Hiking the trail to yesterday

Hiking the trail to yesterday This is the page to go along with my web site- "HIKING THE TRAIL TO YESTERDAY. This is a collection of hikes to historic places in northern NY.

Welcome to Hiking the trail to yesterday. This is a collection of two of my lifelong interests, hiking and local history (and some photography to boot). I live in the northern New York town of Edwards. This has been my home since 1972. Like many small rural communities, this area has seen many changes. Edwards was settled in the early 1800’s on the banks of the Oswegatchie river. The Russell turnp

ike ran through the soon to be town, and was a military road connecting Sackets Harbor and Plattsburg. The town is situated between the St. Lawrence river and the Adirondacks. Many of my hikes are to places of local historical significance, and my goal is to share with you some of places and times, and to help preserve a record for future generations. Researching history can be a little bit of a chore, so I hope to do the best that I can with this. It is not a “set in stone” scientific documentation though. Much is gathered from oral history and local lore. Information gathered from the web can be inaccurate. The dates may not be perfect. The location may be off, give or take a foot, yard or mile. The spirit of it is in the context though, and I hope you enjoy my work. I will make every effort to be as accurate as I can . Please hike some of these trails yourself, or just enjoy them from home. This is not a commercial endeavor. I don’t make a dime from this, nor will I never ask for your financial support. What I would ask, is that if you enjoy it, please share it with a friend that might enjoy it as well. Maybe even leave me a comment, so I know you liked it. So please- enjoy! Thanks for stopping by!

Marty is a fine writer and always offers a great talk. If you have time, you would be well served to attend this event.
06/03/2026

Marty is a fine writer and always offers a great talk. If you have time, you would be well served to attend this event.

Celebrate the 250th Birthday of the U.S. with a medley of Adirondack History books by Marty Podskoch!

Join us for an afternoon with award-winning author and historian Marty Podskoch as he takes us on a journey through the rugged beauty and rich history of the Adirondack Mountains. Marty will be presenting a "medley" of his six popular Adirondack works and sharing stories of the people, places, and legends that define the North Country.

Details:
Date: Wednesday, June 10, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location: 3 E. Main St., Canton, NY 13617 OR virtually on Zoom
Online Registration: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/rs9dn75
Pricing: Cost of attendance is a $5 suggested donation, members are free.
If you have any questions, call us at 315-386-8133 or e-mail [email protected]

Marty will be available after the presentation for questions and to sign copies of his books, which are available for sale in the Museum Gift Shop.

About the Author:
Marty Podskoch is a renowned author and historian known for his extensive research into the Catskills, Adirondack fire towers and in his CCC Adirondack, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont books. He also wrote travel books in the Adirondacks, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He is a former reading teacher in Delhi, NY and who now lives in Easton, CT.

05/31/2026

I had a chance to sit down with The Tatnchat Podcast crew to talk about my new book and the whole process behind it. You can check it out here.

Sales are still strong with volume III- have you gotten your copy yet?Available locally at-Otto Sabode - Wanakena, NYGra...
05/09/2026

Sales are still strong with volume III- have you gotten your copy yet?
Available locally at-
Otto Sabode - Wanakena, NY
Grasse River Outfitters- Canton, NY
Adirondack Rustic Store- Oswegatchie, NY
St. Lawrence University Brewer Bookstore Canton, NY
ADK Holy Grail Gift Shop Star Lake, NY
St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture- Canton, NY
also available at eBay- https://www.ebay.com/itm/363337409687 See less

Volume III's chapter 6 explores the legend of "the Big Sink at Kalurah". The legend tells of a bog that swallowed severa...
05/02/2026

Volume III's chapter 6 explores the legend of "the Big Sink at Kalurah". The legend tells of a bog that swallowed several railroad cars, so the chapter explores whether this is fact or fiction. Of course, nearby Jayville enters the conversation, as well as the Bonaparte family and Howard Hughes. The area was once a wild frontier community with a long history of less-than-lawful encounters, shady characters, and even a tar & feathering. Chapter 6 covers all this and more.
Available locally at-
Otto Sabode - Wanakena, NY
Grasse River Outfitters- Canton, NY
Adirondack Rustic Store- Oswegatchie, NY
St. Lawrence University Brewer Bookstore Canton, NY
ADK Holy Grail Gift Shop- Star Lake, NY
St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture - Canton, NY
also available at eBay- https://www.ebay.com/itm/363337409687

Volume III's third chapter takes a deep dive into the Schuler tract in Aldrich, NY. A solid timeline of the property's o...
04/25/2026

Volume III's third chapter takes a deep dive into the Schuler tract in Aldrich, NY. A solid timeline of the property's ownership establishes the tract development right to current times. The namesake of Streeter Lake is uncovered. A gallery of more than a dozen historic pictures of Schuler, his camp, and artifacts helps tell the story. Also, some past misconceptions are straightened out. For fans of the Schuler story and his holdings that now make up a large swath of the Aldrich Pond Wild Forest, this chapter uncovers a wealth of information never before available.
Available locally at-
Otto Sabode - Wanakena, NY
Grasse River Outfitters- Canton, NY
Adirondack Rustic Store- Oswegatchie, NY
St. Lawrence University Brewer Bookstore, Canton, NY
ADK Holy Grail Gift Shop- Star Lake, NY
St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture- Canton, NY
also available at eBay- https://www.ebay.com/itm/363337409687

04/21/2026

EDWARDS — Local historian William C. Hill has released the third installment of his acclaimed series, “Hiking the Trail to Yesterday.” While Volume III continues the author’s mission of …

First box empty, on to #2. Volume III is moving fast!
04/21/2026

First box empty, on to #2. Volume III is moving fast!

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