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Castorland Journal Presentation at
Lowville Academy Scheduled for July 28 Riverfest Kickoff
Published: July 03, 2022 at
04:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from NYS Tug Hill Commission
Castorland Journal Presentation
Scheduled for July 28 Riverfest Kickoff
The Lowville
Academy and Central School (LACS) History Department and the Friends of the
Black River, an ad hoc community group, will host a presentation by Dr.
John Gallucci on Thursday, July 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the LACS high school
auditorium or virtually via Zoom. Doors will open at 6:30. His presentation
on the Castorland Journal will be
free and open to the public, coinciding with the Lewis County Chamber of
Commerce’s RiverFest 2022 weekend festivities.
Registration is required for this free event at tinyurl.com/castorland.
The first-person
accounts of Pierre Pharoux and Simon Desjardins
are reminiscent of the famous Lewis and Clark expeditions to the American
Southwest in the early 1800’s. In 1793, Pierre Pharoux
and Simon Desjardins were sent to the United States to develop newly
acquired French holdings in Lewis and Jefferson counties in upstate New
York. They documented their explorations in what were then largely unknown
regions along New York State’s northwestern frontier. The Compagnie de New
York (New York Company) named its tract Castorland,
from the French word for beaver, castor, found to be plentiful here. The
story is heroic and heartbreaking. Once a promising attempt by the French
to speculate American lands, the duo experienced tragic disappointments.
The death of Pharoux, who drowned in a flooded
Black River, is chief among them. Yet, the story told through the journal
entries brings to life the character of these historic individuals and
along with it the land and people they encounter. This translation of their
journey is a unique document of American history with national significance
that happened in our own hometown.
Dr. John A. Gallucci,
editor and translator of the Castorland
Journal: An Account of the Exploration and Settlement of Northern New York
State by French Emigres in the Years 1973-1797, was born and raised in
upstate and northern New York. His book, published in 2010, has allowed him
to combine his life-long interest in French literature with his on-going
interest in the early history of New York State. Dr. Gallucci is a
Professor of French at Colgate University.
This event is
being held in collaboration with the Lewis County Historical Society, the
Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District, the River Area Council
of Governments, and the New York State Tug Hill Commission. Please visit
the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce website for information on all RiverFest 2022 events at adirondackstughill.com/event/riverfest/.
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The New York State Tug Hill Commission is a
non-regulatory state agency charged with helping local governments,
organizations, and citizens shape the future of the region, especially its
environment and economy. The commission uses a grassroots approach to build
local capacity and provide technical assistance in land use planning,
community development, and natural resource management.
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