Historic Markers and Wayside Interpretive Panels
in the
Villages of Champlain and Rouses Point
and the
Town of Champlain
The Town of Champlain in upstate New York has a rich history. Historic markers, plaques and wayside panels denote historic sites, famous people and events that have occurred in the town. The town and its two villages of Champlain and Rouses Point were witness to events during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Papineau War in Quebec, the Abolitionist Movement, the American Civil War, Temperance, Prohibition and many other events.
Numerous industries were created in the town and villages that employed hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of workers. This includes the lumber and mill trade, canal boat building, shipping, iron manufacturing, transportation via steamboat, railroading, customs enforcement as well as modern pharmaceuticals.
Many blue and yellow historic markers and modern wayside interpretive panels have been created to commemorate historical events and sites in and around the Town of Champlain and its two villages.
GPS Location Coordinates
GPS coordinates are given for each marker. Copy-paste the coordinates into the Google Maps search bar to highlight the location on the map.
Numerous industries were created in the town and villages that employed hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of workers. This includes the lumber and mill trade, canal boat building, shipping, iron manufacturing, transportation via steamboat, railroading, customs enforcement as well as modern pharmaceuticals.
Many blue and yellow historic markers and modern wayside interpretive panels have been created to commemorate historical events and sites in and around the Town of Champlain and its two villages.
GPS Location Coordinates
GPS coordinates are given for each marker. Copy-paste the coordinates into the Google Maps search bar to highlight the location on the map.
A Video Tour of the Markers and Interpretive Panels in the Village and Town of Champlain
A separate video will be posted for the markers in Rouses Point (after it is filmed).
Village of Champlain
In August of 1938, the Town of Champlain celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding. The town was created by the New York State legislature on March 7, 1788. A young soldier named Pliny Moore had acquired 11,600 acres of land in the town in 1785 and was working on bringing settlers to Champlain. He wrote his state representative in January of 1788 and urged the state to create the town and county of Clinton. Moore came to Champlain on his third visit in the summer of 1788 to build a sawmill in today's Perry's Mills.
In 1938, the Village of Champlain, with the assistance of architect and historian Hugh McLellan (1874-1963), erected a bronze marker at the site of Village Hall (the former Presbyterian Church at the corner of Main and Church Streets). The marker commemorated the first settlers who arrived in 1788 to build the sawmill: Pliny Moore (former soldier and surveyor of Champlain), William Beaumont (surveyor and uncle to the future Dr. William Beaumont), Samuel Ashmun (father of Jehudi Ashmun), Joseph Rowe, Elnathan Rogers (brother-in-law of Pliny Moore) and Caleb Thomas (blacksmith). All of the settlers were former soldiers who had earned land bounties for their service in the New York State militia during the Revolutionary War. It should be noted that Hugh McLellan was the great-great grandson of Pliny Moore.
Planning Committee for 1938 celebration:
Six blue and yellow historic markers were dedicated in Champlain Village and one near Perry's Mills.
Memorial Tablet and Historical Markers Are Erected At Champlain
(North Countryman, September 8, 1938)
Perhaps the most interesting event on the very elaborate program presented at the Champlain Sesquicentennial on August 20, 1938, in honor of the founding of the town 150 years before, was the dedication of the memorial tablet attached to a huge boulder permanently placed in position in front of the Village Hall. While hundreds of persons saw the dedication and heard the dedicatory remarks of the speakers, there were many who did not have the opportunity to read the inscription on the tablet. It follows:
Inscriptions on the six historical markers placed at sites in and near the village are as follows:
In 1938, the Village of Champlain, with the assistance of architect and historian Hugh McLellan (1874-1963), erected a bronze marker at the site of Village Hall (the former Presbyterian Church at the corner of Main and Church Streets). The marker commemorated the first settlers who arrived in 1788 to build the sawmill: Pliny Moore (former soldier and surveyor of Champlain), William Beaumont (surveyor and uncle to the future Dr. William Beaumont), Samuel Ashmun (father of Jehudi Ashmun), Joseph Rowe, Elnathan Rogers (brother-in-law of Pliny Moore) and Caleb Thomas (blacksmith). All of the settlers were former soldiers who had earned land bounties for their service in the New York State militia during the Revolutionary War. It should be noted that Hugh McLellan was the great-great grandson of Pliny Moore.
Planning Committee for 1938 celebration:
- Arsene Tremblay, Honorary Chairman
- A. J. V. Durbin, Chairman
- C. W. McLellan (Woody), Secretary
- Philip Agel, Finance
- Hugh McLellan, Historian and Markers
- Mrs. Mary Deal, Mrs. Lola Nason and J. J. Fallon, Tickets
- Walter B. Spelman, Dinner Program
- Decorations, Clarke Washburn
- Banquet, Mrs. George Glode
- Publicity, Oscar E. Bredenberg
Six blue and yellow historic markers were dedicated in Champlain Village and one near Perry's Mills.
Memorial Tablet and Historical Markers Are Erected At Champlain
(North Countryman, September 8, 1938)
Perhaps the most interesting event on the very elaborate program presented at the Champlain Sesquicentennial on August 20, 1938, in honor of the founding of the town 150 years before, was the dedication of the memorial tablet attached to a huge boulder permanently placed in position in front of the Village Hall. While hundreds of persons saw the dedication and heard the dedicatory remarks of the speakers, there were many who did not have the opportunity to read the inscription on the tablet. It follows:
Inscriptions on the six historical markers placed at sites in and near the village are as follows:
- "Near this Site the First Saw Mill Was Erected In 1788 by Pliny Moore and Elnathan Rogers"
- "East Battery. On this Hill Was Encamped the Artillery of the American Army Under Gen. George Izard, 1814."
- "Camp Ground of the British Army, 1814. Opposite is the Farm of Pliny Moore, Built in 1808, and Used by the Commissary"
- “First School, Which Stood Near This Site, Dr. William Beaumont, Surgeon and Physiologist, was Schoolmaster, 1807—10”
- “Site of the Burying Yard in Which Was Interred Lt.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth, Killed at Odelltown, L. C., June 28, 1814”.
- "Site of the Birthplace of Jehudi Ashmun, April 21, 1794, First Colonization Agent At Liberia, Africa, 1822‑1828".
1788 1938
TO COMMEMORATE THE FOUNDING
OF THE
TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN
MARCH 7, 1788
AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST SETTLERS
PLINY MOORE JOSEPH ROWE
WILLIAM BEAUMONT ELNATHAN ROGERS
SAMUEL ASHMUN CALEB THOMAS
MAY 23, 1788
ALSO AS A TRIBUTE TO
THOSE CANADIANS, EARLY INHABITANTS OF THE
TOWN, WHO SUPPORTED THE AMERICAN CAUSE
IN THE REVOLUTION.
ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF CHAMPLAIN
AUGUST 20, 1938.
TO COMMEMORATE THE FOUNDING
OF THE
TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN
MARCH 7, 1788
AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST SETTLERS
PLINY MOORE JOSEPH ROWE
WILLIAM BEAUMONT ELNATHAN ROGERS
SAMUEL ASHMUN CALEB THOMAS
MAY 23, 1788
ALSO AS A TRIBUTE TO
THOSE CANADIANS, EARLY INHABITANTS OF THE
TOWN, WHO SUPPORTED THE AMERICAN CAUSE
IN THE REVOLUTION.
ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF CHAMPLAIN
AUGUST 20, 1938.
Blue and Yellow Historic Markers Dedicated in August of 1938
FIRST SCHOOL
------------------------
FIRST SCHOOL
WHICH STOOD NEAR THIS SITE
DR. WILLIAM BEAUMONT
SURGEON AND PSYCHOLOGIST
WAS SCHOOLMASTER 1807-1810
(State Education Department 1938)
[Oak St.]
BURYING YARD
----------------------------
SITE OF
BURYING YARD
IN WHICH WAS INTERRED
LT. COL. BENJAMIN FORSYTH
KILLED AT ODELLTOWN, L.C.
JUNE 28, 1814
(State Education Department 1938)
[Oak St.]
ASHMUN BIRTHPLACE SITE
-----------------------------------------------
SITE OF THE BIRTHPLACE OF
JEHUDI ASHMUN
APRIL 21, 1794
FIRST COLONIZATION AGENT
AT LIBERIA, AFRICA
1822-1828
(State Education Department 1938)
[Oak St.]
AMERICAN BLOCKHOUSE AND BRITISH ENCAMPMENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAMP GROUND
OF THE BRITISH ARMY 1814
OPPOSITE IS THE
FARM OF PLINY MOORE
BUILT IN 1808
AND USED BY THE COMMISSARY
(State Education Department 1938)
[Prospect St.]
AMERICAN GENERAL GEORGE IZARD'S ENCAMPMENT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EAST BATTERY
ON THIS HILL WAS ENCAMPED
THE ARTILLERY OF THE
AMERICAN ARMY
UNDER GEN. GEORGE IZARD
1814
(State Education Department 1938)
[The original 1938 marker disappeared decades ago
and a new marker was placed near the site of the original on May 30, 2026]
[Pine St.]
FIRST SAWMILL IN THE TOWN
----------------------------------------------------
NEAR THIS SITE THE
FIRST SAWMILL
WAS ERECTED IN 1788 BY
PLINY MOORE
AND
ELNATHAN ROGERS
(State Education Department 1938)
[Located on Locust St. near Perry's Mills]
First School with Dr. William Beaumont as Teacher
Oak Street
William Beaumont (November 21, 1785 – April 25, 1853) was a resident of the Village of Champlain between 1807 and 1810. He taught school on Oak Street during these years. In 1810, he left Champlain and went to St. Albans, Vermont to train as a physician. He then entered the army and became a surgeon. It was during this time in the army that he studied human digestion and became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology."
William Beaumont had an uncle named William Beaumont who was one of the first settlers of Champlain in 1788. This Beaumont was a surveyor who surveyed many areas of Champlain, including Point au Fer in 1805. The doctor also had another uncle who lived in Champlain.
GPS Location: 44.988694615892484, -73.44470831724276
William Beaumont had an uncle named William Beaumont who was one of the first settlers of Champlain in 1788. This Beaumont was a surveyor who surveyed many areas of Champlain, including Point au Fer in 1805. The doctor also had another uncle who lived in Champlain.
GPS Location: 44.988694615892484, -73.44470831724276
Burying Yard where Lieut. Col. Benjamin Forsyth is Interred
Oak Street
During the War of 1812, Champlain was occupied by four American armies of 4-5,000 soldiers and a huge British army of 10-14,000 soldiers. Between occupations, numerous skirmishes took place between American troops and militia and Canadian militia and their Indian allies. Upper Prospect St. and Route 276 from Dewey's Tavern to the border saw the most activity.
On June 28, 1814, a small skirmish took place on Rt. 276 at the border. Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth was commander of American Regiment of Riflemen soldiers and participated in a raid to Odelltown, Quebec. During the engagement, his troops were driven back to just south of the border. It was here that Forsyth stood on a log only a few hundred feet from the Canadian troops and was shot in the chest by an Indian. He was taken to Dewey's Tavern but died on the way. The next day, he was buried in the Old Burying Yard on Oak Street in Champlain Village with full military honors. Forsyth was placed in an unmarked grave in the back of the cemetery so the enemy could not find him.
In retaliation, American forces shot Captain St. Valier Mayhew (variously spelled Mailloux, Mahew and Mayo) who was the commander of the Canadian soldiers and Indians. The skirmish took place on August 10 on Rt. 276 north of Dewey's Tavern. The injured Mayhew was taken to the basement of the Pliny Moore house on Oak St. to be cared for. A British doctor was summoned but he died eight days later. A Champlain resident was appointed to take the body back to Canada.
The Old Burying Yard on Oak St. had been donated by Pliny Moore and was used between 1799 and 1861. In 1861, Glenwood Cemetery was established further north on Oak St. In the mid-1870s, New York State passed a law that stated the graves in the burying yard had to be moved to Glenwood, which was a municipal cemetery. Analysis of the Glenwood Cemetery transcriptions made in the 1930s show that as many as 220 people may have been buried here prior to 1861. The graves were dug up and moved but Forsyth's unmarked grave was never found.
In the 1880s, the former one-acre burying ground was divided into two lots and sold. Today, there are two houses on the lots with the southern house likely built in the 1880s. The northern house was built in 1923. It is believed that Forsyth is still buried on one of the two properties if his grave was not disturbed when the houses were built. An in-ground pond sits in the back of one yard but the other yard is flat and open. The house owner who installed the pond watched carefully when it was excavated.
In the summer of 2013, a ground penetrating radar survey was made with the assistance of a Forsyth descendant and two archaeology professors at Plattsburgh State. A radar map was made in the flat, undisturbed section of the northern backyard. This was only a very small section of the entire property. The outline of many graves was seen and students later excavated the site. Changes in the soil composition and color caused by the digging of the graves in the 1800s confirmed that graves had been there. A few old nails and pieces of wood were found while digging. Unfortunately, no burials were found as the bodies had diligently been moved in the 1870s or '80s.
The search for Lieut.-Col Benjamin Forsyth continues....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Forsyth
https://www.google.com/search?q=Lieutenant-Colonel+Benjamin+Forsyth&oq=Lieutenant-Colonel+Benjamin+Forsyth
GPS Location: 44.99042311398693, -73.44467302762257
On June 28, 1814, a small skirmish took place on Rt. 276 at the border. Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth was commander of American Regiment of Riflemen soldiers and participated in a raid to Odelltown, Quebec. During the engagement, his troops were driven back to just south of the border. It was here that Forsyth stood on a log only a few hundred feet from the Canadian troops and was shot in the chest by an Indian. He was taken to Dewey's Tavern but died on the way. The next day, he was buried in the Old Burying Yard on Oak Street in Champlain Village with full military honors. Forsyth was placed in an unmarked grave in the back of the cemetery so the enemy could not find him.
In retaliation, American forces shot Captain St. Valier Mayhew (variously spelled Mailloux, Mahew and Mayo) who was the commander of the Canadian soldiers and Indians. The skirmish took place on August 10 on Rt. 276 north of Dewey's Tavern. The injured Mayhew was taken to the basement of the Pliny Moore house on Oak St. to be cared for. A British doctor was summoned but he died eight days later. A Champlain resident was appointed to take the body back to Canada.
The Old Burying Yard on Oak St. had been donated by Pliny Moore and was used between 1799 and 1861. In 1861, Glenwood Cemetery was established further north on Oak St. In the mid-1870s, New York State passed a law that stated the graves in the burying yard had to be moved to Glenwood, which was a municipal cemetery. Analysis of the Glenwood Cemetery transcriptions made in the 1930s show that as many as 220 people may have been buried here prior to 1861. The graves were dug up and moved but Forsyth's unmarked grave was never found.
