Around Remsen and Steuben (Images of America)

The first settlers of the rugged wilderness that became the towns of Remsen and Steuben were hearty pioneers, Welsh immigrants, and a famous Revolutionary War hero. The untamed forest of Oneida County proved challenging but not insurmountable for Remsen's first settler Barnabas Mitchell and the noble Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben, who was famed with being the sturdy backbone of Washington's Continental Army and known as the "Drillmaster of the Revolution." The area flourished into a place of farming, manufacturing, business, and religion. Settlers ranged from rollicking woodsmen to large working families to pious pastors. There were so many churches that the lands of Steuben became known as "the singing hills." It has been said that the courage of a Welshman rises in proportion to the obstacles thrown in his path. This book strives to tell their tales through visuals of old Remsen and Steuben.

Megan Plete Postol is a reporter and photographer for local area newspaper the Boonville Herald and a lifelong resident of the Remsen, New York, area. An active member of the Remsen-Steuben Historical Society, Postol has a deep sense of hometown pride and commitment to the Remsen-Steuben area and hopes her work honors the community's rich history.