War of 1812 seminar to be held in Ogdensburg

OGDENSBURG — After a successful event last year, the Fort La Presentation Association is bringing back its seminar on the War of 1812.

The second annual War of 1812 War College will begin with a meet-and-greet event at 6 p.m. Friday at the Freighthouse Restaurant. The all-day seminar will continue at 8 a.m. Saturday at the restaurant.

The seminar features five speakers, including Canadian military historian Donald Graves; a book signing event with three historians; seven exhibitors from various military and historical groups from New York, Massachusetts and Canada; a luncheon and dinner, and tours of the Frederic Remington Art Museum and the Fort La Presentation site on Lighthouse Point.

"We want to make the War of 1812 symposium interesting to a broad audience. The seminars are open to everyone," association President Barbara J. O'Keefe said in a statement. "The symposium is an opportunity to get acquainted with our history."

The city was the site of several skirmishes between British and U.S. forces during the war, and in 1813 British troops captured the city to ensure the British could ship supplies up the St. Lawrence River to forts along the Great Lakes.

The talks will each be an hour long and will focus on the roles women, Canada and mercenaries, among other things, played in the war.

"It's the same basic format, but we've expanded it a little bit," event organizer Douglas R. Cubbison said. "Hopefully we will continue this annually and it will be different every year."

Because of the show's success last year, the Friday event was added and a live historical exhibit will be included on the tour of the fort site, Mr. Cubbison said.

Last year "we expected about 50 to 60 people and we were surprised, it was a pleasant surprise," he said. "We ended up with about 110 attendees. Right now it's a little bit lower than that, but we still have a few days left for people that want to attend."

The registration cost will be $80 for association members and $100 for nonmembers.

ON THE NET

Fort La Presentation Association: www.fortlapresentation

.net