REDFORD — By FELICIA KRIEG
Founding members of a new genealogy society here are inviting area residents who are searching to find their place in history to join them in a quest to trace their roots.
The Saranac Valley Clinton County of New York (CCNY) and Canada Genealogy Society is holding an open house and its first meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Assumption of Mary Church basement.
BENEFIT RESIDENTS
The idea for the society started a few months ago, when Julianna Carter, president of the new society, overheard people at the Saranac Country Store talking about how a genealogy society would benefit residents of Saranac and Redford who are interested in tracing their family history. Residents wouldn't have to spend extra time and money driving to the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society in Keeseville, Carter recalled of the conversation. Since Carter has been tracing her family history for 27 years, she thought it was a great idea.
While the new society has some books, pictures and other materials, the group would love to grow its collection to benefit members, Carter said.
"We're small right now, but we're hoping to get bigger," she said. "We are asking people to donate some old history books. We do need some more books for our library ... anything. Office supplies, photos, notebooks. Anything is acceptable as far as we are concerned."
Carter has historical documents with a wealth of information about Nathaniel Lyon, for whom Lyon Mountain was named. She plans to publish her findings in an upcoming newsletter, she said.
GOOD TIME FOR HOBBY
Colleen Seney, executive recording secretary for the society, believes the North Country is unique in that many people in the area are related to others who live here.
"There's a lot of ties here ... a lot of pride in our town ... pioneers," Seney said.
And people from the end of the baby-boomer generation who are retired or nearing their retirement are at a good time in their lives to take up a new hobby like genealogy, she said.
"There's a generation of people that are at the right age to be able to go back and dig up our roots," she said. "A lot of these people have these items tucked away, and they don't know what to do with them or who to ask. Hopefully this will help them open up. After awhile, they get to where they throw it away."
PRESERVING STORIES
Those who possess written historical documents are fortunate because many people who lived even 100 years ago couldn't read or write, Seney said. The oldest generation, she added, needs to be asked for their stories and knowledge of family and town history or it will be lost when they pass away.
Pieces of history can be lost so easily, said John Gould, vice president of the new society and former Saranac town historian.
An example, Gould said, involves the Pickett house, which can be seen from the side of the Saranac Country Store. It was built by Gould's great-great-uncle Ed Pickett in 1893. Pickett's old Civil War uniform used to be housed on the third floor.
"My grandmother lent it to somebody, and it came up missing," he said.
Some of Seney's family history was lost, too. Seney's aunt used to collect items from her relatives and put them in the corner of her attic.
"They had only a few belongings that they were able to bring with them (from France). She collected these things when they all died, and she had them tucked away in her house. She had her oldest brother be the executor (of her estate when she died), and when he went in, they called in an auctioneer and a dumpster, and all our complete life that she had collected her entire life was tossed away," Seney said.
"We have not a single picture hardly to pass on. All the pictures she took of us kids growing up ... they threw them all away. I would hate to see that happen to anyone else because there are people that are sincerely interested in trying to reconnect."
