Founder's Day Weekend Has Grown Over The Years

By JIM REAGEN

Timothy W. Cryderman can still remember a decade ago when about a dozen historic re-enactors celebrated Ogdensburg's first Founder's Day Weekend.

On July 16, he'll have more Port-A-Potties on Lighthouse Point than they had re-enactors that first weekend.

"We have 42 Port-A-Potties," said Mr. Cryderman, an organizer of the event with Fort La Presentation.

With close to 600 already registered, organizers say it's becoming more likely that close to 1,000 historical re-enactors will be coming to Ogdensburg to celebrate the final event of New York State's 10 year commemoration of the French and Indian War.

The event will also feature Mark Valley, star of the Fox series "Human Target," who will be fighting alongside the French.

"We have a lot of people who have never come to Ogdensburg before," Mr. Cryderman said. "We have people from Kansas City, St. Louis, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and across New England."

"We have a lot of outfits who have never come before," he said. "This is the big 250th event. It's the final one. They've heard about it for 10 years."

Over the past decade, New York State sponsored events each year at historical sites like Ticonderoga, Niagara, Oswego, Lake George and Rome Fort Bull with the final event in Ogdensburg to mark the battle of Fort Levis, the last battle of the French and Indian War when 300 French men stood off 11,000 British and colonial soldiers for five days.

Ogdensburg is the only host community that does not have a fort.

"They've heard about our struggle to build a fort," he said.

For years the group struggled with ExxonMobil to force the company to clean up petroleum contamination on the association's property. The property was cleaned up three years ago.

"We're going to have more battles, more activities, more re-enactors, more demonstrations, more lectures than we've ever had before," he said.

Each of the three days will feature a major sea and land battle, featuring almost five times more re-enactors than past year battles.

"Northern New York has never seen the size of the battles we will be holding," he said.

The weekend will also feature an evening artillery battle, a fireworks show and a colorful period dance on Friday night at the Freight House.

"We're going to have Highlands Bagpipes and Highland Dancers throughout the weekend," he said. "We've never had them."

Mr. Cryderman says that the Fort La Presentation Association is struggling to pick up the cost of the extra Port-A-Potties, tents and other costs connected with hosting an event five times larger than any of its past events.

With New York State now unlikely to pick up the costs that the state funded for other historic sites, due to the state's fiscal crisis, local organizers say they've had to raise local admission charges and canvas area businesses and groups to cover the costs of organizing the event. Despite the difficulties of hosting a major event without the funds promised by the state, Mr. Cryderman says he and his committee are committed to hosting a quality event that will put Ogdensburg on the map in historic circles.

"It's a little overwhelming knowing we have built this event into what it is," he said. "I have to thank the Founders Day Committee, the donors, and all the volunteers who have helped us get this far."

"It's a very complex event. I don't think anybody could have ever seen it growing to be this big," he said.