Over recent years many of us have learned that New York’s North Country had long been a more ethnically diverse area than has been appreciated. Older histories that categorically denied any permanent indigenous presence have been refuted. Furthermore, plenty of evidence confirms more African Americans resided here than previously realized.

A new book by Bryan Thompson, “African Americans of St. Lawrence County,” adds to substantiation of the latter. Thompson’s methodical search through land records, census data, contemporary newspapers and more has revealed considerable anecdotal information, along with the chance to ascertain certain trends.

Part of this writer’s determined effort followed frustration when one of his adopted black son’s teachers commented, “Your son was sick the day we talked about Black history.” Thompson knew there had to be more than a “day” of information worth including in the curriculum.

I look at his book as describing a series of waves. Many early settlers, including the man who established La Presentation (present-day Ogdensburg) in 1749 and the first county clerk, came with enslaved people they already owned. It’s worth noting slavery wasn’t fully abolished in New York state until 1827.

Louis Cook, the only African American to earn an officer’s commission in George Washington’s army, intrigued me. Cook participated in the colonial attack against Quebec, was active in fighting at Oriskany, and present during the winter encampment at Valley Forge. He served the American military still even later, during the War of 1812.

A family named Fry arrived as one of Gerrit Smith’s land grants designed to give Blacks the $250 in net worth necessary to vote under New York’s early 19th century statutes. The Fry family ended up living in Gouveneur for over six decades.

Another wave came with migration during and after the Civil War. More than a few newly emancipated southern slaves joined military companies and followed the soldiers back north. Others weren’t soldiers but camp followers. A few became important local figures, like George Swan, who achieved considerable business success and gained great popularity.

The first part of the 20th century saw what became known as the Great Migration, during which many southern Blacks migrated north. A desire to escape the Jim Crow south motivated them, as did the lure of employment in growing northern industry. This was especially relevant in St. Lawrence County, where Alcoa opened its first aluminum plant in 1903. The firm regularly hired African American workers, providing company housing for many of them.

Relocation to St. Lawrence County offered no panacea. As Reconstruction ended during the late 1800s, many southern racist overtones found their way to northern states. Thompson makes clear that interracial marriages, once quietly accepted, became sources of outrage later in the century.

The county also turned out to be a surprising stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan. Rallies attracted hundreds and sometimes thousands of participants. No lynchings were reported in the book, but some judges grew fond of punishing African Americans for small offenses and summarily banishing them from the county. Perhaps not surprisingly the black population of St. Lawrence County dropped precipitously by the 1930s.

This volume is of modest size, but that didn’t always make it easy to read. Much of the material is anecdotal in nature, and the author is prone to lengthy asides. Some census material is appended. I’d also have appreciated an index.

Thompson certainly realizes his research has not been exhaustive. He understands his limitations, though, and one senses he’d welcome any additional information to which his readers might have access. In fact, I suspect one key sequela of this book will be the additional investigation that it stimulates.

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Correction: Last time, I reviewed John Sasso’s History and Legends of the Northern Adirondacks. Ambiguous writing caused me to suggest that the Saranac 6 are High Peaks, which is not true since none reaches 4,000 feet in altitude. Also, I erred in stating that the book is the first in a four-part series; more volumes are to come, but nothing else has been determined. –Neal Burdick