In the 1880s, the former one-acre burying ground was divided into two lots and sold. Today, there are two houses on the lots with the southern house likely built in the 1880s. The northern house was built in 1923. It is believed that Forsyth is still buried on one of the two properties if his grave was not disturbed when the houses were built. An in-ground pond sits in the back of one yard but the other yard is flat and open. The house owner who installed the pond watched carefully when it was excavated.
In the summer of 2013, a ground penetrating radar survey was made with the assistance of a Forsyth descendant and two archaeology professors at Plattsburgh State. A radar map was made in the flat, undisturbed section of the northern backyard. This was only a very small section of the entire property. The outline of many graves was seen and students later excavated the site. Changes in the soil composition and color caused by the digging of the graves in the 1800s confirmed that graves had been there. A few old nails and pieces of wood were found while digging. Unfortunately, no burials were found as the bodies had diligently been moved in the 1870s or '80s.
The search for Lieut.-Col Benjamin Forsyth continues....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Forsyth
https://www.google.com/search?q=Lieutenant-Colonel+Benjamin+Forsyth&oq=Lieutenant-Colonel+Benjamin+Forsyth
GPS Location: 44.99042311398693, -73.44467302762257
Jehudi Ashmun
Oak Street
Jehudi Ashmun (April 21, 1794 – August 25, 1828) was an American religious leader and social reformer who was born in Champlain, New York. He later traveled to the African nation of Liberia and became its first governor.
A blue and yellow historic marker notes the location of his birthplace. His house is not standing but it was noted over one hundred years ago that the foundation was still present. This marker was dedicated in August 1938. A second Ashmun marker was dedicated in August 1959 as part of the 350th Champlain Sesquicentennial celebrations. The marker was placed at the elementary school on Elm St. at the time but was moved in the 2010s to the village park on Main St.
GPS Location: 44.99476482165542, -73.44454257947257
A blue and yellow historic marker notes the location of his birthplace. His house is not standing but it was noted over one hundred years ago that the foundation was still present. This marker was dedicated in August 1938. A second Ashmun marker was dedicated in August 1959 as part of the 350th Champlain Sesquicentennial celebrations. The marker was placed at the elementary school on Elm St. at the time but was moved in the 2010s to the village park on Main St.
GPS Location: 44.99476482165542, -73.44454257947257
Camp Ground of the American and British Armies
Prospect Street
In 1808, Pliny Moore built a stone farm house on the Great Northern Turnpike (part of today’s Prospect Street). Today, this is the oldest house in the village.
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the citizens of Champlain were uneasy about incursions from Canada. A Committee of Safety persuaded the army to build two blockhouses in nearby fields. The structures were used by visiting New York and Vermont militia.
In the summer of 1813, British Colonel John Murray burned public property in Burlington, Plattsburgh, Swanton, Chazy and Champlain in what was called “Murray’s Raid”. On the way back to Canada, a detachment of Murray’s troops rowed up the Great Chazy River and burned the two blockhouses.
The armies of American General Henry Dearborn and James Wilkinson camped nearby. During the summer of 1814, militia skirmished at the top of the hill, in the fields off upper Prospect Street as well as along the road to Lacolle, Quebec (NY Route 276) north of Dewey’s Tavern.
In September of 1814, half of British General George Prevost’s army camped nearby and used the unoccupied house as a commissary. It took this half of the army 12 hours to march down this road and over the Great Chazy River bridge on their way to Plattsburgh.
The stone farm house was given to Pliny’s daughter Matilda who married Rev. Abraham Brinkerhoff. By the 1840s, the house and farm were owned by Freeman and Bartlett Nye. Donat Guay owned the farm in the early 1900s and sold it to the Racine family in 1942. In August of 1938, a NYS historic marker was dedicated by Oscar Bredenberg during Champlain Town’s 150th Anniversary.
GPS Location: 44.988542419754076, -73.44069284558442
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, the citizens of Champlain were uneasy about incursions from Canada. A Committee of Safety persuaded the army to build two blockhouses in nearby fields. The structures were used by visiting New York and Vermont militia.
In the summer of 1813, British Colonel John Murray burned public property in Burlington, Plattsburgh, Swanton, Chazy and Champlain in what was called “Murray’s Raid”. On the way back to Canada, a detachment of Murray’s troops rowed up the Great Chazy River and burned the two blockhouses.
The armies of American General Henry Dearborn and James Wilkinson camped nearby. During the summer of 1814, militia skirmished at the top of the hill, in the fields off upper Prospect Street as well as along the road to Lacolle, Quebec (NY Route 276) north of Dewey’s Tavern.
In September of 1814, half of British General George Prevost’s army camped nearby and used the unoccupied house as a commissary. It took this half of the army 12 hours to march down this road and over the Great Chazy River bridge on their way to Plattsburgh.
The stone farm house was given to Pliny’s daughter Matilda who married Rev. Abraham Brinkerhoff. By the 1840s, the house and farm were owned by Freeman and Bartlett Nye. Donat Guay owned the farm in the early 1900s and sold it to the Racine family in 1942. In August of 1938, a NYS historic marker was dedicated by Oscar Bredenberg during Champlain Town’s 150th Anniversary.
GPS Location: 44.988542419754076, -73.44069284558442
East Battery
Pine Street at Spruce Street
The 'East Battery' marker commemorates the site of American general George Izard's encampment of 4,500 troops during the War of 1812. His troops were camped in the village in July and August of 1814. Two days after he was ordered to leave, the British army invaded Champlain and marched to Plattsburgh where the Battle of Plattsburgh occurred.
The original marker was dedicated in August of 1938 during the Town of Champlain's 150th anniversary (1788-1938). Six blue and yellow historic markers were dedicated along with a bronze plaque that commemorated Champlain's earliest settlers. The 'East Battery' marker may have been damaged by a car decades ago and disappeared. The new one is identical.
GPS Location: 44.98390269663072, -73.44777648858074
The original marker was dedicated in August of 1938 during the Town of Champlain's 150th anniversary (1788-1938). Six blue and yellow historic markers were dedicated along with a bronze plaque that commemorated Champlain's earliest settlers. The 'East Battery' marker may have been damaged by a car decades ago and disappeared. The new one is identical.
GPS Location: 44.98390269663072, -73.44777648858074
Pliny Moore Sawmill
Locust Street/Perry's Mills Road
Pliny Moore and several of his settlers erected a sawmill on the Great Chazy River in Perry's Mills when they were in Champlain between May and November of 1788. Moore traveled back to his home in Kinderhook, NY for the winter but came back in mid-winter of 1789 and stayed permanently in Champlain the rest of his life.
GPS Location: 44.994039700939794, -73.47059471831645
GPS Location: 44.994039700939794, -73.47059471831645
The Pliny Moore House
Oak & Elm Streets
In 1789, Revolutionary War veteran Pliny Moore (1759-1822) settled Champlain after being awarded land by the State of New York. In 1801 he built a Federal-style frame house similar to the one standing today. Moore was the first judge and postmaster of the Town of Champlain.
During the War of 1812, the border became a revolving door for the American and British armies and militias. Moore’s house played a key role in the military events and he actively communicated with the commanders on both sides of the conflict.
In November of 1812, American General Henry Dearborn used Moore’s house as his headquarters when his army camped nearby on their way to Lacolle, Quebec.
In October of 1813, British Major J. Perreault threatened Pliny Moore and the village inhabitants after an attack at the border. His troops later pillaged the village. In June of 1814, Colonel Benjamin Forsyth was killed on the road to Lacolle (NY Rt. 276). Two months later, his death was avenged by the ambush of British Captain St. Valier Mailloux (Mahew) who had commanded the militia and Indians who killed Forsyth. Mailloux died in the basement of Moore’s house. In the spring of 1814, prisoner-of-war negotiations took place here and at Elias Dewey’s house (Dewey’s Tavern).
Ownership of the Judge Pliny Moore Estate
There have been only a few owners of the Judge Pliny Moore house and estate at the corner of Oak and Elm Streets. Judge Pliny Moore built his house in 1801 and lived here until his death in 1822. His wife lived for a few more years. Ownership of the house went to Pliny's son, Pliny Jr. who lived here with his wife until the mid-1870s when they both died. Afterwards, it was owned by John White Moore who was the grandson of Judge Pliny Moore (son of Amasa Corbin Moore). Around 1882, Moore was transferred by the U.S. Navy to San Francisco and later became an admiral. The house was bought by the great-granddaughter of Judge Pliny Moore, Elizabeth (Nye) McLellan who had married Charles Woodberry McLellan in 1870. The McLellans lived in the Moore house during their summers in Champlain but lived permanently in Manhattan where Charles had a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Their sons were Hugh and Malcolm McLellan and they both grew to love the small village of Champlain where they spent their summers and vacations as children. Charles retired from Wall Street in 1906 and moved permanently to Champlain to live in the Moore house with his wife. Pliny Moore's original house burned down on April 27, 1912 and was rebuilt in 1913 to the same exterior specifications using architectural drawings made by Hugh McLellan for an architecture class prior to 1898. In early 1918, Hugh McLellan began to live permanently in the house after his father died (his mother died in 1914). He and his brother Malcolm inherited the house and property. Malcolm joined Hugh in 1926 after moving from New Jersey. Full ownership of the house was transferred to Hugh in 1926. Around 1935, during the height of the Great Depression, the "Big House," as it was called, was rented to M.B. Clark of Lake Placid for use as a funeral home. The McLellans, which included Hugh, Malcolm and Hugh's son Woody, lived in the back cottage. It had become too expensive to heat and maintain the main house. Hugh and Malcolm died in 1963 and the house went to Hugh's son Woody who was married to Hulda Bredenberg. They lived in a stone house on Oak St. which Hulda had inherited from her mother. Woody died in 1983 and Hulda died in 1984. As part of Hulda's estate settlement, the house was sold to the Clark Funeral Home. The McLellan family had owned the house from 1882 to 1984 and someone related to Judge Pliny Moore had owned the property from Moore's death in 1822 up until the 1980s, about 162 years. In recent years, funeral home director Cory Ross purchased the former McLellan estate and the McLellan house is still being used as a funeral home.
In the main image on the panel, Judge Pliny Moore's house is shown in 1829, seven years after his death. The painting was made by a niece of Pliny's named Charlotte T. Moore. Her father was Reuben Moore and he and Charlotte lived in Chatham, NY. The painting was donated by Woody McLellan to the Clinton County Historical Association in Plattsburgh when he died.
GPS Location: 44.98679475750344, -73.44492804723856
During the War of 1812, the border became a revolving door for the American and British armies and militias. Moore’s house played a key role in the military events and he actively communicated with the commanders on both sides of the conflict.
In November of 1812, American General Henry Dearborn used Moore’s house as his headquarters when his army camped nearby on their way to Lacolle, Quebec.
In October of 1813, British Major J. Perreault threatened Pliny Moore and the village inhabitants after an attack at the border. His troops later pillaged the village. In June of 1814, Colonel Benjamin Forsyth was killed on the road to Lacolle (NY Rt. 276). Two months later, his death was avenged by the ambush of British Captain St. Valier Mailloux (Mahew) who had commanded the militia and Indians who killed Forsyth. Mailloux died in the basement of Moore’s house. In the spring of 1814, prisoner-of-war negotiations took place here and at Elias Dewey’s house (Dewey’s Tavern).
Ownership of the Judge Pliny Moore Estate
There have been only a few owners of the Judge Pliny Moore house and estate at the corner of Oak and Elm Streets. Judge Pliny Moore built his house in 1801 and lived here until his death in 1822. His wife lived for a few more years. Ownership of the house went to Pliny's son, Pliny Jr. who lived here with his wife until the mid-1870s when they both died. Afterwards, it was owned by John White Moore who was the grandson of Judge Pliny Moore (son of Amasa Corbin Moore). Around 1882, Moore was transferred by the U.S. Navy to San Francisco and later became an admiral. The house was bought by the great-granddaughter of Judge Pliny Moore, Elizabeth (Nye) McLellan who had married Charles Woodberry McLellan in 1870. The McLellans lived in the Moore house during their summers in Champlain but lived permanently in Manhattan where Charles had a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Their sons were Hugh and Malcolm McLellan and they both grew to love the small village of Champlain where they spent their summers and vacations as children. Charles retired from Wall Street in 1906 and moved permanently to Champlain to live in the Moore house with his wife. Pliny Moore's original house burned down on April 27, 1912 and was rebuilt in 1913 to the same exterior specifications using architectural drawings made by Hugh McLellan for an architecture class prior to 1898. In early 1918, Hugh McLellan began to live permanently in the house after his father died (his mother died in 1914). He and his brother Malcolm inherited the house and property. Malcolm joined Hugh in 1926 after moving from New Jersey. Full ownership of the house was transferred to Hugh in 1926. Around 1935, during the height of the Great Depression, the "Big House," as it was called, was rented to M.B. Clark of Lake Placid for use as a funeral home. The McLellans, which included Hugh, Malcolm and Hugh's son Woody, lived in the back cottage. It had become too expensive to heat and maintain the main house. Hugh and Malcolm died in 1963 and the house went to Hugh's son Woody who was married to Hulda Bredenberg. They lived in a stone house on Oak St. which Hulda had inherited from her mother. Woody died in 1983 and Hulda died in 1984. As part of Hulda's estate settlement, the house was sold to the Clark Funeral Home. The McLellan family had owned the house from 1882 to 1984 and someone related to Judge Pliny Moore had owned the property from Moore's death in 1822 up until the 1980s, about 162 years. In recent years, funeral home director Cory Ross purchased the former McLellan estate and the McLellan house is still being used as a funeral home.
In the main image on the panel, Judge Pliny Moore's house is shown in 1829, seven years after his death. The painting was made by a niece of Pliny's named Charlotte T. Moore. Her father was Reuben Moore and he and Charlotte lived in Chatham, NY. The painting was donated by Woody McLellan to the Clinton County Historical Association in Plattsburgh when he died.
GPS Location: 44.98679475750344, -73.44492804723856
Abolitionists Noadiah and Caroline Moore
Church Street at St. Mary's Church
Noadiah Moore was the eldest child of Judge Pliny Moore. He attended primary schools in St. Johns, Montreal and Plattsburgh and graduated from Middlebury College in 1808. He served in the War of 1812 as Barracks Master. He married Caroline Mattocks in 1814 and had five surviving children.
Noadiah first lived on Main Street adjacent to the old Village Hall building, and in 1822, he inherited his father’s land on Church Street. It is here he built his main residence. The house burned down in the great fire of 1873. The fire also burned down the adjacent school, Methodist Church and parsonage.
Noadiah owned several farms and sawmills and founded the Champlain Agricultural Works in 1820 near the upper bridge. The business made plows and farming equipment and was in business for about 90 years under several owners.
