North Country At Work

Man drives horse pulling the village plow on Chapel Street. Circa 1910. Canton, NY.

An early form of snowplowing in downtown Canton. Caption included with photo, courtesy of the Saint Lawrence County Historical Society: Shown herewith is the old-fashioned method of “breaking out the road” along Canton’s Main Street, come a heavy fall of snow. Farmers with their teams hitched to “pungs” or other work-sleds came to town and […]

A team of horses pulls a firefighting steam pumper named for Silas Wright. Three volunteer firefighters in their uniforms pose with it on Main Street in Canton in front of T. Miller’s Furniture store. Circa 1896. Canton, NY.

Planing mill owned by a Mr. Hefferman, located on the Grasse River in Canton. Workers are posed between the mill and railroad tracks. One worker stands atop a load of lumber on a wagon with a horse hitched to it. 1900-1910. Canton, NY.

Ogdensburg Fire Department horse drawn ladder truck driven by two men sits stationed behind the Place Restaurant on Ford Street in Ogdensburg. Circa 1890-1900. Donated by Sean O’Neill.

Milkman delivering milk on Main Street using a horse-drawn bobsled. On the bobsled, there are boxes holding milk covered in blankets. Circa 1930s-40s. Lisbon, NY.

Frank Harper, mail carrier, delivering mail with a one horse cutter during winter. 1912. Lisbon, NY. Donated by Jean Harper.

Horses drawing wagons to the construction site of the underpass on West End Avenue. 1915. Carthage, NY.

A horse-drawn coach, which served as a taxi to deliver people from the train station to the businesses on State Street, is pictured here in the middle of an unpaved State Street. Circa 1880. Carthage, NY. From the Bob Blondin Collection in the Town of Champion Archives.

William Arnot driving his Arnot Hardware Delivery Wagon, doing home deliveries, circa 1910s. Carthage, NY. From the Bell & Arnot Collection in the Town of Champion Archives.