The View at the Top of the State

Where is upstate? Poughkeepsie? It's old joke among us who Eve way up north, along border of Ontario and Quebec. That's why we prefer to call home the or, as some like to say, the REAL Upstate! I wrote following article a couple of years ago at invitation of a team of consultants who were working on a Corridor Management Plan for a proposed North Country Scenic Byway. The route follows existing secondary highways that, in some places, are a stone's throw from our Canadian neighbors. I was asked to write an insider's perspective, as both a folklorist and a lifelong resident. With my wife Judy driving and a notebook and camera in my hands, we traveled length of future byway. Here is what we saw: If you're headed to Orleans, you can start at Rouses Point. From Lake Champlain to Lake Ponchartrain, it's about 1600 miles on historic US Route 11. To get there from here, you will first travel through York's North Country, auspicious beginning. Scholars, politicians, even local residents disagree about region's boundaries. Some say it's 14 counties north of Mohawk River or about one-third of whole state. Others insist it's only a few northernmost counties, and Adirondacks are a world apart. But county and town lines, as well as blue line that designates forever Adirondack Park, are results of political decisions--often made by outsiders to satisfy political or economic interests--that may have little to do with local way of life. However, no one questions claim to name in communities immediately adjacent to Canadian border, where small businesses, organizations, and even government agencies describe themselves as Woods, Star, Tru-North, Borderline, and most commonly, Country. What is this place we call the Country, and what makes it special? First of all, term is not exclusively a York State idea. It's shared by people from Maine to Washington State. But in York State, it's often perceived in relation to life in New York, assumed by rest of world to be urban, wealthy, and hip. Early historical maps simply designated our region as wild country. Landscape plays (and has always played) a dominant role in lives of both visitors and residents. The beauty of nature abounds. The open sky--brilliant blue on a summer day and star-studded on a clear winter night--is beyond description. The rich spring greens in May and June and spectacular colors of autumn leaves are cherished by locals. Woods and water are our greatest natural assets. Lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers are scattered over entire landscape. Wooded areas--from dense mountainous forests to farm woodlots and village parks and streets--are lush and ever changing. To those who have passed through once or twice--or maybe never been here at all--the Country may seem a little off-putting, often summed up tersely as beautiful but cold! Locals joke that we have four seasons--almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction! No matter how one defines it, life in our region is remote from urban centers (our closest cities are Syracuse, Albany, Montreal, and Ottawa--a foreign capital!), and people are often remote from each other (some kids ride hour each way to school). Although region thrived a century ago--with growing industries, bustling small towns, and energetic workforce--it has been slowly declining since. The poverty and unemployment rates are high, population is aging, and young people leave, usually reluctantly, for greener pastures. The population of most northern York counties has remained pretty constant for last hundred years. So, who does live here? There are descendants of England farmers--particularly Vermonters--who first settled in very early 19th century; and descendants of French Canadians who arrived a few decades later to work in lumber woods or related industries. …

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