Noadiah was active in politics, Presbyterian Church affairs for 30 years, the Temperance movement and the Abolitionist movement. His property in Champlain was the last link in the Underground Railroad to Canada. Fellow church members Silas Hubbell, Orson Branch Ashmun and Lorenzo Kellogg were also active abolitionists in Champlain. Moore and Ashmun published the “Herald of Freedom” newspaper in 1844.
Noadiah was an advocate for the incorporation of the Village of Champlain but this did not happen until 15 years after his death. In 1873, the first village officers named “Moore Street” in his honor.
GPS Location: 44.98541301930818, -73.44872192218646
Noadiah first lived on Main Street adjacent to the old Village Hall building, and in 1822, he inherited his father’s land on Church Street. It is here he built his main residence. The house burned down in the great fire of 1873. The fire also burned down the adjacent school, Methodist Church and parsonage.
Noadiah owned several farms and sawmills and founded the Champlain Agricultural Works in 1820 near the upper bridge. The business made plows and farming equipment and was in business for about 90 years under several owners.
Noadiah was active in politics, Presbyterian Church affairs for 30 years, the Temperance movement and the Abolitionist movement. His property in Champlain was the last link in the Underground Railroad to Canada. Fellow church members Silas Hubbell, Orson Branch Ashmun and Lorenzo Kellogg were also active abolitionists in Champlain. Moore and Ashmun published the “Herald of Freedom” newspaper in 1844.
Noadiah was an advocate for the incorporation of the Village of Champlain but this did not happen until 15 years after his death. In 1873, the first village officers named “Moore Street” in his honor.
GPS Location: 44.98541301930818, -73.44872192218646
ABOLITIONISTS
NOADIAH AND CAROLINE MOORE
LIVED ACROSS THE STREET IN
THE MOORE MANSION FROM 1828
TO 1873. THEY HELPED CONVEY
ESCAPED SLAVES TO CANADA
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2013
NOADIAH AND CAROLINE MOORE
LIVED ACROSS THE STREET IN
THE MOORE MANSION FROM 1828
TO 1873. THEY HELPED CONVEY
ESCAPED SLAVES TO CANADA
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2013
Champlain Academy
Corner of Elm and Prospect Streets
(not present)
In the early 1800s, citizens in the village and town of Champlain established an academy to promote education and spread “useful knowledge”. It was the second academy established in Clinton County, the first being in Plattsburgh.
Champlain's school history starts around 1795 with the establishment of several schools around town. Between 1807 and 1810, William Beaumont (1785-1853) taught at a school house on Oak Street in the Village of Champlain. He then left for St. Albans to study medicine and was a young doctor in Plattsburgh during the War of 1812. He would later become known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" for his study of human digestion. Several institutions in the U.S. are named after him, including the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in Fort Bliss, Texas. Plattsburgh State's "Beaumont Hall" is a local building.
In 1833, land on the Moore property on Elm Street was sold to a local group of citizens for the establishment of an academy. Building funds were raised through fundraisers such as dinners on the island ("Island Park" in the Great Chazy River). Starting in 1838, the school building was slowly erected at the corner of Elm and Prospect streets. When it was finished, it was 40x80ft in size and three stories high. It had a library donated by the Champlain Society Library as well as rooms for boarding students. The academy was incorporated by the NYS Regents in August of 1842. Its first trustees were Silas Hubbell, Noadiah Moore, Nathan Webb, Jabez Fitch, James M. Burroughs, Julius C. Hubbell, Robert Stetson, Lovel Dunning, Joel Savage, Daniel D.T. Moore, Dwight C. Hitchcock and Ezekiel Brisbin. The building stood for almost 50 years and burned down in January of 1887. No photos have been found of this building.
By February of 1889, a new Champlain Academy building had been erected. This building was 2 1/2 stories tall, 40x76ft in size and had a bell tower which gave it a distinctive look. At the time, the building size was viewed by some citizens as being too large because only a small percentage of the school age children in town attended school, but 15 years later, in 1905, a back addition was added by architect Hugh McLellan (1874-1963). In the 1900s, the Champlain Board of Education converted the academy to a high school. People today may have close relatives who went to this school. The building stood for 51 years and burned down on December 16, 1940. Hugh McLellan was also the architect of the new school built in 1941 across the street (which still stands, shown previously).
GPS Location: 44.98708133318049, -73.4437494533047
Champlain's school history starts around 1795 with the establishment of several schools around town. Between 1807 and 1810, William Beaumont (1785-1853) taught at a school house on Oak Street in the Village of Champlain. He then left for St. Albans to study medicine and was a young doctor in Plattsburgh during the War of 1812. He would later become known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" for his study of human digestion. Several institutions in the U.S. are named after him, including the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in Fort Bliss, Texas. Plattsburgh State's "Beaumont Hall" is a local building.
In 1833, land on the Moore property on Elm Street was sold to a local group of citizens for the establishment of an academy. Building funds were raised through fundraisers such as dinners on the island ("Island Park" in the Great Chazy River). Starting in 1838, the school building was slowly erected at the corner of Elm and Prospect streets. When it was finished, it was 40x80ft in size and three stories high. It had a library donated by the Champlain Society Library as well as rooms for boarding students. The academy was incorporated by the NYS Regents in August of 1842. Its first trustees were Silas Hubbell, Noadiah Moore, Nathan Webb, Jabez Fitch, James M. Burroughs, Julius C. Hubbell, Robert Stetson, Lovel Dunning, Joel Savage, Daniel D.T. Moore, Dwight C. Hitchcock and Ezekiel Brisbin. The building stood for almost 50 years and burned down in January of 1887. No photos have been found of this building.
By February of 1889, a new Champlain Academy building had been erected. This building was 2 1/2 stories tall, 40x76ft in size and had a bell tower which gave it a distinctive look. At the time, the building size was viewed by some citizens as being too large because only a small percentage of the school age children in town attended school, but 15 years later, in 1905, a back addition was added by architect Hugh McLellan (1874-1963). In the 1900s, the Champlain Board of Education converted the academy to a high school. People today may have close relatives who went to this school. The building stood for 51 years and burned down on December 16, 1940. Hugh McLellan was also the architect of the new school built in 1941 across the street (which still stands, shown previously).
GPS Location: 44.98708133318049, -73.4437494533047
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CHAMPLAIN ACADEMY ERECTED A.D. 1838. By the public-spirited efforts of townspeople zealous for the spread of useful knowledge, DESTROYED BY FIRE JAN. 19, 1887. REBUILT A.D. 1888. |
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The Averill and Clark Boat Yard
Boat Ramp
River Street
The Town of Champlain has a rich history related to boat building on the Great Chazy River. In the mid-1830’s, brothers Freeman and Bartlett Nye of Champlain operated the schooner “Champlain.” In 1839, they built the schooner “Gen. Scott” and for 20 years it was used to transport commodities to St. Johns, Quebec and Whitehall, N.Y. After the opening of the Champlain Canal in Whitehall and the Chambly Canal in Quebec, sloops and schooners began to be replaced by canal boats. In the 1850’s, Pliny Moore Jr., Royal Moore and Timothy Hoyle built and owned some of Champlain’s first canal boats.
By the mid-1800’s, 20 boats had been built in Champlain which made the town the second largest shipbuilding center on Lake Champlain. Then in 1879, the “Kellogg & Averill” (later “Averill & Clark”) boat yard was established by industrialist James Averill Jr. and his partners. This boat yard was located on the former Nye land at the end of River Street. For 30 years, the Averill boat yard built canal boats, barges, houseboats, yachts and even an automobile ferry for Chazy Landing. The Allards built several canal boats in a nearby yard.
The canal boat industry had a major impact on the growth of the village and town of Champlain for 100 years. Boat building employed carpenters, dock hands and ship captains. The timber, paper, iron and farming industries used canal boats to ship their products to markets in Montreal, Troy and as far away as New York City.
The era of the canal boat peaked in the early 1900’s. Canal boats had ceased operation on the Great Chazy River by 1919.
GPS Location: 44.98485581873992, -73.4428912498401
By the mid-1800’s, 20 boats had been built in Champlain which made the town the second largest shipbuilding center on Lake Champlain. Then in 1879, the “Kellogg & Averill” (later “Averill & Clark”) boat yard was established by industrialist James Averill Jr. and his partners. This boat yard was located on the former Nye land at the end of River Street. For 30 years, the Averill boat yard built canal boats, barges, houseboats, yachts and even an automobile ferry for Chazy Landing. The Allards built several canal boats in a nearby yard.
The canal boat industry had a major impact on the growth of the village and town of Champlain for 100 years. Boat building employed carpenters, dock hands and ship captains. The timber, paper, iron and farming industries used canal boats to ship their products to markets in Montreal, Troy and as far away as New York City.
The era of the canal boat peaked in the early 1900’s. Canal boats had ceased operation on the Great Chazy River by 1919.
GPS Location: 44.98485581873992, -73.4428912498401
Bill Earl Park
Boat Ramp
River Street
The land surrounding River Street has been used for many different purposes over the past 200 years. Prior to 1829, it was a lush riverside pasture for Judge Pliny Moore’s cows. By the mid-1800’s, the riverbank was being used for commercial purpose. A store, marble shop, warehouse and boat yard were built here. By the early 1900’s, many houses lined River Street but only a few remain today due to past floods.
In the late 1800’s, a sawmill was located at the end of River Street and was owned by John Earl, father of Bill. Bill worked here when he was young and later hauled sand from Lake Champlain to the Sheridan Iron Works in a boat he owned. Around 1906, Bill operated a small bicycle repair shop near his house on the riverbank and Champlain’s youth often had their bikes repaired here for free. He rented pleasure boats and owned a small paddlewheel that cruised the river. Bill was known to take children to see Lake Champlain’s islands.
Bill Earl died on May 15, 1943 at the age of 76 and his funeral was held in the nearby funeral home. Hundreds of children passed his casket and paid their respects. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery with his family members. A lengthy obituary was written by the “Friends of Bill” and recalled many fond memories of him. This park is named in honor of Bill Earl because of his years of dedication to the children of Champlain.
GPS Location: 44.98485581873992, -73.4428912498401
In the late 1800’s, a sawmill was located at the end of River Street and was owned by John Earl, father of Bill. Bill worked here when he was young and later hauled sand from Lake Champlain to the Sheridan Iron Works in a boat he owned. Around 1906, Bill operated a small bicycle repair shop near his house on the riverbank and Champlain’s youth often had their bikes repaired here for free. He rented pleasure boats and owned a small paddlewheel that cruised the river. Bill was known to take children to see Lake Champlain’s islands.
Bill Earl died on May 15, 1943 at the age of 76 and his funeral was held in the nearby funeral home. Hundreds of children passed his casket and paid their respects. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery with his family members. A lengthy obituary was written by the “Friends of Bill” and recalled many fond memories of him. This park is named in honor of Bill Earl because of his years of dedication to the children of Champlain.
GPS Location: 44.98485581873992, -73.4428912498401
The Railroad in Champlain
Butternut Street
The history of the railroad in the Town of Champlain is a long and complicated story. The railroad company names have changed many times and today’s railroad in the town is only a small portion of the railroad that existed in the late 1800s.
The railroad came to the town in 1850 when the Northern Railroad completed a 118-mile line from Ogdensburg to Rouses Point, the lakeside village in the Town of Champlain. This rail system connected the St. Lawrence River communities with Lake Champlain.
Prior to the opening of the railroad, Main Street in the Village of Champlain expanded with the building of the Nye Block (two twin brick buildings with one still standing) and the Champlain House (a hotel) which were both owned by brothers Freeman and Bartlett Nye under the firm name of F&B Nye. A railroad station was built on Chestnut (Matilda) Street at the corner of Butternut Street. In Rouses Point, a railroad junction and station were built.
In the first decades after the railroad came to the Town of Champlain, the names of the railway companies changed as they merged with other companies. The Northern Railroad became the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad. Then it became the Rutland Railroad.
Other railways came to Rouses Point and the village grew into a major junction. The Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H) came to Rouses Point by way of Plattsburgh. The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was in Canada and its southern junction was in Rouses Point. It connected Rouses Point with Montreal. And the Vermont and Canada Railroad built a bridge over Lake Champlain in 1868 and had a junction in Rouses Point.
With so many railroads meeting in Rouses Point, farmers and business people in the town of Champlain could ship their commodities and agricultural products to the Great Lakes states via Ogdensburg and Montreal and throughout New England, including Boston. Passenger travel between Champlain, Boston, New York City and Montreal was more convenient than steamboat or horse drawn stage, although the trip was still time consuming.
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, the biggest employer in Rouses Point was the railroad. There were even two post offices in Rouses Point. One was at the northern part of the village where the railroad was and a second was in the southern part of the village. In the 1850s, the northern part of the village was briefly called Hoyleton and named after Village of Champlain resident George Vischer Hoyle who worked for the railroad. The rail yards operated by several rail companies expanded and hundreds of people were employed. This created problems during economic downturns when the rail companies had layoffs.
By the 1960s, the influence of the railroad in the town of Champlain started to diminish as large trucks became more economical. Rail stations were closed and routes were discontinued. Eventually, some of the track was removed. This included the track through the Village of Champlain that ran to the Sheridan/Harris plant.
The railroad came to the town in 1850 when the Northern Railroad completed a 118-mile line from Ogdensburg to Rouses Point, the lakeside village in the Town of Champlain. This rail system connected the St. Lawrence River communities with Lake Champlain.
Prior to the opening of the railroad, Main Street in the Village of Champlain expanded with the building of the Nye Block (two twin brick buildings with one still standing) and the Champlain House (a hotel) which were both owned by brothers Freeman and Bartlett Nye under the firm name of F&B Nye. A railroad station was built on Chestnut (Matilda) Street at the corner of Butternut Street. In Rouses Point, a railroad junction and station were built.
In the first decades after the railroad came to the Town of Champlain, the names of the railway companies changed as they merged with other companies. The Northern Railroad became the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad. Then it became the Rutland Railroad.
Other railways came to Rouses Point and the village grew into a major junction. The Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H) came to Rouses Point by way of Plattsburgh. The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad was in Canada and its southern junction was in Rouses Point. It connected Rouses Point with Montreal. And the Vermont and Canada Railroad built a bridge over Lake Champlain in 1868 and had a junction in Rouses Point.
With so many railroads meeting in Rouses Point, farmers and business people in the town of Champlain could ship their commodities and agricultural products to the Great Lakes states via Ogdensburg and Montreal and throughout New England, including Boston. Passenger travel between Champlain, Boston, New York City and Montreal was more convenient than steamboat or horse drawn stage, although the trip was still time consuming.
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, the biggest employer in Rouses Point was the railroad. There were even two post offices in Rouses Point. One was at the northern part of the village where the railroad was and a second was in the southern part of the village. In the 1850s, the northern part of the village was briefly called Hoyleton and named after Village of Champlain resident George Vischer Hoyle who worked for the railroad. The rail yards operated by several rail companies expanded and hundreds of people were employed. This created problems during economic downturns when the rail companies had layoffs.
