Massena at 200: A Walking Tour

2002 will be a confluence of milestones for St. Lawrence County. The county itself was incorporated two hundred years ago. Alcoa’s aluminum plant celebrates a hundred years of operation in the North Country. And the town of Massena turns 200 years old. Ma ssena is planning a year of celebrations to commemorate the milestone.

John Michaud III, a local writer and historian, recently published the first bicentennial history of Massena. It's called Yesterday in Massena: A Bicentennial Celebration 1802-2002. He and David Sommerstein recently took a walk down Massena’s Main Street to see how the town has changed. Listen to story (8:04)

Right: Our tour starts at the Orvis Street cemetery. John explains how Massena got its name. (1:55)

 

 

Left: Down Orvis Street towards Main Street is the site of the old Unitarian church.

 

 

Right: John holds a newspaper clipping of what the chruch used to look like. Hear his description. (0:37)

 

 

Left: On some parts of Main Street, the original architecture of the 19th century has been replaced by aluminum siding, stucco, and more modern buildings. But on this block, some of the original brick remains. The tawny building on the right is the old movie theater. (1:12)

 

Right: John stands on Main Street at twilight. Down the street on the right is the old oak tree. (1:26)

Yesterday in Massena: A Bicentennial Celebration (1802-2002) is available at locations throughout Massena. For additional information, e-mail David Sommerstein.

Additional links:
Town of Massena's homepage
Massena's bicentennial web site