Like everyone else, I have observed the New York state cast iron, blue and yellow markers alongside Jefferson county roads, mostly in the early 1930s. Each one marks the location of an important historical event or structure. This project will list some information about each marker, giving some notice of events in this county that may have been forgotten. At least they will serve as hints for researching our history.
Pomeroy refers to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation who paid for the signs. T.I. SAR refers to the Thousand Island Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, who requested them as part of a project honoring Veteran burials in Jefferson county.
Y - indicates I have a photo of the sign which will be posted when I decide on a format
If anyone knows of other roadside markers, please email me their location. Not just cast iron signs but others such as the Rope Walk Markers.
The New York State signs have a map of the state and the words "New York" at the top, name of the department paying for the sign at the bottom, along with the year erected.
Text for signs "Sign Missing" taken from Wikipedia searches
The Pomeroy signs have their name, year erected and the number of the sign at the bottom. On top they have a circular copy of the Empire State Society, Son of the American Revolution emblem.
A few examples and their abbreviations.
State Education Department - SED
WGP - William G. Pomeroy Foundation
| Marker | Subject | location | GPS | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Adams State Road Cemetery, AKA Honeyville cemetery. Burials as early as 1814. Seven Revolutionary War veterans interred here - WGP 2019, 588 | Adams State Road Cemetery, Rt 177, Adams Center, NY | Y | |
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Adams Rural Cemetery Burials as early as 1801, twelve Revolutionary War Veterans and two U.S. Congressman interred here - WGP 2019, 589 | Adams Rural Cemetery, US Rt 11, Adams, NY | Y | |
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials Union Cemetery, Burials as early as 1810. Revolutiinary War Veterans Asa Maxon & Isreal Warriner interred here, WGP 2019, 596 | Union Cemetery, US Rt 11, Adams Center, NY | Y | |
| Melvin Dewey | Birthplace of Melvin Dewey 1851-1931, Librarian and Educator, Creator of he Dewey Decimal System, In memory of Helen C. Whitney | East side of US Rt 11, in village, just north of the stoplight | N 43.86084° W 076.00504° | Y |
| Alexandria | ||||
| Redwood Glass Pomeroy Sign 2018 #503 | Site of window glass factory est. 1833 by John S. Foster, closed permanently ca. 1881. Hamlet of Jamesville was renamed for company ca. 1834. | NYS 37 & Pine St., Village of Redwood | Y | |
| Brownville | ||||
| Brown Mansion SED 1932 | Home of Gen. Jacob Brown, Commander Northern Frontier Forces, War of 1812, Commanding General U.S. Army 1821 until his death in 1828 | County Rt. 54, Village of Brownville | N 44.00507° W 075.98385° | Y |
| 1st Presbyterian Church, Dexter SED 1939 | Founded July 2, 1839 with eighteen members, Pastor, Rev. Dexter Clary | Kirby St., Village of Dexter | N 44.00507° W 075.98385° | Y |
| Babcock Homestead SED 1939 | Erected 1832-33 by Jesse Babcock; site on Underground Railway, passing negro saves over the Canadian border | Corner of Brown and Kirby Sts, Village of Dexter | N 44.00776° W 076.04485° | Y |
| Cape Vincent | ||||
| Kent's Creek Mill | Site of First Grist in the Town of Cape Vincent Built Prior to 1809 | Where Co Rt 4 crosses Kent's Creek | Sign Missing | |
| Millens Bay SED 1935 | In June 1812 Abner Hubbard with other Americans crossed to Carleton Island and captured FT. Haldimand with it's British Garrison | Corner of Cty Rts 6 & 7 | Y | |
| Sand Bay NYS Highway | Sand Bay. One sided cast iron sign with name of location. | Corner of Cty Rt 9 and NYS 12E | Y | |
| 1812 Barracks SED 1936 | During theWar of 1812, American soldiers were housed in barracks erected here and at the foot of James street- SED 1936 | Cape Vincent,James & Broadway | N 44.12848° W 076.33472° | Y |
| Stone House SED 1932 | Stone House, Built in 1815 by James D. Le Ray de Chaumont. Here Canadian rebels were sheltered during Patriot War, 1838-SED 1932 | Broadway on Western end of Town | N 44.12598° W 076.34206° | Y |
| Cup & Saucer House SED 1932 | Cup and Saucer House - Built near this site by Count Piere Francois Real in 1816 as refuge for Napoleon. Burned 1867 - SED 1932 | James Street. In front of library | N 44.12765° W 076.33955° | Y |
| French Catholic Church SED 1932 | French Cath. Church - Built here 1832 by early settlers. Heros of Napoleon's army & French refugees worshiped here - SED 1932 | Dezengremel Road, just south of Rosiere | N 44.11009° W 076.25455° | Y |
| Tibbit's Lighthouse SED 1932 | Tibbits Point Lighthouse - First in Jefferson County, Built 1827, rebuilt 1854 - SED 1932 | Tibbits Point | N 44.10137° W 076.37036° | Y |
| Champion | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR 2019 #593 | Patriot Burials - Hillside Cemetery, Burials as early as ca. 1805. At least Ten Revolutionary War Veterans interred here | Hillside Cemetery, Cty Rt 47,Champion, NY | N 44° 09.955' W 076° 04.798' | Y |
