She was hired in 1976 to paint images from the turn of the century, capturing the county’s history and significant events in time for the United States bicentennial.

After a successful exhibit, she was asked the following year — through a Manpower/Comprehensive Employment and Training Act grant — to capture the pioneer days and early settlements of Franklin County.

Most of her works are painted on 4-by-8-foot pieces of plywood, using acrylics.

The sites, events and lifestyles of Franklin County in the 19th and 20th centuries are shown in vivid colors and remarkable detail.

Among the images are views of downtown Malone, logging in the Adirondacks, bootleggers on the run from State Police, an American Indian harvest, maple sugaring, hunting, fishing, camping, horse barns at the County Fairgrounds and early railroading.

MESSAGE

Compact discs of all the images Hosson created will be made and held in the offices of County Clerk Wanda Murtagh and County Manager James Feeley.

Murtagh and Feeley are co-chairs of the county’s Bicentennial Committee, which held several events in 2008 that commemorated the founding of Franklin County on March 11, 1808.

“It’s a great piece of our bicentennial,” Murtagh said of honoring Hosson.

“Her paintings left a message to all of us about the history of Franklin County.

“We’re honored to have them.”

E-mail Denise A. Raymo at:

draymno@pressrepublican.com