By the 1960s, the influence of the railroad in the town of Champlain started to diminish as large trucks became more economical. Rail stations were closed and routes were discontinued. Eventually, some of the track was removed. This included the track through the Village of Champlain that ran to the Sheridan/Harris plant.
CHAMPLAIN
THE NORTHERN RAILROAD WAS
COMPLETED IN THE YEAR 1850.
THE FIRST TRAIN RAN OVER
THE ENTIRE LINE; OGDENSBURG
TO ROUSES POINT IN THE AUTUMN
2025 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
THE NORTHERN RAILROAD WAS
COMPLETED IN THE YEAR 1850.
THE FIRST TRAIN RAN OVER
THE ENTIRE LINE; OGDENSBURG
TO ROUSES POINT IN THE AUTUMN
2025 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
GPS Location: 44.988411840198424, -73.44275443295801
Samuel de Champlain Monument
St. Mary's Church
Church Street
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The first monument built in the United States to commemorate Samuel de Champlain was erected in Champlain in 1907.
Originally, the monument was to be placed at the intersection of Oak and Main Streets in front of the Champlain House. However, when various Franco-American societies raised money for the project, the location for the monument was moved here to St. Mary’s Church. The Rev. Father Alexis F.X. Chagnon was instrumental in leading the drive to erect the monument at the church. Several Champlainers were part of this project and included Louis-Camille Lafontaine who was later appointed a commissioner for the 1909 Champlain Tercentenary celebrations. Lafontaine had an important role in the building of this monument as well as the design of the Plattsburgh and Crown Point Champlain Memorials in 1912. On July 4, 1907, 6,000 people attended the monument unveiling ceremonies that included a parade, speeches, dinners and fireworks. On the church lawn were American and French flags with the mottoes, “Vive Champlain” and “Nous-Nous Souvenons”. On August 8, 1959, during the 350th anniversary of Champlain’s exploration of Lake Champlain, the monument was re-dedicated during a day long celebration with as many as 10,000 visitors to the village. On August 2, 2009, the monument was again re-dedicated as part of the Quadricentennial celebrations. GPS Location: 44.985186287451, -73.44873787069534 |
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LE 4 JUILLET, 1907. À LA MÉMOIRE DE
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
PAR LES FRANCO-AMÉRICANS.
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN,
NÉ À BROUAGE, FRANCE, EN 1567, FONDATEUR DE QUÉBEC, EN 1608.
DÉCOUVREUR DU LAC CHAMPLAIN, 6 JUILLET, 1609.
MORT À QUEBEC AN 1635.
HE VALUED THE SALVATION OF A SOUL MORE THAN THE
CONQUEST OF A KINGDOM.
BEHOLD: A FERVENT CHRISTIAN; AN INTREPID NAVIGATOR;
A MAN OF LETTERS AND THE DISCOVERER OF THE GEM
OF THE LAKES OF AMERICA.
LE SALUT D’UNE ÂME VAUT PLUS QUE LA CONQUÊTE D’UN ROYAUME.
SA MÉMOIRE EST UNE INSPIRATION QUI NOUS PORTE VERS LE VRAI,
LE BIEN ET LE BEAU!
COMME NOTRE PATRON, ST. JEAN BAPTISTE;
IL “PRÉPARA LES VOIES” SUR CE CONTINENT.
IL FÛT UN FERVENT CHRÉTIEN: UN INTREPIDE NAVIGATEUR:
UN SAVANT, ET LE DÉCOUVREUR DU PLUS BEAU LAC DE L’AMÉRIQUE.
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN
PAR LES FRANCO-AMÉRICANS.
SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN,
NÉ À BROUAGE, FRANCE, EN 1567, FONDATEUR DE QUÉBEC, EN 1608.
DÉCOUVREUR DU LAC CHAMPLAIN, 6 JUILLET, 1609.
MORT À QUEBEC AN 1635.
HE VALUED THE SALVATION OF A SOUL MORE THAN THE
CONQUEST OF A KINGDOM.
BEHOLD: A FERVENT CHRISTIAN; AN INTREPID NAVIGATOR;
A MAN OF LETTERS AND THE DISCOVERER OF THE GEM
OF THE LAKES OF AMERICA.
LE SALUT D’UNE ÂME VAUT PLUS QUE LA CONQUÊTE D’UN ROYAUME.
SA MÉMOIRE EST UNE INSPIRATION QUI NOUS PORTE VERS LE VRAI,
LE BIEN ET LE BEAU!
COMME NOTRE PATRON, ST. JEAN BAPTISTE;
IL “PRÉPARA LES VOIES” SUR CE CONTINENT.
IL FÛT UN FERVENT CHRÉTIEN: UN INTREPIDE NAVIGATEUR:
UN SAVANT, ET LE DÉCOUVREUR DU PLUS BEAU LAC DE L’AMÉRIQUE.
The Samuel de Champlain Monument at St. Mary’s Church
The first monument in the United States built to commemorate Samuel de Champlain was erected at St. Mary’s Church in Champlain, New York. Originally, it was to be built on Main Street in the village square (at the Elm St. and Main St. intersection) but when French societies raised funds for the erection of the monument, it was erected on the lawn of St. Mary’s Church.
Future Tercentenary Commissioner Louis-Camille LaFontaine, a lifelong resident of Champlain, was a member of the committee who worked to build this monument prior to 1907. A few years later, he was a member of the 1909 New York Tercentenary Commission that worked to build the Champlain Memorials at Crown Point and Plattsburgh, both of which were completed in 1912. LaFontaine was instrumental in much of the wording on these monuments as well as the design of the sculptures and the Coat of Arms.
On July 4, 1907, the Champlain monument was dedicated. About 6,000 people witnessed the unveiling, with hundreds coming from as far away as Plattsburgh. A newspaper noted that the following account: “the entire village was prettily decorated. Nearly every house and building displayed American flags and the tri-color of France was displayed, an appropriate memorial to the nationality of the distinguished explorer. Over the bridges in the center of the village were too large arches, bearing the inscription, “Welcome”. The Catholic Church, on the lawn of which the monument is placed, was prettily decorated, American and French flags being hung over the entrance, with the mottoes, “Vive Champlain” [Live Champlain] and “Nous-Nous Souvenons” ….. The pedestal is surmounted by a statue of the explorer, six feet and six inches in height, and represents him at the instant of the discovery of the lake, the expression and attitude being excellent. The base of the pedestal is 7½ feet square and the total height twenty two feet and one inch. One of the panels on the pedestal represents Champlain in an Indian canoe, his eyes fixed upon a distant shore toward which his two companions are paddling. Another shows a landscape with a short point of wooded land projecting into the lake and another a representation of an old print showing the battle fought by the explorer against the Iroquois, aided by friendly Indians. On the cap are the coats of arms of the United States, the State of New York and the Clinton family, after which the county is named, and the seal of the Village of Champlain. / The credit of securing the monument is largely due to the Rev. Father Chagnon, pastor of the Champlain Church, to whose untiring efforts much of the success of the undertaking is to be attributed. The committee having the erection of the monument in charge were Dr. A. Charbonneau, Keeseville, president; Oliver Lafontaine, Champlain; the Rev. Father E. C. Laramee, Redford; L. C. Lafontaine, Champlain, treasurer. These gentlemen also did much to make the undertaking a success. The Rev. Father Valois, Assistant to Father Chagnon, had charge of the celebration and the reception of visitors.”
On August 8, 1959, the 350th anniversary of Champlain’s exploration of Lake Champlain was celebrated. The monument was re-dedicated during a day long celebration with as many as 10,000 visitors to the village. The new post office as well as Jehudi Ashmun plaque was also dedicated.
In August of 2009, the monument was re-dedicated for the 400th anniversary of Champlain's exploration of Lake Champlain. This was called the Quadricentennial.
The first monument in the United States built to commemorate Samuel de Champlain was erected at St. Mary’s Church in Champlain, New York. Originally, it was to be built on Main Street in the village square (at the Elm St. and Main St. intersection) but when French societies raised funds for the erection of the monument, it was erected on the lawn of St. Mary’s Church.
Future Tercentenary Commissioner Louis-Camille LaFontaine, a lifelong resident of Champlain, was a member of the committee who worked to build this monument prior to 1907. A few years later, he was a member of the 1909 New York Tercentenary Commission that worked to build the Champlain Memorials at Crown Point and Plattsburgh, both of which were completed in 1912. LaFontaine was instrumental in much of the wording on these monuments as well as the design of the sculptures and the Coat of Arms.
On July 4, 1907, the Champlain monument was dedicated. About 6,000 people witnessed the unveiling, with hundreds coming from as far away as Plattsburgh. A newspaper noted that the following account: “the entire village was prettily decorated. Nearly every house and building displayed American flags and the tri-color of France was displayed, an appropriate memorial to the nationality of the distinguished explorer. Over the bridges in the center of the village were too large arches, bearing the inscription, “Welcome”. The Catholic Church, on the lawn of which the monument is placed, was prettily decorated, American and French flags being hung over the entrance, with the mottoes, “Vive Champlain” [Live Champlain] and “Nous-Nous Souvenons” ….. The pedestal is surmounted by a statue of the explorer, six feet and six inches in height, and represents him at the instant of the discovery of the lake, the expression and attitude being excellent. The base of the pedestal is 7½ feet square and the total height twenty two feet and one inch. One of the panels on the pedestal represents Champlain in an Indian canoe, his eyes fixed upon a distant shore toward which his two companions are paddling. Another shows a landscape with a short point of wooded land projecting into the lake and another a representation of an old print showing the battle fought by the explorer against the Iroquois, aided by friendly Indians. On the cap are the coats of arms of the United States, the State of New York and the Clinton family, after which the county is named, and the seal of the Village of Champlain. / The credit of securing the monument is largely due to the Rev. Father Chagnon, pastor of the Champlain Church, to whose untiring efforts much of the success of the undertaking is to be attributed. The committee having the erection of the monument in charge were Dr. A. Charbonneau, Keeseville, president; Oliver Lafontaine, Champlain; the Rev. Father E. C. Laramee, Redford; L. C. Lafontaine, Champlain, treasurer. These gentlemen also did much to make the undertaking a success. The Rev. Father Valois, Assistant to Father Chagnon, had charge of the celebration and the reception of visitors.”
On August 8, 1959, the 350th anniversary of Champlain’s exploration of Lake Champlain was celebrated. The monument was re-dedicated during a day long celebration with as many as 10,000 visitors to the village. The new post office as well as Jehudi Ashmun plaque was also dedicated.
In August of 2009, the monument was re-dedicated for the 400th anniversary of Champlain's exploration of Lake Champlain. This was called the Quadricentennial.
Rededication of the Champlain monument during the Quadricentennial celebrations in August of 2009.
St. Mary's Academy and Convent
Main Street
St. Mary's Academy was a Catholic school established in Champlain Village in 1906. The school was in operation until 2012. The photos shown here show the stone school and a frame house that was used as a convent.
In 1890, Dr. James M. Hackett (1864-1939) came to Champlain Village to practice medicine. In 1898, he built a stately house on a hill adjacent to Main St. The house was a Victorian-style design which was common from about 1860 to 1900.
Dr. Hackett married Ellen M. Chapin whose family was from Champlain. They had two daughters and one son. When WWI started, Dr. Hackett’s son Frederick enlisted in the army in 1917 and served in France where he rose to the rank of Major. The Hackett family left Champlain in 1918 and moved to Leonia, New Jersey. In July of 1918, Dr. Hackett enlisted in the Medical Reserve Corps at the age of 54 and served in New Jersey and Georgia before he was discharged in October of 1919, a year after the war ended. He left as a Captain. Dr. Hackett died in 1939 and was buried in Compton, Quebec. His wife died in 1940 and was buried in her father’s plot in Glenwood Cemetery, Champlain.
Sometime in the early 1900s, the stately Hackett house was converted to a convent by St. Mary’s parish and the St. Mary’s Academy stone school was erected behind it. In November of 1964, a fund drive was sponsored by the parish to raise $200,000 for a new, modern convent. The convent was built where the former John Henry Whiteside house stood (opposite the old frame convent and a few lots south on Main St.) By early 1966, the new $145,000 convent had been completed. It was two stories and had 22 private rooms. The former Hackett house was demolished. The first St. Mary’s Bazaar was held in 1968 to help raise funds for the parish after the convent’s completion. The bazaar has become a Champlain tradition and has been held every year since. The convent was later acquired by Champlain Telephone Company and is used for its headquarters today.
St. Mary's Academy, which had been used as an elementary school in later years, closed in the summer of 2012. The buildings were used for parish and community events for the next two years. A fire consumed the former school on January 16, 2015, and the remains of the buildings were razed between June and October of 2015.
GPS Location: 44.98510172022329, -73.44526856881183
In 1890, Dr. James M. Hackett (1864-1939) came to Champlain Village to practice medicine. In 1898, he built a stately house on a hill adjacent to Main St. The house was a Victorian-style design which was common from about 1860 to 1900.
Dr. Hackett married Ellen M. Chapin whose family was from Champlain. They had two daughters and one son. When WWI started, Dr. Hackett’s son Frederick enlisted in the army in 1917 and served in France where he rose to the rank of Major. The Hackett family left Champlain in 1918 and moved to Leonia, New Jersey. In July of 1918, Dr. Hackett enlisted in the Medical Reserve Corps at the age of 54 and served in New Jersey and Georgia before he was discharged in October of 1919, a year after the war ended. He left as a Captain. Dr. Hackett died in 1939 and was buried in Compton, Quebec. His wife died in 1940 and was buried in her father’s plot in Glenwood Cemetery, Champlain.
Sometime in the early 1900s, the stately Hackett house was converted to a convent by St. Mary’s parish and the St. Mary’s Academy stone school was erected behind it. In November of 1964, a fund drive was sponsored by the parish to raise $200,000 for a new, modern convent. The convent was built where the former John Henry Whiteside house stood (opposite the old frame convent and a few lots south on Main St.) By early 1966, the new $145,000 convent had been completed. It was two stories and had 22 private rooms. The former Hackett house was demolished. The first St. Mary’s Bazaar was held in 1968 to help raise funds for the parish after the convent’s completion. The bazaar has become a Champlain tradition and has been held every year since. The convent was later acquired by Champlain Telephone Company and is used for its headquarters today.
St. Mary's Academy, which had been used as an elementary school in later years, closed in the summer of 2012. The buildings were used for parish and community events for the next two years. A fire consumed the former school on January 16, 2015, and the remains of the buildings were razed between June and October of 2015.
GPS Location: 44.98510172022329, -73.44526856881183
ST. MARY'S ACADEMY
1906-2012. DAUGHTERS OF THE
CHARITY OF THE SACRED HEART
OF JESUS SAILED FROM FRANCE
IN 1905 TO START THE ACADEMY.
