Programs

Join us for the first of two special screenings of Discovering Jefferson County, a WPBS documentary series tracing the rich history of New York’s North Country.

Part 1: The French Connection and Early Settlers explores the early presence of the Oneida, Iroquois, and Algonquin tribes, the arrival of French explorers like Samuel Champlain, and how conflicts such as the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 shaped the region’s development.

Part 2: Burning, Building, and Rebuilding turns to the rise of Pine Plains—now Fort Drum—and its pivotal role in regional growth. As soldiers and their families settled nearby, towns flourished. Yet the period’s rapid expansion came with setbacks, including devastating fires that consumed timber-built structures like homes, mills, and businesses.