Cornell Cooperative Extension St. Lawrence County

Deep Roots in the Community

The organization of the Farm Bureau in 1913, was the beginning of Cooperative Extension in St. Lawrence County. The constitution and by-laws were adapted at a meeting in February 10, 1913 and the following officers were elected. E.A. Horton, President, E.A. Newell, Vice President, and H.E.Sweet, Secretary-Treasurer.

Charles Phelps was hired as the first County Agent and he started work on February 15, 1913. The Board of Supervisors appropriated $1000 that first year. The U.S. Dept of Agriculture paid one-third of the salary and travel expense. The salary wa s $1,800 and the travel expense was $900.

In the early years the Farm Bureau helped organize the Dairyman’s league, and the G.L.F. The Diary Herd Improvement Association were organzied, as was rural electrification. The organziation also helped to stamp out tuberculosis in cattle.

The first Home Buruau Committee was set up in 1917, with Mrs. Fred Hosley, Canton as organzier and Mrs. Lottie Sampson, Potsdam as Chairman. The first help from Cornell was received in 1915. In 1917-18 an emergecny food agent from Cornell gave 64 demonstrations and talks in 24 communitiies. This type of help continued until 1924 when there were 732 members. Mrs. Ruth Green Smith went before the Board of Supervisors and asked for the first appropriation which passed with an unanimous vote. Mrs. Mabel Milhan became the first agent in March 1925. In 1926, the County had a total membership of 1221, which was the highest in the State.

By 1915, Junior Extension work, as it was called, was widely promoted through the schools of St. Lawrence County. By 1925 there were 10 4H Clubs in Massena Schools unde the Agriculture teacher, Henry White. Roy Gibbs, Agriculture Teacher in Gouverneur, had 6 community 4H clubs; also there was a county-wide Jersey calf club, and a large calf club at Winthrop. In addition, mabel Milhan had several 4H homemaking clubs. The Baord of Supervisors made the first appropriation in 1929, and the County 4-H club was organized in 1930. Bert J. Rogers was hired as the first county 4-H Club Agent starting work on Freburary 1, 1930.

In 1955, the Farm and Home Bureaus separated from the Extension Service in New York State. Separation was required because the national and state organziations of Farm and Home Bureau Federations had become increasingly involved in partisan polics, forming very active lobbies both on the state and federal levels. The USDA insisted that if Cooperative Extension were to continue to receive public funds for educational programming, it would have to separate itself from private political influence.

As the passing years have changed the wasy people of St. Lawrence County live and work, Cooperative Extension has changed to meet the different needs, but its goal is still the same: To help people put knowledge to work.

About St. Lawrence County, New York

St. Lawrence County, a delightfully rural mix of farms, forests and small towns, is the largest county in New York State and the fifth largest United States county east of the Mississippi River. Canton, the county seat, is located about 25 miles from the St. Lawrence River. Our “Maple City”, Ogdensburg, and the equally large (small?) Village of Massena are located on the St. Lawrence. The beautiful St. Lawrence forms the boundary between our county and our neighboring counties in Ontario, Canada. The northern gateway to the fabulous Thousand Islands area is found in our river Towns of Morristown and Hammond.

St. Lawrence County originally was comprised of 10 towns and was a part of Clinton County with Plattsburgh as the County Seat. Because of the great distance and danger of traveling to Plattsburgh the people of the west petitioned for the establishment of a new county, now known as St. Lawrence County.

St. Lawrence County was formed on March 3, 1802 with its county seat in Ogdensburg. As the county expanded, citizens in the central and southern parts became dissatisfied with the location of the county government. They complained about the long, hazardous journey in the winter months, and feared an attack by the British, since Ogdensburg was so close to Canada.

In 1828, after a bitter debate the county seat was moved to Canton, a more central location. The county government has remained in this location since.

The county and its government have gone through many changes since their beginning. Some changes were as a result of the citizens desires; other changes were beyond their control such as destructive fires, population growth, and changes required by law.

The county is now comprised of 32 towns, 1 city, and 13 villages. Click here to find the locations of towns, villages and city within the County.

St. Lawrence County is definitely on the northern US frontier, and some consider it remote. But it’s not. In fact, Acco Corp. chose to locate its eastern North America distribution center in Ogdensburg, and the Cives Corp. distributes structural steel throughout the Northeastern US from its facility in the Village of Gouverneur. We are conveniently located close to Ottawa, Ontario, which is Canada’s capital city, and to Montreal, Quebec, North America’s French-speaking metropolis.

We are definitely a down home place, but we like our culture, too! We are home to SUNY Potsdam and its Crane School of Music, Clarkson University, St. Lawrence University, SUNY Canton Technical College, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Ranger School, and Wadhams Hall and Seminary.

The southeastern third of the county, 953 square miles, is within the Adirondack region, one of America’s most unique wild areas–unique in being a patchwork of private and public lands, with several hamlets, paper and wood products industries, and all the vacation paradise one could wish for–if your idea of vacation is fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, birding, geologizing, cycling, snowmobiling, back-country skiing, or just relaxing and taking in the vistas. The county has thousands of acres of state land, including wilderness areas, that are open to public recreational use. Many acres of private forest land are open for public recreational use where so posted.