Special Post due to the upcoming premier of the Ken Burns series.

Tories, Spies, War, Imprisonment, Settlements Burned
The American Revolution in Essex. Three linked sources below provide an excellent overview of Essex/Willsborough during the American Revolution: All are on the town digital archive, linked under Books on Essex

  1. Chapters 1 and 2 of Morris Glenn’s 2021 work (link), William Gilliland’s 1765 Pioneer settlement of the Boquet River: Willsboro and Essex, NY. (pp 15-60)

  2. Glenn’s prior 2020 work (link) entitled, The Formation of Essex County & Several Tracts of Land Called: "Elizabeth".” This report detailed the settlement of land south of the Boquet River toward Essex Village from 1765-1790.  While some of this was reproduced in his 2021 work on Gilliland, this report gives greater details on the “Elizabeth Tract.”

  3. Russ Shapiro recently identified another historical vignette (link), which involved a visit by Charles Carrol and Benjamin Franklin to Essex/Willsboro in April 1776 as recorded in, The Journal of Charles Carroll of Carrollton During his visit to Canada in 1776.  (pp. 80-81 of the journal or 91-92 of the pdf)

Franklin and Carroll travelled as part of a diplomatic mission to Canada stopping here at, “one McCaully’s.”  William Maculay (alternatively  McCaully)   lived in the vicinity of present day Essex Village as noted in an 1860 NY Gazeteer. His brother, Robert, a Tory, likely lived south of the Boquet River and north of the town line - as noted by Morris Glenn’s above works (drawing from previous unpublished research by Albert Hayward and George McNulty).

As you watch the PBS series we hope you will take time to learn more about the local contributions to this national undertaking

Office of the Town Historians

 

John Noble, III

Todd Goff

 

It is the mission of the Office of the Essex Town Historian to acquaint its local and regional citizens, students, schools, civic and social organizations with our resources/collections in order to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the history and significance of Lake Champlain, Essex and surrounding lands to the town. Accordingly, the Town Historian will not only acquire, store, catalog, and preserve all non-governmental records, photos, materials, and local artifacts but will actively publicize and promote our resources/collection making them easily available to all local, regional and other citizens. We have a large collection of written and oral materials which can now be conserved, identified and saved in alternate media forms.

 
 

The Town of Essex has parterned with Storyworth to create a recorded history of Essex and its residents. Historian John Noble has assembled a terrific book that you might be interested in reading. We hope you enjoy!

Historic “500 words” Interpretation Reports

  • A Meal to Remember (PDF) November 2025

  • Murder Most Foul (PDF) October 2025

  • The Last Depot (PDF) September 2025

  • The House that Who? Built (PDF) August 2025

  • The Story Behind the Library (PDF) July 2025

  • A Walk with Sid Couchey (PDF) June 2025

  • Yet Another Esteemed Vessel (PDF) May 2025

  • A Place in Our History (PDF) April 2025

  • Hickory Hill Revisited (PDF) March 2025

  • The Mouse that Roared (PDF) February 2025

  • Ex Libris Essex (PDF) January 2025

  • A Bountiful Table (PDF) November 2024

  • Essex County Republican (PDF) October 2024

  • A Diamond found in the Rough (PDF) September 2024

  • SRYC since 1939 (PDF) August 2024

  • Growing Up In Essex (PDF) July 2024

  • Save 50 Miles (PDF) June 2024

  • One Sunday in Essex (PDF) May 2024

  • People Power (PDF) April 2024

  • Essex Equestrian (PDF) March 2024

  • Essex on the Party Line (PDF) February 2024

  • M is for Memory, Part 2 (PDF) January 2024

  • Happy Thoughts for the Holidays (PDF) Dec. 2023

  • Celebrating Essex Today Yesterday (PDF) Nov. 2023

  • Little House on the Big Lake (PDF) October 2023

  • School Days (PDF) September 2023

  • Back To The Future (PDF) August 2023

  • A Little Summer Reading (PDF) July 2023

  • A Founding Father (PDF) June 2023

  • Honoring Our Vets (PDF) May 2023

  • April Foolin’?? (PDF) April 2023

  • To The Lighthouse (PDF) March 2023

  • Ferry Tales (PDF) February 2023

  • The Runner & Fads (PDF) January 2023

  • M is for Memory (PDF) December 2022

  • Split Rock and Native Peoples (PDF) November 2022

  • Octagonal Schoolhouse (PDF) October 2022

  • ECHO Celebrates 50 years (PDF) September 2022

  • Maclurites magnus (PDF) August 2022

  • Horse Nail Factory (PDF) July 2022

  • Essex Firehouse (PDF) June 2022

  • Texaco Sign at the Marine Base (PDF) May 2022

  • Ben Franklin Ate Here! (PDF) April 2022

Photo Archives (by Street)

Disclaimer: Not for private reproduction. These are a collection of digital images obtained from numerous sources donated to the Town’s digital archive over many years. Images from copyright material may be present.

Additional Essex Images

 

Essex, Now and Then

Take a trip back in time with these short videos that compare areas in Essex of today to days of yesteryear.

 

Archival Documents

  • Electricity, Telephone, & Sidewalk History in Essex

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  • 1975 Historic District Nomination

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  • ECHO publications 1984 - 2008

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  • Essex Initiatives newsletters 1997-1999

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  • Historic Tax Assessments 1820-1886

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  • Historic Maps

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  • Shipbuilding in Essex

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  • Battle of the Boquet River and War of 1812

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  • Biographies and oral histories

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  • Books on Essex

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