"TOUT POUR LA GLOIRE DE DIEU"
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2017
1906-2012. DAUGHTERS OF THE
CHARITY OF THE SACRED HEART
OF JESUS SAILED FROM FRANCE
IN 1905 TO START THE ACADEMY.
"TOUT POUR LA GLOIRE DE DIEU"
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2017
Paquette Community Park
Main Street
Paquette Park is named after William (1890-1965) and Lawrence Paquette (1925-1992). The father and son were village and town of Champlain clerks for a total of 50 years. The park and plaque were dedicated during Champlain Village's 100 year celebration in August of 1973. The park was created where several Main Street buildings had burned down in the mid-1960s. It expanded again when a brick building near the bridge was bought out by FEMA in the early 2000s. In the mid 2010s, two additional plaques and their stones were moved to the park. The first was the Champlain settlers plaque at the old village and town hall on Main Street which was dedicated in August of 1938 and the second was the Jehudi Ashmun plaque at the former elementary school that had been dedicated in August of 1959.
GPS Location: 44.986346347733, -73.44588447794908
GPS Location: 44.986346347733, -73.44588447794908
Grange Hall Park
Church and Cedar Streets
The Champlain Grange #883 in the village was founded in 1899. Members opened a new hall on January 22, 1925 at the corner of Church and Cedar Streets. Many community events were held at Grange Hall in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. By 1971, the hall building hosted Margaret Senecal's variety shop.
GPS Location: 44.9860550728021, -73.44829777599111
GPS Location: 44.9860550728021, -73.44829777599111
Town of Champlain
During the Revolutionary War, the State of New York raised militias by offering bounties of land to soldiers who enlisted. A young soldier named Pliny Moore, who lived in Kinderhook, N.Y., was awarded a 11,600-acre grant on the Canadian border. Moore surveyed the land for the first time in March of 1785 and laid out 119 lots in October of 1786 during a second survey. In February of 1787, the lots were balloted to Moore and 17 other soldiers. Moore called his new settlement “Moorsfield on the River Chazy.” The Village of Champlain lies entirely in the Moorsfield Grant.
Shortly before Pliny Moore moved to the area, he encouraged the state legislature to divide Washington County (which extended from Albany to Canada). On March 7, 1788, the legislature created Clinton County and the Town of Champlain as one of four towns in the county. Moore traveled back on May 23 that year to build a sawmill near Perry's Mills. He came back in February of 1789 with his wife and child to live here permanently in what was called “Champlain Town.”
The State of New York also awarded land to Canadians who had fought for the American cause during the Revolution. The state created the “Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract” which included lands in Rouses Point and Mooers and extended south towards Plattsburgh. These soldiers and their families, who were refugees living on the lakeshore near the mouth of the Great Chazy River, settled on their new land or sold it and moved back to Canada.
GPS Location: 44.95866053053926, -73.44294270553819
Shortly before Pliny Moore moved to the area, he encouraged the state legislature to divide Washington County (which extended from Albany to Canada). On March 7, 1788, the legislature created Clinton County and the Town of Champlain as one of four towns in the county. Moore traveled back on May 23 that year to build a sawmill near Perry's Mills. He came back in February of 1789 with his wife and child to live here permanently in what was called “Champlain Town.”
The State of New York also awarded land to Canadians who had fought for the American cause during the Revolution. The state created the “Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract” which included lands in Rouses Point and Mooers and extended south towards Plattsburgh. These soldiers and their families, who were refugees living on the lakeshore near the mouth of the Great Chazy River, settled on their new land or sold it and moved back to Canada.
GPS Location: 44.95866053053926, -73.44294270553819
Champlain in the War of 1812
An Overview
The Town of Champlain has a rich history related to the War of 1812. As a town bordering Canada and Lake Champlain, it saw numerous incursions, occupations and skirmishes. More military activity occurred here than in any other town in Clinton County.
The American army occupied the village and town of Champlain three times before invading Canada. In November of 1812, General Henry Dearborn used the Pliny Moore house as his headquarters before marching to Lacolle mill with 5,000 troops. In September of 1813, General Wade Hampton’s troops rowed up the Great Chazy River and camped at Dewey’s Tavern before marching to Odelltown. And in March of 1814, General James Wilkinson’s 4,000 troops camped in Pliny Moore’s orchards on Prospect Street before fighting at the stone mill in Lacolle. General George Izard’s 5,000 troops protected the village in the summer of 1814.
Many skirmishes and raids occurred around town. “Murray’s Raid” occurred on August 3, 1813. In November of 1813, British Major J. Perreault and 1,000 militia pillaged the Village of Champlain after several previous incursions. And in the summer of 1814, Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth’s Riflemen and Capt. St. Valier Mailloux’s militia and Indians had several skirmishes north of the village and along Route 276. Both men were killed in separate ambushes in June and August.
In August and September of 1814, 14,000 British soldiers under command of Sir George Prevost occupied the village and town before marching to Plattsburgh. After the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, a brigade remained until September 25.
Rouses Point was a landing site for Vermont militia crossing the lake. In 1816, the building of “Fort Blunder” was commenced on Island Point.
The American army occupied the village and town of Champlain three times before invading Canada. In November of 1812, General Henry Dearborn used the Pliny Moore house as his headquarters before marching to Lacolle mill with 5,000 troops. In September of 1813, General Wade Hampton’s troops rowed up the Great Chazy River and camped at Dewey’s Tavern before marching to Odelltown. And in March of 1814, General James Wilkinson’s 4,000 troops camped in Pliny Moore’s orchards on Prospect Street before fighting at the stone mill in Lacolle. General George Izard’s 5,000 troops protected the village in the summer of 1814.
Many skirmishes and raids occurred around town. “Murray’s Raid” occurred on August 3, 1813. In November of 1813, British Major J. Perreault and 1,000 militia pillaged the Village of Champlain after several previous incursions. And in the summer of 1814, Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth’s Riflemen and Capt. St. Valier Mailloux’s militia and Indians had several skirmishes north of the village and along Route 276. Both men were killed in separate ambushes in June and August.
In August and September of 1814, 14,000 British soldiers under command of Sir George Prevost occupied the village and town before marching to Plattsburgh. After the Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, a brigade remained until September 25.
Rouses Point was a landing site for Vermont militia crossing the lake. In 1816, the building of “Fort Blunder” was commenced on Island Point.
Maps created by David Patrick based on his research of the War of 1812 in Champlain. See the two Champlain historical calendars for 2006 and 2010 for more information.
August 31, 1814:
The Largest Land Invasion of the United States During the War of 1812 Occurred in the Village and Town of Champlain
On August 31, 1814, the largest land invasion of the United States occurred in the village and town of Champlain, N.Y., during the War of 1812. Champlain was the staging area for the decisive Battle of Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814.
Between 1812 and 1815, the town of Champlain was a revolving door for American and British armies as well as militia and officers on both sides. In November of 1812, American general Henry Dearborn’s 5,000 soldier army camped in the village on their way to conquer Montreal. In September 1813, American general Wade Hampton camped at Dewey’s Tavern with 3-4,000 soldiers on his way to Odelltown and Montreal. In March of 1814 American general James Wilkinson’s 4,000-man army camped in the village before a battle at the Lacolle stone mill. In the summer of 1814, Gen. George Izard’s 4,000-man army camped on the hill around Pine and Spruce Streets in the village of Champlain on the lookout for British troops.
There was considerable activity in and around the village and town of Champlain by the military and militia forces on both sides. Two blockhouses were burned down by the British during Murray’s Raid in 1813. One structure was on Prospect St. A few months later, houses and businesses in the village were pillaged. Many skirmishes took place on upper Prospect St. and on Rt. 276 between Dewey’s Tavern and the border which resulted in the deaths of American commander Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth and British commander Captain St. Valier Mailloux, as well as many soldiers.
Between, May and August of 1814, American general George Izard’s army, about 4,000 troops strong, camped on a hill in the open fields around today’s Pine and Spruce Streets. In early August, the Secretary of War ordered Izard to Sackets Harbor, N.Y. Izard delayed as long as he could because he knew that the British army was massing troops north of the Line. In an August 11 letter, he wrote: “I will make the movement you direct, if possible; but I shall do it with the apprehension of risking the force under my command, and with the certainty that every thing in this vicinity but the lately erected works at Plattsburg and Cumberland Head will, in less than three days after my departure, be in the possession of the enemy. He is in force superior to mine in my front; he daily threatens an attack on my position at Champlain; we are all in hourly expectation of a serious conflict. . . . Let me not be supposed to hesitate about executing any project which the government I have the honor to serve think proper to direct. My little army will do its duty.” He then waited for a reply from the Secretary.
When Gen. Izard could wait no longer, he wrote on August 20: “I must not be responsible for the consequences of abandoning my present strong position. I will obey orders and execute them as well as I know how. Major General Brisbane commands at Odell Town. He is said to have between five and six thousand men with him. At Chambly are said to be about four thousand.” Izard reluctantly left Champlain on August 27.
On August 31, the British invasion of Champlain started under the command of Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost. The right wing camped on Prospect St. around Pliny Moore’s stone farm house and apple orchards. On September 1, the left wing under Gen. Thomas Brisbane camped around Dewey’s Tavern (profiled here several times). The British army consisted of three brigades that totaled 10-14,000 soldiers. The total number of soldiers that may have made it to Plattsburgh afterwards was estimated to be around 8,000.
The British occupation of Champlain was mostly peaceful in nature. Their goal was not to plunder the village but to march to Plattsburgh. However, generals Prevost and Brisbane issued orders that urged Champlain residents to abandon their allegiance to the United States government and invited them to provide provisions to his army. When few villagers came forward, Prevost commandeered wagons and teams and loaded them with baggage and stores. The owners of these items were usually compensated with British gold.
On September 4, the right wing marched down Prospect St., over the Elm St. bridge and south on Main St. to Honey Moore’s Corners (Rt. 9 and Rt. 9B). It took 12 hours for the soldiers to march through the Village of Champlain. They met the left wing from Dewey’s Tavern who marched down Mason Rd. to Coopersville. All of the troops marched to Chazy on their way to Plattsburgh. A number of British troops were left in Champlain on the lookout for American militia. Skirmishes occurred near the “upper bridge” at the corner of Main and Church Streets as well as at King’s Bay and Coopersville.
The Battle of Plattsburgh occurred on September 11 and the British navy was defeated on the lake. Gen. Brisbane reluctantly withdrew his army back to Champlain. The British artillery stayed in Champlain until September 25 due to bad roads.
It is interesting to note that after the war, Gen. Thomas Brisbane sailed to Australia and was made governor of New South Wales in 1821. Brisbane, Australia is named after him.
One question needs to be asked: What would have happened if Gen. Izard’s army had not left Champlain? The army was camped on top of the hill overlooking the village. It had a strategic advantage but it may not have been able to prevent the British from crossing the two bridges over the Great Chazy River. Izard knew his army was one-third the size of the British force so he was at a disadvantage. And the British army was determined to get to Plattsburgh to meet up with the navy who was preparing to sail south.
It is likely a major battle would have occurred in the village with property destroyed and many lives lost. Izard’s army may not have been able to hold their position on the hill. With an overwhelming force, the British may have been able to force their way through Izard’s position or flank around them. But in doing so, the British force would have been weakened and their effectiveness at Plattsburgh may have been reduced. The British may have also been delayed in getting to Plattsburgh, possibly after the naval battle. Many scenarios of “what if” can be contemplated.
Between 1812 and 1815, the town of Champlain was a revolving door for American and British armies as well as militia and officers on both sides. In November of 1812, American general Henry Dearborn’s 5,000 soldier army camped in the village on their way to conquer Montreal. In September 1813, American general Wade Hampton camped at Dewey’s Tavern with 3-4,000 soldiers on his way to Odelltown and Montreal. In March of 1814 American general James Wilkinson’s 4,000-man army camped in the village before a battle at the Lacolle stone mill. In the summer of 1814, Gen. George Izard’s 4,000-man army camped on the hill around Pine and Spruce Streets in the village of Champlain on the lookout for British troops.
There was considerable activity in and around the village and town of Champlain by the military and militia forces on both sides. Two blockhouses were burned down by the British during Murray’s Raid in 1813. One structure was on Prospect St. A few months later, houses and businesses in the village were pillaged. Many skirmishes took place on upper Prospect St. and on Rt. 276 between Dewey’s Tavern and the border which resulted in the deaths of American commander Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Forsyth and British commander Captain St. Valier Mailloux, as well as many soldiers.
Between, May and August of 1814, American general George Izard’s army, about 4,000 troops strong, camped on a hill in the open fields around today’s Pine and Spruce Streets. In early August, the Secretary of War ordered Izard to Sackets Harbor, N.Y. Izard delayed as long as he could because he knew that the British army was massing troops north of the Line. In an August 11 letter, he wrote: “I will make the movement you direct, if possible; but I shall do it with the apprehension of risking the force under my command, and with the certainty that every thing in this vicinity but the lately erected works at Plattsburg and Cumberland Head will, in less than three days after my departure, be in the possession of the enemy. He is in force superior to mine in my front; he daily threatens an attack on my position at Champlain; we are all in hourly expectation of a serious conflict. . . . Let me not be supposed to hesitate about executing any project which the government I have the honor to serve think proper to direct. My little army will do its duty.” He then waited for a reply from the Secretary.
When Gen. Izard could wait no longer, he wrote on August 20: “I must not be responsible for the consequences of abandoning my present strong position. I will obey orders and execute them as well as I know how. Major General Brisbane commands at Odell Town. He is said to have between five and six thousand men with him. At Chambly are said to be about four thousand.” Izard reluctantly left Champlain on August 27.
On August 31, the British invasion of Champlain started under the command of Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost. The right wing camped on Prospect St. around Pliny Moore’s stone farm house and apple orchards. On September 1, the left wing under Gen. Thomas Brisbane camped around Dewey’s Tavern (profiled here several times). The British army consisted of three brigades that totaled 10-14,000 soldiers. The total number of soldiers that may have made it to Plattsburgh afterwards was estimated to be around 8,000.
The British occupation of Champlain was mostly peaceful in nature. Their goal was not to plunder the village but to march to Plattsburgh. However, generals Prevost and Brisbane issued orders that urged Champlain residents to abandon their allegiance to the United States government and invited them to provide provisions to his army. When few villagers came forward, Prevost commandeered wagons and teams and loaded them with baggage and stores. The owners of these items were usually compensated with British gold.
On September 4, the right wing marched down Prospect St., over the Elm St. bridge and south on Main St. to Honey Moore’s Corners (Rt. 9 and Rt. 9B). It took 12 hours for the soldiers to march through the Village of Champlain. They met the left wing from Dewey’s Tavern who marched down Mason Rd. to Coopersville. All of the troops marched to Chazy on their way to Plattsburgh. A number of British troops were left in Champlain on the lookout for American militia. Skirmishes occurred near the “upper bridge” at the corner of Main and Church Streets as well as at King’s Bay and Coopersville.
