle, Wilmington, NY 12997
Telephone: (518) 946-7586 or 946-7627
Contact: Karen Peters or Merri C. Peck
Position: President, Vice President
E-mail: whs12997@hotmail.co
Business hours: Summer: Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; all year by appointment.
Collection: Family history files, Cassius Bruce Collection (photos, files and artifacts), Earl & Helen Warren Collection (photos, files and artifacts), and newspapers. Also CDs: cemetery records, old town record book dating from 1821, 19th century Congregational and Methodist Church records, record book of birth, marriage and death dating from 1895, and tax records 1850. School District #6 records; topical files; photos of Wilmington people and places, many originals and others digitally copied; maps and blueprints; local reference books, as well as all of the currently published volumes of the "Town of Wilmington, Essex County, NY Transcribed Serial Records 1830-1900" by Harold E. Hinds, Jr. & Tina M. Didreckson, which includes census records, doctors’ records, newspaper clippings, school records, etc.
Restrictions: Materials used on premises only under supervision of staff.
Website: www.wilmingtonhistoricalsociety.org
Wilmington Town Historian
Address: P.O. Box 148, Wilmington, NY 12997
Telephone: (518) 946-7627
Contact: Merri C. Peck
Position: Town Historian
E-mail: wilmingtonhistory@charter.net
Business hours: By appointment. Prefer to reply via e-mail.
Collection: Miscellaneous town records, including cemetery records, some military records, and an increasing display of old town photos, including people, places and events.
Restrictions: No records may be removed.






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