The town of Newcomb will celebrate Theodore Roosevelt’s journey out of the High Peaks wilderness, from Newcomb to the White House, following President William McKinley’s assassination to become the 26th president with “TR Weekend” September 15 to 17th.

This year’s event also commemorates the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote and the 100th anniversary of the United States entering into World War One.

Events are planned over the entire weekend throughout Newcomb with cultural and informative entertainment for all ages. 

What is often considered the beginning of the fight for women’s rights actually occurred in 1848 in Waterloo, NY, at the home of Jane Hunt.  Hunt’s guests were Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann McClintock and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. As the women drank their tea, they discussed the misfortunes imposed upon females – not having voting rights, not being able to own property, few social and intellectual outlets – and decided that they wanted change. By the end of the gathering, the five women organized the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY, and wrote a notice for the Seneca County Courier that invited women to attend.

Six days later, on July 19, 1848, people crowded into the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, NY. The two-day historic event catapulted the women’s rights movement into a national battle for equality. Although the convention was organized by women, for women, 42 men were also part of the 300-member assembly.

On Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 Mary Cirbus, Program Coordinator for the Adirondack Architectural Heritage Association (AARCH), will share the story on how women in New York State obtained the right to vote on March 26, 1917, three years before the United States granted voting rights to women through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

TR Weekend will also highlight the anniversary of World War One, with programs and events highlighting Adirondack men and women who served during the War.

On Saturday, Sept. 16th, Dr. Rich Frost, author of The Plattsburgh Military Reservation of Pictorial History, will discuss the Plattsburgh movement that trained 27,000 young men for military leadership roles in preparation of the US entry into the First World War.

Beginning in the summer of 1913 with the idea of a training program for young civilians, the U.S. Army conducted two experimental camps for college men. Summer military training excursions for civilians were a long-standing tradition in American history.  Local militias had conducted camps of instruction, but now it was proposed that qualified students be attached to regular army units for four or five weeks in the summer, on a strictly volunteer basis. Hundreds of distinguished and not-so-distinguished public and private leaders in their thirties and forties, including the 36-year-old mayor of New York City, John Purroy Mitchel, volunteered for a summer camp at Plattsburg Barracks in upstate New York. Two of Teddy Roosevelt’s sons, Quentin and Theodore Jr also attended.

Saturday evening, Dr Roy H. Ginsberg, Newcomb Foreign Affairs roundtable moderator and President Theodore Roosevelt (via impersonator Joe Wiegand) will hold a special session called “America At War and The Quest For Peace 1917-2017.” The Town of Newcomb will acknowledge all the young men and women from Newcomb that served their country during this time.

Other events include “Mining in the Mountains –  The Tahawus Story“ exhibit at the Newcomb Historical Museum , a blacksmith demonstration, free wagon rides to Camp Santanoni, and more.

For further information about TR Weekend, click here.