The Battle of Plattsburgh occurred on September 11 and the British navy was defeated on the lake. Gen. Brisbane reluctantly withdrew his army back to Champlain. The British artillery stayed in Champlain until September 25 due to bad roads.
It is interesting to note that after the war, Gen. Thomas Brisbane sailed to Australia and was made governor of New South Wales in 1821. Brisbane, Australia is named after him.
One question needs to be asked: What would have happened if Gen. Izard’s army had not left Champlain? The army was camped on top of the hill overlooking the village. It had a strategic advantage but it may not have been able to prevent the British from crossing the two bridges over the Great Chazy River. Izard knew his army was one-third the size of the British force so he was at a disadvantage. And the British army was determined to get to Plattsburgh to meet up with the navy who was preparing to sail south.
It is likely a major battle would have occurred in the village with property destroyed and many lives lost. Izard’s army may not have been able to hold their position on the hill. With an overwhelming force, the British may have been able to force their way through Izard’s position or flank around them. But in doing so, the British force would have been weakened and their effectiveness at Plattsburgh may have been reduced. The British may have also been delayed in getting to Plattsburgh, possibly after the naval battle. Many scenarios of “what if” can be contemplated.
Dewey's Tavern
and the
Dewey Cemetery
Prospect St. at Rt. 276
One of the most historic houses in all of Clinton County sits in Champlain Town and is known today as “Dewey’s Tavern.” The house, log cabin and fields around the house saw considerable activity during the War of 1812.
The following essay is adapted from the 2010 Champlain Historic Calendar: “A History of Dewey’s Tavern and its Role in the War of 1812.”
The house known as Dewey’s Tavern was built by pioneer Elias Dewey in 1800 and has stood for over 226 years. The original pioneer log cabin behind the house was built in 1798. The house and log cabin are some of the oldest structures in the Town of Champlain still standing. The nearby Dewey family cemetery is the final resting place of some of the extended Dewey family as well as American soldiers who died during the War of 1812 (legend says British soldiers were also buried here after the Battle of Plattsburgh). The cemetery is the second most important military burial site in the Town of Champlain, after Revolutionary War site Point au Fer.
Dewey’s Tavern is situated at the corner of Route 276 and Prospect Hill Road halfway between the villages of Champlain and Rouses Point. The roads at the ‘Dewey’s Corner’ intersection connect to Champlain Village, Rouses Point, the Great Chazy River and Odelltown and Lacolle, Quebec.
In 1797 or 1798, Elias Dewey (1768-1854) and his wife Lovisa (1773-1846) arrived from Connecticut and purchased several lots in the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract. Elias cut the road from Rouses Point to his house (the road past the golf club). Lovisa’s father, John Hamilton, and his family settled north on Rt. 276 on different lots.
Elias first built a log cabin using logs that were hand-hewed with a broad axe and adze. Today, the marks on the logs are clearly seen on the inside and outside of the cabin. Elias’s small family lived in the log cabin for two or three years. From the look of the cabin today, it is apparent that it was little more than a wind shelter. It is still in remarkably good condition and is very sturdy. How many log cabins from the 1700s still stand in Champlain?
In 1800, Elias built a frame house adjacent to the log cabin. He was fairly well-off by then and his house was built with exceptional workmanship. The inside of the house was very ornate and it is obvious considerable expense was put into the house. French-style trim borders the windows and doorways of the main house. The windows are narrow and are set at floor level. The four outside corners of the house have a very distinctive style of trim. The same trim is used on the porch beams. Two glass windows over the front and side outside doors reveal the old-style bullseye in the glass and may be made of Redford glass (the glass has a blue tint) which is rare to have survived so many years.
Since the Dewey house was on the main road from Albany to Montreal many travelers passed by and needed rest. This prompted Elias to build an addition on the back of his house for use as a tavern (or inn). In each room of the addition was a fireplace and a warming pan that was used to warm the guest’s beds on cold nights. With the addition, the entire tavern contained 22 rooms. Hence, “Dewey’s Tavern” came to be. In 1815, it was known as the “Elias Dewey Inn.”
In the early days of Champlain’s settlement, thousands of acres of land were cleared by settlers for agriculture. The trees were burned to make potash which was a very valuable commodity at the time. Elias Dewey built an ashery next to his house that converted the charcoal into potash. The potash was sold in Montreal and either used there or shipped to England. Other settlers brought their ashes to Dewey’s for processing. The Dewey farm also raised sheep for wool and flax was grown to make linen. The previous owner, Joseph Louie Bedard, took down the potash house but the foundation stones still show through the soil near the garage.
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 started in June of 1812 and lasted to early 1815. During the war, Dewey’s Tavern saw considerable activity by both the American and British armies. In September of 1813, American general Wade Hampton, along with 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers, camped at Dewey’s Tavern before a failed attack into Canada. In March of 1814, General James Wilkinson was at the tavern with his 4,000 soldiers. He made a failed attack on a heavily fortified stone mill in Lacolle and many of his soldiers were wounded or killed. The wounded were cared for in the log cabin, barns and the main house, and the soldiers who died there were buried in the Dewey family cemetery across the road.
The British army also camped around Dewey’s Tavern on their march to and from Plattsburgh in September of 1814. On September 11, the Battle of Plattsburgh occurred and the British were defeated. Tradition says that when the British retreated, they left many of their wounded at Dewey’s Tavern. When the wounded died, they were buried in the Dewey family cemetery. During the occupation of Champlain at this time, a British soldier ran his sword through a crate thinking a spy was in it. Instead, he broke the corner of a mirror. The mirror was kept by the Dewey’s as a reminder of the hardship they endured during the war. The mirror is now in Plattsburgh.
During the war, many soldiers from both armies were captured. Two prisoner-of-war treaties were negotiated and signed at Dewey’s Tavern by representatives of the American and British governments. A meeting was held at Dewey’s on April 15, 1814 and a second was held on July 16. Two of the four treaties signed during the war were negotiated at Dewey’s.
Because of the military activities in and around Dewey’s Tavern, the late author and Plattsburgh State professor Allen Everest called Dewey’s Tavern one of the most historic houses in all of Clinton County. He published three books that mention the tavern and show pictures of it. His 1966 book ‘Pioneer Homes of Clinton County’ and his 1972 book ‘Architecture Worth Saving’ both state: “It is one of the most historic homes in the county.” His 1981 book “The War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley” gives more details about the activities around Dewey’s Tavern during the war. The first book was published by the Clinton County Historical Association who also owns the portraits of Elias and Lovisa Dewey as well as the mirror broken by a British soldier.
The Owners of Dewey’s Tavern
There have been only a handful of owners of Dewey’s Tavern in its 226-year existence. Elias Dewey built the main house in 1800 and lived there until his death in 1854 (Lovisa had died in 1846). His son Silas Hamilton Dewey inherited the house and fields and lived here with his sister Drusilla, his wife Caroline and their daughter Elizabeth until his death in 1884. When he died, he bequeathed his property to his daughter Elizabeth Rebekah Barber who lived in Plattsburgh.
The Dewey farm (sometimes called the ‘Home Farm’ or the ‘Silas Dewey Farm’ in old deeds) was sold by George Edward Barber and others to George A. Cronkite on March 20, 1890. According to deeds in possession of the late Joseph Louis Bedard, some or all of this land was purchased by Joseph Laware Jr. who later sold some parcels to Peter Mero on April 2, 1894 (in 1938, the Laware estate still owned some land near the farm including lots 75 & 76; land was sold by Mary E. Barber (daughter of Elizabeth) to Laware as late as 1912). On March 28, 1901, Peter Mero sold two parcels of land (61¾ acres of land that included the house) for $2,300 to Frank Castine Jr. (1857-1943). Frank would live on the farm for the next 36 years. Although Frank and his wife Magdeline had five children, only a daughter was living in 1943 at the time of his death. Frank’s nephew, Peter Castine Jr., acquired ownership of the farm in 1937 and lived here until 1947.
George Bedard, father of longtime owner Joseph Louis Bedard, purchased the house and farm on September 3, 1947. The purchase included the south lot that was 35¼ acres in size and the 61¾ acres of land the house was on. Two other plots of land were also purchased. With the help of his son Joseph, George Bedard farmed the land but never moved into the house. On December 22, 1961, Joseph Louis Bedard received ownership of the house from his father but did not move there. By 1978, no one lived in the house. In 1984, Mr. Bedard and his wife Rita moved into the house and started to make improvements to the interior and exterior (no work was done that altered the original layout of the house). Mr. Bedard stated that he never saw a fireplace in the kitchen which had been one of the hallmarks of the house. New insulated windows were added and siding was placed over the deteriorated wood shingles. The inside of the square columns supporting the porch were replaced. After many years of hard work, Mr. Bedard brought the house back to its original grandeur. The Bedards lived in the house until the 2020s. Joseph Louis Bedard died on May 17, 2024 and the property went briefly to his brother Maurice who had also farmed the fields around Dewey’s in the 1950s.
The 1798 Log Cabin
The original 1798 log cabin (and possibly the oldest structure in the Town of Champlain) has remained completely unchanged over the last 70 years or so. Mr. Bedard used the building as a shed and pigsty. The downstairs is divided into three sections. Two sections were made into pens for pigs. The third section at the entranceway has a large cement fireplace (not old) that is vented through the original brick chimney. A large iron kettle, three feet in diameter and two feet deep, sits next to the fireplace. Inspection of the walls and ceiling rafters reveals the original hand hewed logs that were joined together by mortise and tenon joints. A rickety staircase (chewed by pigs) is used to get to the upstairs loft. Today, it is hard to imagine raising children under the age of nine in a cabin like this, especially during the dead of winter. At least four of the five children reached adulthood and married. The Dewey’s were certainly a hardy pioneer family.
Additional Buildings on the Property
Mr. Bedard stated that he removed a smokehouse (probably the potash house) that was between the original log house and garage (see the 1948 aerial photograph of the property). The building was perhaps 6x12 feet in size and was made with stone and mortar. It was divided into two sections and had a firepit. The hooks from this building are now hanging in the log house. The stones from this building were piled near the barn across the road (now gone).
Other structures were built near the Dewey house. Adjacent to the driveway was a gazebo that had a slate roof and round posts. It was removed by Mr. Bedard due to its deterioration. The barn across the road (one section was very old and the second section may have been added prior to the 1930s) burned down on April 19, 1973 and had been used as a stable for horses.
In recent years, Mr. Bedard rented or sold most of the acreage around his house and the remains of the burned down barn across the road were completely removed. A heavy metal door from Fort Montgomery was in the debris and covered a well. Bedard added a modern shelter adjacent to the log cabin.
Battle of Plattsburgh Celebrations
Between 2005 and 2014, ceremonies sponsored by the Town of Champlain were held at Dewey’s Tavern at the start of the Battle of Plattsburgh celebrations around Labor Day. The celebrations sometimes coincided with the date that the British army entered Champlain on their way to Plattsburgh. Poster displays were made and re-enactors were a major part of the ceremony. The Bedards were very enthusiastic about the event. Later events have been held across the road at the cemetery site owned by the Town of Champlain.
GPS Location: 44.99166412413351, -73.41200240712978 (Tavern and Log Cabin)
The original 1798 log cabin built by Elias Dewey still stands today and is used as a shed. The original ax and adze marks are clearly visible on the outside of the building. The interior reveals more about how the cabin was built. Injured American soldiers were cared for here in the shed after the failed offensive on the Lacolle Block House in March of 1814.
The late Joseph Louie Bedard at his house and farm, formerly the "Elias Dewey Inn," later known as "Dewey's Tavern." This is one of the most historic houses in Clinton County as officers from both armies stayed at and camped around the house. Two prisoner of war treaties between American and British agents were negotiated in this house. The panels are owned by the Town of Champlain and are now in the Dewey Cemetery and park across the road from the tavern which is also owned by the town.
DEWEY'S TAVERN
CABIN BUILT BY ELIAS DEWEY
IN 1798, HOUSE BUILT IN 1800.
SITE OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH
ENCAMPMENTS AND ACTIVITY
DURING THE WAR OF 1812.
2024 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
DEWEY CEMETERY
BURIAL SITE OF DEWEY,
NEWELL, HAMILTON AND
ODELL FAMILIES.
BURYING GROUND FOR
WAR OF 1812 SOLDIERS.
2024 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
Dewey Cemetery
The Dewey family cemetery is in a field south of Dewey’s Tavern and contains the remains of some of the Dewey, Hamilton, Odell, Newell, Kingsley, Moore and Twiss families. During the War of 1812, American soldiers who died after the Lacolle stone mill siege of March 1814 were buried here. Legend states that British soldiers who were wounded in the Battle of Plattsburgh were cared for at the tavern, and when they died, were buried in the cemetery.
The cemetery was likely established on the south edge of Elias Dewey’s lot #104. Today, the one-acre cemetery is in a 12-acre field on Rt. 276 and across from the school. It is bordered by a corn field and former railroad track embankment. Unfortunately, no trace of the cemetery is seen. The late Joseph Louis Bedard stated that he remembered the cemetery’s iron gate by the road but this was removed prior to 1961. No one knows the exact location of the cemetery but its location can be estimated by knowing the boundary of the original Dewey lot and the conditions of the soil.
The cemetery was likely placed in the elevated sandy area of the field. This location made it easier to dig graves. Most of the field has rock ledge below the surface and other areas of the field are low and flood in the spring. This area corresponds with the south-west corner of the Dewey lot.
So, what happened to the gravestones? After Elias and Lovisa Dewey died, the property went to their son Silas. He died in 1884 and the property passed to his daughter Elizabeth Barber who lived in Plattsburgh. The property was sold and the extended Dewey family lost control of the field. By 1909, Elizabeth was likely concerned about the remains of her family and decided to buy a burial plot in Glenwood Cemetery in Champlain Village. All of the visible stones were moved to Glenwood and placed in two rows. But there were two problems with this move: some gravestones were never found and only half of the bodies were moved.
First, the stones for Elias, Lovisa and their youngest children were not found in 1909. Perhaps the stones had fallen and were buried under sod. In the 1950s two people plowing the field found two gravestones and reburied them on the north side of the field at the edge of today’s corn field. It is likely these are the missing stones.
The second problem has to do with the placement of the stones in Glenwood Cemetery. The first row of stones date to the early 1800s. They were spaced only a few inches apart in concrete. The second row contains stones from people who died in the late 1800s and were spaced far apart. It was suspected that the first row did not have burials and the second row had caskets buried. In 1909 it would have been easy to remove a casket that had been in the ground for 20 years but the remains of a body buried in 1812 or 1830 would have been more difficult to move.
