There was a Catholic Church at Hammondville. It was built in about 1879. The Crown Point Iron Company built a Union Church for the workers, but the catholics wanted a separate church. The company wouldn’t build one, but they did let the villagers have a plot of land to build one on. They held a series of fairs and other social events and raised enough money to build the church. They never had a resident priest, but I think one came from Schroon sometimes and sometimes there were priests who traveled around and held masses at the small churches throughout the area. So, they probably didn’t have mass there every week. I have a photo of the church from after Hammondville was abandoned among my grandfather’s things. If you give me an email address, I can send to you, if you want. Before it was built, I think Hammondville Catholics had to travel to Schroon.

My info came from a variety of sources – Crown Point Vital Records of Birth, Marriages and Deaths, Our Lady of Lourdes Church records from Schroon, and Crown Point Iron Company time books and store books from Penfield Foundation. I've seen the postal book too - its a great source of info. I’m always on the look-out for new sources of info about Hammondville, not just on my family, but the town in general.

I know a lot of people went to Lyon Mountain after leaving Hammondville – there are two books about the mines at Lyon Mountain by Lawrence Gooley and one talks about all of the miners killed there. They were put out by a small publisher and can be hard to get ahold of, though. A lot of people also went to the mines in Mineville and Moriah and lots of people also moved out West to the new mines out there or to industrial towns in New England. I think most of the French Canadians stayed in the general area, though.

If I come across anything on Mary Alarie Boudou and any other Alaries I come across. Let me know if there is anything else you have questions about - as I said I've spent a lot of time on Hammondville.

take care,
Sarah