Photo by S. R. Stoddard, used with kind permission of the Chapman Historical Museum.

TOUR THURMAN: A SELF-GUIDED JAUNT TO HOMES AND HISTORY
Created by The John Thurman Historical Society
Narrated by Brian Chevalier and written by Persis Granger ~ Music donated as noted

Step back into Adirondack yesteryears with this self-guided tour CD. You'll get a peek at a microcosm of our country, as it forged its way from frontier days into the modern era. You'll see homes of people who worked hardscrabble farms to grow enough to eat, whose welfare has forever been tied to the region's natural resources, including the beauty that has always drawn tourists here. Read more below the photos. If you decide you'd like a copy, you may buy it online by clicking the button above.

The self-guided tour CD project was the result of a chance remark someone made to me several years ago, about having ascended Mount Washington with a cassette narration in her car's tape player. The idea gnawed at me. Why couldn't we do that here in Thurman? I mulled it over until cassettes gave way to CDs, and CDs were on the brink of giving way to-oh, I don't even know. But I started talking to fellow members of The John Thurman Historical Society (JTHS) last summer and over the winter we were honored to receive generous funding from the Warren County Occupancy Tax Committee, granted by the Town of Thurman. From there it was a wild ride, with learning experiences at every corner.

What wonderful talent we tapped into! I was so impressed by the professionalism of Brian "Chip" Chevalier as he narrated and mastered the CD, going over progress each step of the way, patiently making sure that the results were exactly what were needed. He even let us use some tunes from his CD "Absolutely Adirondack." It was he who approached Christopher Shaw about donating some of his Adirondack folk music to our effort. And, at Chris's suggestion, we recruited Dan Berggren. Brian lassoed Arlin Greene for a little ranch/Northwoods music, and I approached Susan Trump and John Kirk & Trish Miller. The generosity and kindness of these folks is so moving. All busy and successful full-time musicians, they stole time from their schedules to help us select tunes, proof text and even clear up copyright issues. Please read more about these composers and performers below and click on their web sites, shown below. I guarantee that once you have heard the clips of their music on our CD, you'll want to hear more.

Dan Berggren www.berggrenfolk.com
or 518-490-1809
"Minerva"
and
"Fresh Territory"

Arlin Greene
518-743-1139
or greenarlin@verizon.net
"A Life of Its Own"

John Kirk and Trish Miller www.johnandtrish.com
or phone 518-581-0255
"Fiddle Tunes of the
North Country"
by John Kirk & Friends

We approached members of the community to ask permission to add their sites to the tour. What a town! Look below and see pictures of the eighteen sites we have featured. We gained permission for even more than we could use. Some have asked if we will be doing a Volume II. Will we? (Could I be that crazy?) See below the sites featured on this CD.

Site 2
Thurman Station
S.R. Stoddard photo
Courtesy
Chapman Historical Museum

Site 8
The Lee Baker Farm

The John Thurman Historical Society was organized in the 1960s and was provisionally incorporated by the New York State Department of Education in 2001. The society hosts informative and entertaining programs at its monthly meetings, and special annual events like our Veterans' Recognition Dinner, the Fiddlers' Jamboree and the annual "Tour Thurman" by bus. It also publishes the Quarterly, a magazine filled with stories and photographs of Thurman's history. Those interested in joining the organization or learning more about it may write to The John Thurman Historical Society, PO Box 7, Athol, NY 12810, visit www.thurman-ny.com or email ThurmanInfo@aol.com.

Don't forget to keep in touch with The John Thurman Historical Society, a moving force in the Thurman community. You may email or write to us about our publications or membership, and purchase copies of our Tour Thurman CDs from this page (see button above). We hope you enjoy your trip into yesteryear. If you'd like to send feedback, email ThurmanInfo@aol.com or phone me, Perky Granger, at 518-623-9305. Thanks!