In the summer of 2013, a ground penetrating radar survey was commenced to find the location of the cemetery. The project was executed by two professors in the Anthropology Department at Plattsburgh State. Cemetery records found at Special Collections, Feinberg Library aided in the research. First, a radar survey was used to determine if burials were present in the Dewey plot in Glenwood Cemetery. As suspected, the first row of stones did not contain bodies but the second row did. This meant that more than half of the extended Dewey family were still buried in the field. Afterwards, a 100x60 meter grid was established in the field and low-resolution imaging was made. It was determined that most of the field had rock ledge below the surface. The higher sandy section of the field had no ledge and would have been suitable for graves. This is where Mr. Bedard suspected the cemetery to be. A month later, several trenches were dug by students but no burials were found. It was recommended that a higher resolution radar survey be performed at this site for better accuracy and it is hoped additional fieldwork could be done someday.
And what about the War of 1812 soldiers buried in the cemetery? In the 1940s, before the Bedards owned the property, a farmer plowed the field and exposed many human bones and scattered them throughout the field. These were likely the bodies of the soldiers who would have been buried in shallow graves. After 150 years, the bones would have been only a foot below the surface and easily brought up by a plow. The Dewey family would have been buried much deeper in traditional graves. It should be noted that ground penetrating radar would not be able to detect the remains of soldiers near the surface but it would be able to detect the undisturbed graves of the Dewey family who were buried several feet below the surface.
In the mid-2000s, approximately 12 acres of land was acquired by the Town of Champlain from Mr. Bedard. A flagpole was placed about 20 feet south of the Dewey lot boundary by Woodmen Life Chapter #462 with the support of member Calvin Castine (at the time it was not known where the lot boundary was). In October of 2024, two wayside panels about Dewey’s Tavern that were made in 2010 and 2011 were placed on stands around the flagpole. A blue and yellow historic marker was sponsored by the Woodmen. Recently, the field has been named the Bob Venne Community Park and one acre of this field (about 208 x 208 feet) contains the cemetery. Care has been taken to not disturb the ground north of the flagpole and markers. A parking lot was placed in the field south of the flagpole and outside the property owned by the Deweys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRpDHt_uZ9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7DCnde3Ux4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPlWDuLpjY
GPS Location: 44.988624505493036, -73.4130745392488 (Cemetery)
The cemetery was likely established on the south edge of Elias Dewey’s lot #104. Today, the one-acre cemetery is in a 12-acre field on Rt. 276 and across from the school. It is bordered by a corn field and former railroad track embankment. Unfortunately, no trace of the cemetery is seen. The late Joseph Louis Bedard stated that he remembered the cemetery’s iron gate by the road but this was removed prior to 1961. No one knows the exact location of the cemetery but its location can be estimated by knowing the boundary of the original Dewey lot and the conditions of the soil.
The cemetery was likely placed in the elevated sandy area of the field. This location made it easier to dig graves. Most of the field has rock ledge below the surface and other areas of the field are low and flood in the spring. This area corresponds with the south-west corner of the Dewey lot.
So, what happened to the gravestones? After Elias and Lovisa Dewey died, the property went to their son Silas. He died in 1884 and the property passed to his daughter Elizabeth Barber who lived in Plattsburgh. The property was sold and the extended Dewey family lost control of the field. By 1909, Elizabeth was likely concerned about the remains of her family and decided to buy a burial plot in Glenwood Cemetery in Champlain Village. All of the visible stones were moved to Glenwood and placed in two rows. But there were two problems with this move: some gravestones were never found and only half of the bodies were moved.
First, the stones for Elias, Lovisa and their youngest children were not found in 1909. Perhaps the stones had fallen and were buried under sod. In the 1950s two people plowing the field found two gravestones and reburied them on the north side of the field at the edge of today’s corn field. It is likely these are the missing stones.
The second problem has to do with the placement of the stones in Glenwood Cemetery. The first row of stones date to the early 1800s. They were spaced only a few inches apart in concrete. The second row contains stones from people who died in the late 1800s and were spaced far apart. It was suspected that the first row did not have burials and the second row had caskets buried. In 1909 it would have been easy to remove a casket that had been in the ground for 20 years but the remains of a body buried in 1812 or 1830 would have been more difficult to move.
In the summer of 2013, a ground penetrating radar survey was commenced to find the location of the cemetery. The project was executed by two professors in the Anthropology Department at Plattsburgh State. Cemetery records found at Special Collections, Feinberg Library aided in the research. First, a radar survey was used to determine if burials were present in the Dewey plot in Glenwood Cemetery. As suspected, the first row of stones did not contain bodies but the second row did. This meant that more than half of the extended Dewey family were still buried in the field. Afterwards, a 100x60 meter grid was established in the field and low-resolution imaging was made. It was determined that most of the field had rock ledge below the surface. The higher sandy section of the field had no ledge and would have been suitable for graves. This is where Mr. Bedard suspected the cemetery to be. A month later, several trenches were dug by students but no burials were found. It was recommended that a higher resolution radar survey be performed at this site for better accuracy and it is hoped additional fieldwork could be done someday.
And what about the War of 1812 soldiers buried in the cemetery? In the 1940s, before the Bedards owned the property, a farmer plowed the field and exposed many human bones and scattered them throughout the field. These were likely the bodies of the soldiers who would have been buried in shallow graves. After 150 years, the bones would have been only a foot below the surface and easily brought up by a plow. The Dewey family would have been buried much deeper in traditional graves. It should be noted that ground penetrating radar would not be able to detect the remains of soldiers near the surface but it would be able to detect the undisturbed graves of the Dewey family who were buried several feet below the surface.
In the mid-2000s, approximately 12 acres of land was acquired by the Town of Champlain from Mr. Bedard. A flagpole was placed about 20 feet south of the Dewey lot boundary by Woodmen Life Chapter #462 with the support of member Calvin Castine (at the time it was not known where the lot boundary was). In October of 2024, two wayside panels about Dewey’s Tavern that were made in 2010 and 2011 were placed on stands around the flagpole. A blue and yellow historic marker was sponsored by the Woodmen. Recently, the field has been named the Bob Venne Community Park and one acre of this field (about 208 x 208 feet) contains the cemetery. Care has been taken to not disturb the ground north of the flagpole and markers. A parking lot was placed in the field south of the flagpole and outside the property owned by the Deweys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRpDHt_uZ9I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7DCnde3Ux4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPlWDuLpjY
GPS Location: 44.988624505493036, -73.4130745392488 (Cemetery)
St. Joseph's Church and Cemetery
Mason Road
Coopersville
After the settlement of the French refugees near the lakeshore and along the Great and Little Chazy Rivers in the 1780s, religious meetings were held in the homes of Prisque Asselin, Amable Boileau, Francis Monty, Antoine Paulent, Amable Paulent or at a log schoolhouse near the present hamlet of Coopersville. During the War of 1812 (1812-1815), missionaries of all faiths fled or avoided the town and no religious services were held. By 1818, three years after the war, missionary Pierre M. Migneault came from Chambly, Quebec and held Mass for the first time in town. These visits highlighted the need for a Catholic church and Migneault convinced the French settlers to build a log chapel on the Great Chazy River bank where the old St. Joseph’s cemetery is today. A plot of land was purchased on Lot 115 on September 27, 1821, and a Catholic cemetery was established. In 1828, Father Victor Dugas arrived and became the first settled priest. He had one of the longest terms as pastor, and under his direction in 1843, a brick building was purchased nearby for use as a parsonage (this burned down in 1902). Construction of a stone church of 50x100 feet was started by Dugas. In July of 1844, Father Louis Lapic took over and in September Dugas died. The church was completed in 1845 at a cost of $3,124 (about $94,000 today). On June 21, 1934, lightning struck the bell tower and the church burned to the ground with about 2,000 people watching along the road. The church was rebuilt and is the church standing today.
The cemetery at St. Joseph’s Church was first laid out in 1821 after the purchase of land on September 27. The cemetery was on the edge of the river bank and was two acres in size. Many of the French settlers had been buried on the lakeshore in the "Refugee Graveyard," but after the establishment of this cemetery, they were buried here. The second cemetery next to the church was established on June 28, 1931.
GPS Location: 44.94784262344072, -73.41138183967907
The cemetery at St. Joseph’s Church was first laid out in 1821 after the purchase of land on September 27. The cemetery was on the edge of the river bank and was two acres in size. Many of the French settlers had been buried on the lakeshore in the "Refugee Graveyard," but after the establishment of this cemetery, they were buried here. The second cemetery next to the church was established on June 28, 1931.
GPS Location: 44.94784262344072, -73.41138183967907
ST. JOSEPH'S
1821 1ST LAND DEEDED FOR
R C CHURCH, CLINTON COUNTY
1844-45 STONE CHURCH BUILT
COOPERSVILLE ONCE SERVED 2000
SQ. MILE AREA, SPONSORED
MANY NEIGHBORING PARISHES.
DONATED BY EDWARD & BEVERLY BECHARD 1994
1821 1ST LAND DEEDED FOR
R C CHURCH, CLINTON COUNTY
1844-45 STONE CHURCH BUILT
COOPERSVILLE ONCE SERVED 2000
SQ. MILE AREA, SPONSORED
MANY NEIGHBORING PARISHES.
DONATED BY EDWARD & BEVERLY BECHARD 1994
Refugee Graveyard
Lake Shore Road
The Town of Champlain has many cemeteries and burial grounds that contain the remains of its first settlers, some of whom were Revolutionary War soldiers. Glenwood Cemetery in Champlain Village, Maple Hill Cemetery in Rouses Point, and Shute Cemetery in the town contain soldiers.
One important cemetery in Champlain has been lost to time and only recently has it been rediscovered. This is the Refugee Graveyard, also known as the Wiley’s Point North Cemetery. This was one of the first burying grounds for the Canadian refugee soldiers and their families and it was established before St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Coopersville was laid out in 1820. It is believed that some of Champlain’s earliest settlers are buried here but no early stones survive. This includes Jacques Rouse who briefly lived in what is now Rouses Point. His farm was adjacent to the cemetery. Family lore states that Prisque Asselin, the first Ashline in Champlain, is buried here. Both were Revolutionary War soldiers from Canada. They are likely buried here with their wives and some family members.
The Canadian refugees were soldiers and their families who sided with the American cause during the Continental Army’s invasion of Quebec in late 1775 and early 1776. The invasion culminated in a battle at Quebec City on December 31, 1775, and the Americans were forced to withdraw. During the occupation, 300 to 500 soldiers sided with the Continental Army and came to New York when the army retreated. The Canadians fought in other battles on the east coast and 252 of them were given land in the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract in Clinton County, including the town of Champlain.
Wiley’s Point in Champlain is named after James Wiley who purchased refugee lots in 1819 and afterwards. His descendants owned refugee lots 16 and 17 in 1869. There are two cemeteries in this vicinity. Wiley’s Point North Cemetery is the refugee burying ground and Wiley’s Point South Cemetery is in a nearby field in the Town of Chazy. The refugee graveyard is on Refugee Lot 15 adjacent to Lot 16.
The McLellan Cemetery Transcriptions (1922, 1935 & 1937)
In 1922, architect and local historian Hugh McLellan transcribed the gravestones and noted that the graveyard was “entirely neglected.” Only 13 of 21 gravestones were standing. He saw the graveyard again in 1935 and 1937 and only five were standing then. He recorded names for Amlaw, Ashline (five), Bullis, Dumo, Forsyth (three; Robert was born in Scotland in 1779, wife born in England), Gorbutt, Honsinger, Patnod, Valentine and Whyte. Shortly afterwards, two bulls got into the fenced area and knocked down the remaining stones. The stones were moved and placed in a pile by the lot boundary. Over decades, several inches of sod accumulated on the stones and they were forgotten about. The huge Lot 15 field was mowed but the mound was always avoided and tall grass grew. Although the graveyard was known to a few people, no one knew the significance of it.
Various volumes of the McLellan cemetery transcriptions are found online as well as at the Plattsburgh Public Library, several museums and historic societies in the county and Plattsburgh State's Special Collections library (the original copies).
GPS Location: 44.915047572384495, -73.37873920206478
One important cemetery in Champlain has been lost to time and only recently has it been rediscovered. This is the Refugee Graveyard, also known as the Wiley’s Point North Cemetery. This was one of the first burying grounds for the Canadian refugee soldiers and their families and it was established before St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Coopersville was laid out in 1820. It is believed that some of Champlain’s earliest settlers are buried here but no early stones survive. This includes Jacques Rouse who briefly lived in what is now Rouses Point. His farm was adjacent to the cemetery. Family lore states that Prisque Asselin, the first Ashline in Champlain, is buried here. Both were Revolutionary War soldiers from Canada. They are likely buried here with their wives and some family members.
The Canadian refugees were soldiers and their families who sided with the American cause during the Continental Army’s invasion of Quebec in late 1775 and early 1776. The invasion culminated in a battle at Quebec City on December 31, 1775, and the Americans were forced to withdraw. During the occupation, 300 to 500 soldiers sided with the Continental Army and came to New York when the army retreated. The Canadians fought in other battles on the east coast and 252 of them were given land in the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract in Clinton County, including the town of Champlain.
Wiley’s Point in Champlain is named after James Wiley who purchased refugee lots in 1819 and afterwards. His descendants owned refugee lots 16 and 17 in 1869. There are two cemeteries in this vicinity. Wiley’s Point North Cemetery is the refugee burying ground and Wiley’s Point South Cemetery is in a nearby field in the Town of Chazy. The refugee graveyard is on Refugee Lot 15 adjacent to Lot 16.
The McLellan Cemetery Transcriptions (1922, 1935 & 1937)
In 1922, architect and local historian Hugh McLellan transcribed the gravestones and noted that the graveyard was “entirely neglected.” Only 13 of 21 gravestones were standing. He saw the graveyard again in 1935 and 1937 and only five were standing then. He recorded names for Amlaw, Ashline (five), Bullis, Dumo, Forsyth (three; Robert was born in Scotland in 1779, wife born in England), Gorbutt, Honsinger, Patnod, Valentine and Whyte. Shortly afterwards, two bulls got into the fenced area and knocked down the remaining stones. The stones were moved and placed in a pile by the lot boundary. Over decades, several inches of sod accumulated on the stones and they were forgotten about. The huge Lot 15 field was mowed but the mound was always avoided and tall grass grew. Although the graveyard was known to a few people, no one knew the significance of it.
Various volumes of the McLellan cemetery transcriptions are found online as well as at the Plattsburgh Public Library, several museums and historic societies in the county and Plattsburgh State's Special Collections library (the original copies).
GPS Location: 44.915047572384495, -73.37873920206478
REFUGEE GRAVEYARD
WILEY’S POINT NORTH.
CANADIAN AND NOVA SCOTIA
REFUGEE BURYING GROUND
OF TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN'S
EARLIEST SETTLERS.
2026 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
WILEY’S POINT NORTH.
