PLATTSBURGH — Don Papson will share his memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual community celebration planned for Monday.

Papson, founder of North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, has always been interested in history. Before moving to the North Country, he lived in California and Chicago, and it was during his 13 years in the Windy City that he got to witness history being made.

"I was there in Chicago when he (King) was organizing marches and joined him on a march in Mississippi," Papson said.

SEGREGATION

He never got to meet King face to face, but the civil rights leader's presence and actions made a strong impression on Papson.

"While I was in Chicago, he made a list of demands for improvements on things like loans, mortgages and housing and tacked it on City Hall's door," he said.

King's activism further solidified his thoughts that equality is something everyone should experience.

"Where I grew up in California, we had Japanese, African-Americans and Filipino families all living on this country road," Papson said.

"When I moved to Chicago, it was very segregated. I wasn't used to that. I grew up with the idea that it's OK for different people to live together on the same street."

NEW HOME

Papson has always carried the memories of King with him and has hoped to bring that inspiration to the North Country. A history major in college, he considered becoming a professor in that subject but faced one major hurdle — he doesn't like the way history is often taught.

"I'm interested in people, not dates," Papson said.

He knew he had to find another way to engage people in history. Upon moving to the North Country in 1984 with his wife, Vivian, he wanted to become more than just a passive resident.

"When you live in an area, you need to become a part of it," he said.

RESEARCHED SLAVERY

After learning about the Battle of Plattsburgh, Mrs. Papson asked him if there were any African-Americans in the War of 1812, when it was fought. He didn't know the answer, so he set out to find one.

And then something clicked.

"I read a book on African-Americans in the War of 1812 and realized it was my chance to become a part of the North Country," Mr. Papson said.

He proceeded to research 400 years of slavery in the North Country and was finally able to answer his wife's question when he found evidence of two black soldiers who served in the Battle of Plattsburgh.

Inspired, the Papsons got some money together after they retired and had costumes made, and in 2001 they began re-enacting history.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

In 2004, the Papsons launched the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, and seven years later, the North Star Underground Railroad Museum was born.

Located in the Estes House on Ausable Chasm property in the Town of Chesterfield, the museum opened in May 2011 and has greeted more than 3,000 visitors since then. The entries in the guest book represent names from 23 countries, including Israel, Turkey and England.

"It's easy for people to dwell on the horrors of slavery, but the real story is in the people who believed in God's law instead of man's law," Mr. Papson said.

"Our museum is not about slavery; it's about freedom."

STORIES WITH MEANING

The creation of the North Star Underground Railroad Museum has breathed new life into the Estes House, which was in a state of disrepair.

If Mr. Papson has his way, it will also breathe new life into the region's recognition of its own historical significance. In this way, he would like to keep the legacy of King alive by keeping stories of freedom alive.

After all, Mr. Papson said, history is just a bunch of stories — stories that can remind us of what we, as a people, are capable of accomplishing.

"Dr. King taught us we need to walk together if we want change, that we can make the world a better place," he said.

"That's why we need Dr. King Day. We need to be reminded of his greatness."