New county historian takes over duties

<a href="mailto:jmeyers@pressrepublican.com">By JEFF MEYERS</a>
Staff Writer

July 07, 2008 06:58 am

— PLATTSBURGH — The new Clinton County historian has a natural interest in history that can be traced back to her ancestors.
Anastasia Pratt has been on the job for about one month, replacing longtime County Historian Addie Shields, who recently retired.
Pratt brings an enthusiasm to the job that she wants to share with others.
“It’s great,” she said of her first few weeks on the job. “There is a pretty steady stream of people coming in looking for help. I’ve always been interested in helping people, and I’m always interested in digging up archival information.”

DUTIES
As the county historian, Pratt has two main responsibilities: to maintain and preserve historical documents about the county and to continue the job of writing the history of Clinton County.
“I’ll continue to archive our collection, from books to postcards and scrapbooks to muster rolls, so they remain available to citizens. I need to make sure that residents and visitors have access to any historical records that we have.”
The County Historian’s Office continually collects historical information donated by residents who have recorded their lives.
For instance, the office has a large collection of materials from the Chateaugay Ore and Iron Co., including company records, transcripts, maps and photographs.
“I never would have thought we’d have that type of information readily available to people,” Pratt said. “Anyone who has ever been affiliated with the company would want to see this information.”

CONTACTS
She also keeps in close touch with other historical groups, including the Clinton County Museum, Kent-Delord House, Plattsburgh State Special Collections and the many town historians who share in her interest in local and regional history.
“I need to know what other places have so I can direct people to where they need to go to find the information they’re interested in.”
Her second duty involves maintaining a record of important events and writing an annual report detailing the history of the previous 12 months.
“I’m expected to find and catalog information and make sure major changes in the county are not lost. I’m expected to be an active historian.”

LONGTIME INTEREST
Pratt grew up in Peru and graduated from Peru Central School and from Plattsburgh State with a degree in history. She then went on to the University of Michigan, earning her master’s and Ph.D. in American culture.
But her true interest in history dates further into the past.
“My mom (Gloria Pratt) is a genealogist, so I grew up loving history. My dad (Jim Pratt) has a love for this history of houses, so between the two of them, I’ve grown to respect both the house and the people who lived in it.”
She entered college knowing that she would like to teach history but also wanting to be involved in history.
Besides her position at the County Historian’s Office, Pratt teaches online classes for Empire State College.
Her immediate goals as historian are to expand on the detailed inventory of the office documents and to strengthen the network amongst local, regional and state historical offices.

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