CANADIAN AND NOVA SCOTIA
REFUGEE BURYING GROUND
OF TOWN OF CHAMPLAIN'S
EARLIEST SETTLERS.
2026 BY WOODMEN LIFE CHAPTER 462
Rediscovery of the Refugee Graveyard
On November 27, 2010, the Refugee Graveyard (also known as Wiley's Point North) was rediscovered by local historian David Patrick who was a relative of Hugh McLellan. All of the gravestones were under tall grass and several inches of sod. Seven were uncovered that day and the writing on the stones were matched to McLellan’s cemetery transcriptions made in 1922. Landowner Francis Laurin, who had farmed this land since he was a youngster, described the size of the fenced in cemetery as he remembered it. He thought the graveyard might have been 60x60 feet but the true size is unknown. When Prisque Asselin and Jacques Rouse died in the early 1800s, this site would have looked very different as wooden crosses or other markers would have been scattered throughout the field.
On November 27, 2010, the Refugee Graveyard (also known as Wiley's Point North) was rediscovered by local historian David Patrick who was a relative of Hugh McLellan. All of the gravestones were under tall grass and several inches of sod. Seven were uncovered that day and the writing on the stones were matched to McLellan’s cemetery transcriptions made in 1922. Landowner Francis Laurin, who had farmed this land since he was a youngster, described the size of the fenced in cemetery as he remembered it. He thought the graveyard might have been 60x60 feet but the true size is unknown. When Prisque Asselin and Jacques Rouse died in the early 1800s, this site would have looked very different as wooden crosses or other markers would have been scattered throughout the field.
Historic Marker Dedication
On July 10, 2026, a blue and yellow historic marker for the Refugee Graveyard was dedicated at the roadside as part of the America 250 celebration in the Town of Champlain. Several descendants of Prisque Asselin (Ashline) and Robert Forsyth attended (families connected by marriage). The marker is near 2237 Lake Shore Rd., Champlain and the GPS Coordinates of the graveyard are: 44.915047572384495, -73.37873920206478. The graveyard is in a large field on private property owned by Susan Laurin LaBelle (third from left in photo below), daughter of Francis Laurin. Clinton County legislator Calvin Castine and his organization, Woodmen Life Chapter 462, sponsored the marker. The 2012 Champlain Historic Calendar chronicled the Town of Champlain’s cemeteries and lost burying grounds, including this one.
On July 10, 2026, a blue and yellow historic marker for the Refugee Graveyard was dedicated at the roadside as part of the America 250 celebration in the Town of Champlain. Several descendants of Prisque Asselin (Ashline) and Robert Forsyth attended (families connected by marriage). The marker is near 2237 Lake Shore Rd., Champlain and the GPS Coordinates of the graveyard are: 44.915047572384495, -73.37873920206478. The graveyard is in a large field on private property owned by Susan Laurin LaBelle (third from left in photo below), daughter of Francis Laurin. Clinton County legislator Calvin Castine and his organization, Woodmen Life Chapter 462, sponsored the marker. The 2012 Champlain Historic Calendar chronicled the Town of Champlain’s cemeteries and lost burying grounds, including this one.
Point au Fer Historic Site
Prior to 1763, the northern half of Lake Champlain was controlled by the French. On June 6, 1760, during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), British Army major Robert Rogers and his Rangers engaged the French near here at Scales Point and pushed them into Canada. Britain was now in control of Point au Fer and in three years controlled all of Quebec.
In 1774, the British built a garrison known as the “White House”. In May of 1775, a small American force gained control of the fort and in June of 1776 American General John Sullivan added an entrenchment around the fort (the creek at the corner) and a 12-foot-tall wooden stockade that was lined with cannon. It was during this time that Benjamin Franklin landed here on his way to Montreal. Benedict Arnold, Charles Carroll and Ethan Allen also stopped here.
After the Battle of Valcour in October of 1776, the Americans lost control of Point au Fer. Half of General John Burgoyne’s British army camped here in June of 1777 on their way to Saratoga where they were defeated.
After the Revolutionary War, the British occupied the garrison for 20 more years. British Captain John Steel used his gunboat “Maria” to patrol the lake off of Point au Fer. He built a small garden at Stony Point that for 90 years was referred to as “Steel’s Garden”. At the enactment of Jay’s Treaty on June 1, 1796, the British left Point au Fer and the United States.
In 1805, a French refugee burned down the fort. American soldiers during the War of 1812 (1812-14) camped around the ruins while watching for British naval activities in the northern part of the lake.
In 1809, Point au Fer was surveyed into three lots and auctioned off by the State of New York. In 1839, George Rochester bought some property at the tip of the Point from John Walker and his descendants still live in the area. Around 1870, Richard Scales purchased Lot No. 2 and built his house on the ruins of the old garrison. The cellar was made of the stonework of the fort. The house is still standing today.
The land within the White House’s stockade is probably the most historic site in all of Clinton County. Except for the plow, the fields and forests around this site have remained largely untouched. Few sites in Clinton County can attest to this. Let this area remain sacred.
GPS Location: 44.94410249604553, -73.35243764692687
In 1774, the British built a garrison known as the “White House”. In May of 1775, a small American force gained control of the fort and in June of 1776 American General John Sullivan added an entrenchment around the fort (the creek at the corner) and a 12-foot-tall wooden stockade that was lined with cannon. It was during this time that Benjamin Franklin landed here on his way to Montreal. Benedict Arnold, Charles Carroll and Ethan Allen also stopped here.
After the Battle of Valcour in October of 1776, the Americans lost control of Point au Fer. Half of General John Burgoyne’s British army camped here in June of 1777 on their way to Saratoga where they were defeated.
After the Revolutionary War, the British occupied the garrison for 20 more years. British Captain John Steel used his gunboat “Maria” to patrol the lake off of Point au Fer. He built a small garden at Stony Point that for 90 years was referred to as “Steel’s Garden”. At the enactment of Jay’s Treaty on June 1, 1796, the British left Point au Fer and the United States.
In 1805, a French refugee burned down the fort. American soldiers during the War of 1812 (1812-14) camped around the ruins while watching for British naval activities in the northern part of the lake.
In 1809, Point au Fer was surveyed into three lots and auctioned off by the State of New York. In 1839, George Rochester bought some property at the tip of the Point from John Walker and his descendants still live in the area. Around 1870, Richard Scales purchased Lot No. 2 and built his house on the ruins of the old garrison. The cellar was made of the stonework of the fort. The house is still standing today.
The land within the White House’s stockade is probably the most historic site in all of Clinton County. Except for the plow, the fields and forests around this site have remained largely untouched. Few sites in Clinton County can attest to this. Let this area remain sacred.
GPS Location: 44.94410249604553, -73.35243764692687
Blue and Yellow Historic Marker at Point au Fer
THE “WHITE HOUSE”
IN 1774, A TWO-STORY WHITE STONE
GARRISON WAS BUILT HERE BY THE BRITISH,
FORTIFIED BY AMERICAN GEN. JOHN SULLIVAN
WITH ENTRENCHMENT AND STOCKADE IN 1776
AND DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1805.
BRITISH OCCUPATION 1774-1775 AND 1776-1796.
AMERICAN OCCUPATION MAY 1775-OCT. 1776.
ENCAMPMENT OF THE BRITISH ARMY JUNE 1777
DURING BURGOYNE’S CAMPAIGN TO SARATOGA.
ALSO NEAR HERE AT SCALES POINT WAS
ROGERS’ RANGERS BATTLE OF JUNE 6, 1760.
FRIENDS OF CHAMPLAIN
2008
IN 1774, A TWO-STORY WHITE STONE
GARRISON WAS BUILT HERE BY THE BRITISH,
FORTIFIED BY AMERICAN GEN. JOHN SULLIVAN
WITH ENTRENCHMENT AND STOCKADE IN 1776
AND DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1805.
BRITISH OCCUPATION 1774-1775 AND 1776-1796.
AMERICAN OCCUPATION MAY 1775-OCT. 1776.
ENCAMPMENT OF THE BRITISH ARMY JUNE 1777
DURING BURGOYNE’S CAMPAIGN TO SARATOGA.
ALSO NEAR HERE AT SCALES POINT WAS
ROGERS’ RANGERS BATTLE OF JUNE 6, 1760.
FRIENDS OF CHAMPLAIN
2008
A complete history of Point au Fer in the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War can be found in the 2017 Champlain Historic Calendar which is still on sale.
Village of Rouses Point
Station House Hotel and Steamboat Landing
Sportsman Pier
Montgomery Street
Multiple Interpretive Panels and Blue and Yellow Markers in this Area
GPS Location: 44.99519265598474, -73.36080828316834
Jacques Rouse
Sportsman Pier
Montgomery Street
Jacques Rouse was born about 1753 in Shepody, Nova Scotia and was living in Quebec City in 1759 when it was conquered by British General James Wolfe during the French and Indian War. Rouse joined the revolution in the fall of 1775 when he volunteered with the invading American forces under General Richard Montgomery. He was present during the Battle of Quebec and retreated with the American forces after the invasion’s failure. He later participated at the Battle of Three Rivers and was present at the Battles of Long Island, Bennington and Saratoga. In the fall of 1778, he enlisted as a private in Moses Hazen’s 2nd Canadian Regiment at Peekskill, NY and served until the end of the war. On the 9th of July 1790, he was appointed Captain of a Company in the Regiment of Militia in the County of Clinton by the State of New York.
Jacques Rouse is said to have settled in this area around 1783 (he settled near the Chazy Line prior to moving to Rouses Point). Rouse was awarded lots 132 and 136 in the balloting. By 1800 he owned lots 16, 27, 43, 50, 86, 99, 113, 128, 134, 136, and 192 from the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract as well as lots 85 and 86 from the Moorsfield Grant that he bought from Pliny Moore. He would own and sell more land over the years.
After Rouse settled in present day Rouses Point, he built a tavern, orchard and garden and a dock at a sandy point of land that was just south of Island Point where Fort Blunder and Fort Montgomery were later built. Rouse would later own lots on the Commons but the Federal Government bought this land between 1812 and 1818. In return the Federal Government built a frame house for his family near the lakeshore on Montgomery Street. This house was removed in the 1850s when the Ogdensburg railroad built a wharf.
Prior to his death around 1821, Rouse moved back to the Chazy line and lived on lot 16. He is believed to be buried in the adjacent "Refugee Graveyard" (lot 15) with his wife and some of their children.
Contributed by Robert St. John
Jacques Rouse is said to have settled in this area around 1783 (he settled near the Chazy Line prior to moving to Rouses Point). Rouse was awarded lots 132 and 136 in the balloting. By 1800 he owned lots 16, 27, 43, 50, 86, 99, 113, 128, 134, 136, and 192 from the Canadian and Nova Scotia Refugee Tract as well as lots 85 and 86 from the Moorsfield Grant that he bought from Pliny Moore. He would own and sell more land over the years.
After Rouse settled in present day Rouses Point, he built a tavern, orchard and garden and a dock at a sandy point of land that was just south of Island Point where Fort Blunder and Fort Montgomery were later built. Rouse would later own lots on the Commons but the Federal Government bought this land between 1812 and 1818. In return the Federal Government built a frame house for his family near the lakeshore on Montgomery Street. This house was removed in the 1850s when the Ogdensburg railroad built a wharf.
Prior to his death around 1821, Rouse moved back to the Chazy line and lived on lot 16. He is believed to be buried in the adjacent "Refugee Graveyard" (lot 15) with his wife and some of their children.
Contributed by Robert St. John
Wayside Interpretive Panels
Sportsman Pier
Montgomery Street
Rouses Point History & Welcome Center
Delaware and Hudson Railroad Station
Pratt Street & Manor Drive
SITE OF
DELAWARE AND HUDSON
RAILROAD STATION
BUILT IN 1889
NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER
FEBRUARY-2025
DELAWARE AND HUDSON
RAILROAD STATION
BUILT IN 1889
NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER
FEBRUARY-2025
GPS Location: 44.99497799449941, -73.37112786027994
First School House in Rouses Point
Champlain Street
SITE OF
FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE
1816
BUILT OF STONE FROM FORT BLUNDER
WAS HOUSE OF WORSHIP FOR BAPTIST,
METHODIST AND PRESBYTERIANS
FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE
1816
BUILT OF STONE FROM FORT BLUNDER
WAS HOUSE OF WORSHIP FOR BAPTIST,
METHODIST AND PRESBYTERIANS
GPS Location: 44.98287201886518, -73.36518252778365
Weeks Cemetery
Maple Street
SITE OF
WEEKS CEMETERY
BURIAL GROUND FOR EARLY
SETTLERS OF ROUSES POINT
FIRST COMMUNITY CEMETERY
1799-1859
VILLAGE OF
ROUSES POINT
WEEKS CEMETERY
BURIAL GROUND FOR EARLY
SETTLERS OF ROUSES POINT
FIRST COMMUNITY CEMETERY
1799-1859
VILLAGE OF
ROUSES POINT
GPS Location: 44.989637616515246, -73.36663643633054
Ezra Thurber's Home
Lake Street
1818
EZRA THURBER'S HOME
PRESIDENT MONROE STAYED
HERE, LATER USED IN THE
UNDER GROUND RAILROAD, 1860
VILLAGE OF
ROUSES POINT-1998
EZRA THURBER'S HOME
PRESIDENT MONROE STAYED
HERE, LATER USED IN THE
UNDER GROUND RAILROAD, 1860
VILLAGE OF
ROUSES POINT-1998
GSP Location: 44.97939701626099, -73.36370884366342
Joel Smith's Home
Lake Street
SITE OF
JOEL SMITH'S HOME
1815
BUILT FROM LOGS AND BRICKS
LATER HOUSE USED AS A
COMMON SCHOOL
JOEL SMITH'S HOME
1815
BUILT FROM LOGS AND BRICKS
LATER HOUSE USED AS A
COMMON SCHOOL
GPS Location: 44.97669354628241, -73.36365502805023
F.W. Myers Building
Lake Street
GPS Location: 44.994222513096936, -73.36504433587966
Rouse Memorial Park
Lake Street
GPS Location: 44.992586036767875, -73.36456377922437
Fort Montgomery
Bridge Road
FORT MONTGOMERY
NAMED FOR AMER. GEN. RICHARD
MONTGOMERY, REV. WAR HERO
KILLED AT QUEBEC 1775. THIS
FORT BEGUN 1844, ARMAMENTS
REMOVED 1900.
NAMED FOR AMER. GEN. RICHARD
MONTGOMERY, REV. WAR HERO
KILLED AT QUEBEC 1775. THIS
FORT BEGUN 1844, ARMAMENTS
REMOVED 1900.
GPS Location: 44.99985596418595, -73.35860389593559
Important copyright notice
All wayside interpretive panels were sponsored by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. All modern photos are copyright by the owner of the photograph.