Historian Publishes Collection of Local Tales

CLINTON—More than 238 years of the rich, prolific life of the Village of Clinton and the Town of Kirkland is chronicled in “Richard L. Williams, Collected Historical Writings: The Village of Clinton and Town of Kirkland,” written by local historian Richard L. Williams and edited by Sharon Williams.

The book will be launched with an exclusive presentation and signing by the author at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 19 at the Clinton Historical Society, 1 Fountain Street, Clinton.

Included in the paperback—priced at $25.00—are 90 of Richard Williams’ most engaging and well-researched articles originally published in the “Clinton Courier,” “Waterville Times” and “Daily Sentinel.” According to a press release, Richard Williams has researched and documented the history of this community for more than 50 years.

“You’d have a hard time naming someone who knows more about local and regional history than Richard L. Williams,” Sharon Williams said. 

Included in this collection are stories ranging from the  Brothertown Indians and Hamilton College to landmark buildings, devastating floods and fires, long-gone local businesses and factories, Schooltown, notable Clintonians, and the evolution of streets, roads, trains, and trolleys.

“There are moving stories of Clintonians at war, including the heartbreaking tale of a Civil War hero who grew up on a farm at Skyline Drive and College Hill Road,” the press release reads. “The book narrates tales of African Americans who lived in Clinton and local abolitionists in antebellum Clinton and at Hamilton College, who petitioned Congress and the State Legislature to end slavery and welcomed Black students in local schools.”

Also included are stories of the Rural Art Society, the 13 Town of Kirkland cemeteries, and histories of the Clinton Arena and the Clinton Comets.

According to Richard Williams, the stories give readers a deep appreciation for their home.

“This is where we live,” he said.

“This area has produced a rich and brilliant history and I feel I should share it with others,” Sharon Williams added. “Our community is a microcosm of everything that happened in America, and these stories reflect our complete history.”

Richard L. Williams grew up in Clinton and graduated from Clinton High School in 1958. He received a bachelor of arts in history from Syracuse University and a master’s in social studies education from SUNY Albany. He served two years in the U.S. Army as an induction and enlistment officer before teaching social studies at Whitesboro Senior High School, serving as vice principal, and retiring from the Whitesboro Central School System in 1995. He has been active in the Clinton Fire Department, Kirkland Planning Board, Clinton Kiwanis Club, Clinton United Methodist Church and the Clinton Historical Society. He was on the Clinton Village Board of Trustees from 1975-1987 and mayor from 1987-1997.

Sharon Williams retired in 2017 after 30 years as an administrator of the Writing Center at Hamilton College. She then became the founding president of Kirkland Trails Inc. and a board member of the Clinton Historical Society.