| Hubbard Home Pomeroy 2016 #296 | Noadiah Hubbard, Founder of Champion Vilage, built the stone homestead in 180. It passed to his eldest son, Hiram in 1831 | NYS 126, Champion, NY | N 43° 57.681' W 075° 41.266' | Y |
| Hiram Hubbard Pomeroy 2016 | Hiram Hubbard House has been placed on the National Register of Historic places in 2009 by the United States Department of the Interior | NYS 126, Champion, NY | N 43° 57.681' W 075° 41.258' | Y |
| Clayton | ||||
| Church 1834-35 | Francis Depau Deeded Site For House Of Worship That Shall Forever At All Times Be Open And Free To The Use Of All Denominations | School Street, DePauville, NY | Sign Missing | |
| Elm Flat Church | Forty Rods To The East Stood The First Church In The Town Of Clayton A Log Buiding Built 1820 By The Free Wil Baptists | Cty Rt 179 and NYS 12, ¾ mi NW of DePauville, NY | Sign Missing | |
| Barlett's Point | Bartlett's Point - American battery under Capt. McPherson on heights near river, erected November, 1813 - SED 1935 | North side Rt 12E, heading West from Clayton | N 44.22810° W 076.10739° | Y |
| Penet's Square | Penet Square - N.W. Corner of a tract ten miles square ceded to Peter Penet by the Oneida Indians September 22, 1788 - SED 1935 | South side Rt 12E, heading West from Clayton | N 44.23177° W 076.09045° | Y |
| McCarn Hill | McCarn Hill - Site of log cabin belonging to Elijah McCarn, first President village of Clayton, Inc. 1872 - SED 1973 | East side of Rt 12, just south of village | N 44.22035° W 076.07121° | Y |
| Weteringhra Guentere | Weteringhra Guentere - Ancient site of Algonquin fort & 1st land Pat. In county, 1789. Clayton vilage settled here 1820. - SED 1932 | North side Rt 12E, heading West from Clayton | N 44.23119° W 076.09386° | Y |
| Native Pathway | Native Pathway - For millennia, indigenous tribes traveled this inland route beween the Saint Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, canoeing French Creek and the ChaumontRiver, with four miles of connecing portages | South end of Rt 178 bridge in DePauville | N 44.13903° W 076.06798° | Y |
| Pomery - Road to the 19th Amendment 2019 # 13 | Votes For Women-In August 1846 six women from Depauville petitioned NY State "to extend to women equal and civil and political rights with men" | West side of NYS 12, North of Depauville, just past Cty Rt 9 | N 44.16592° W 076.07996°: | Y |
| Ellisburg | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Ellisburg Cemetery, Burials as early as ca. 1805. Eleven Revolutionary War Veteans interred here - WGP 2019, 592 | Ellisburg Cemetery, Ellisburg, NY | Y | |
| Henderson | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Carpenter Cemetery, burials as early as ca. 1800. Nine Revolutionry War Veterans interred here - WGP 2019 #581 | Carpenter Cemetery, NYS Rt 3, Henderson, NY | Just south of Stony Creek | Y |
| Hounsfield | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Muskelunge Cemetery, burials as early as ca. 1812. Six Revolutionary War Veterans interred here WGP 2019 #594 | Muskalonge Cemetery, Evans Rd, Town of Hounsfield, NY | Y | |
| Blockhouse SED 1932 | Erected in 1812 for defense against the British attack, Stone house, the Tiesdale homestead, erected 1819 | W. Washington & S. Broad Sts, Sackets Harbor | N 43.9463° W 076.12099° | Y |
| Fort Chauncey SED 1939 | War of 1812, named for Commodore Isaac Chauncey | Broad & Main Sts, Sackets Harbor | N 43.94639° W 076.11882° | Y |
| Home of Dr. Samuel Guthrie SED 1932 | Born 1782-Died 1848, Discovered Chloroform, 1831, invented percussion caps, Surgeon in War of 1812 | NYS 75 & Hess Rd, Sackets Harbor | N 43.95169° W 076.09232° | Y |
| Union Hotel - April 1817 SED 1939? | Buil by Frederick Whte, 1st Masonic Lodge Jeffrson Co.,Ontario Lodge formed April 4, 1805, Athol Lodge formed 1818, Sackets Lodge formed 1848 | W. Main & Ray, Sackets Harbor | N 43.94854° W 076.12284° | Y |
| Sackett Mansion SED 1935 | Built by Col. Augustus Sackett 1801-1802, used as a hospital in War of 1812 | W. Main & Bayard, Sackets Harbor | N 43.94800° W 076.12231° | Y |
| Fort Virginia SED 1939 | War of 1812, Armed with 18 guns. | W. Washington & Ambrose Sts, Sackets Harbor | N 43.94593° W 076.12154° | Y |
| Cable Carry | Roue taken by the men who carried the 4 ton cable for the ship "Superior" twenty miles from Sandy Creek battlefield to Sackets Harbor in June 1814 | on Co. Rt. 75 near it's intersecion with NYS 3 | N 43.92779° W 075.10816° | Y |
| La Ray | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR | Patriot Burials - Old Evans Mills Cemetery, Burials as early as ca. 1816. Twelve Revolutionary War Veterans interred here. WGP 2019, 595 | Old Evans Mills Cemetery, Evans Mills, NY | Y | |
| Orleans | ||||
| Log Mills | Site of First Mill, erected 1819 at Log Mills. Renamed LaFargeville July 4, 1823 SED 1936 | Rt 180, LaFargeville, NY, across from library | N 44.19341° W 075.96660° | Y |
| Toll Gate-1852 | Clayton Theresa Plank Road on Creek Six Rods South is Site of Cole's Saw Mill Built 1835-SED 1935 | Corner of Cty Rt 5 & Cty Rt 181 | N 44.19599° W 075.98756° | Y |
| Watertown | ||||
| Pomeroy & T.I. SAR 2019 #590 | Patriot Burials-Brookside Cemetery Burials as early as 1807. At least 15 Revolutionary War Veterans interred here & NYS Governor Roswell Flower | Brookside Cemetery, Watertown, NY | N 43.94210° W 075.91599° |
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