North Country History Books


	About the Almanacs: St. Lawrence County & 1998 Ice Storm Almanacs The Stories Photo Editions Features

St. Lawrence County Almanac, volumes 1 through 4, and the 1998 Ice Storm Almanac make great unique gifts for the "hard to buy for" people on your Christmas, birthday or other gift- giving lists. All five books were printed in both paperback and hardbound form.

Each of the four volumes of the St. Lawrence County Almanac feature many of the fascinating and compelling stories about the history of New York State's largest county. In vignette form, each page commemorates an event for each day of the calendar year and summarizes the events, people, places, folklore and heritage of this great county.

St. Lawrence County Almanac, Volume 1, in the blue cover, was published and copyrighted in 1996. It provides a basic overview of the county from the first settlers to modern developments. Among its many features are: the first settlement at Fort LaPresentation, the Legend of Joe Indian, Dr. Hervey Thatcher's creation of the world's first glass milk bottle in Potsdam and a biography of St. Lawrence. (414 pages)
[Out of print. No longer available.]

St. Lawrence County Almanac, Volume 2, in the green cover, was published and copyrighted in 1997. The second edition provides more information on the development of the county with a greater emphasis on anecdotes, unique events and quirky stories from local history: how a local newspaper editor blamed U.S. President Andrew Johnson for actions that contributed to the suicide of an Ogdensburg congressman. A Clarkson students' film project became the forerunner for the movie and television series, "A Nightmare on Elm Street," named for Potsdam's Elm Street. In the early 1900's, world champion prizefighter Bob Fitzsimons fought an Adirondack lumberjack in southern St. Lawrence County. (400 pages)

St. Lawrence County Almanac, Volume 3, in the red cover, was published and copyrighted in 1999. Containing nearly 500 photographs, it is the first pictorial volume in this historical series. In addition to the articles, the pictures show the cornerstone of Fort LaPresentation, the county's first permanent white settlement; the first St. Lawrence County courthouse, destruction of the first county jail, landmark and historical sites around the county, founding fathers and much more. (396 pages)

St. Lawrence County Almanac, Volume 4, in the brown cover, was published and copyrighted in 2000. The book offers another large collection of nearly 500 photos and fascinating stories, with photos of the real Joe Indian, his gun and powder horn; the bygone settlements of Clarksboro and Kalurah; the Norwood tornado of 1885; a deadly bridge disaster on the St. Lawrence River; and several of the county's namesake pioneers. (396 pages)

The 1998 Ice Storm Almanac, in the ice-blue cover, was published and copyrighted in the fall of 1998, only months after what was described as the single-largest weather disaster in the recorded history of northern New York. In the dead of winter without electricity and heat, and dwindling food supplies, the great ice storm nearly brought the North Country to its knees. The book features many recollections of the struggles to survive a disaster of massive proportions. (300 pages)