Seniors Stop In Historic Clinton

Clinton is a village that senior travelers will find in Oneida County, New York, with a population of 4,300 at the 2010 census. The village was named for George Clinton, the first Governor of New York.

The Historical Village of Clinton, site of Hamilton College, is within the Town of Kirkland. The village was known as the “village of schools” due to the large number of private schools operating in the village during the 19th century.

Clinton began in March 1787 when Revolutionary War veterans from Plymouth, Connecticut settled in Clinton. Pioneer Moses Foote brought 7 other families with him to the area.

The new inhabitants found good soil, plentiful forests, and friendly Brothertown Indians in southern Kirkland along with Oneida Indians who passed through on trails.

Clinton became part of the newly formed Town of Kirkland in 1827, and became an incorporated village in April 1843.

 Seniors Enjoy Root Glen

 There is plenty for seniors to see and do in scenic Clinton. The Clinton Art & Music Festival offers one of the most impressive and varied musical line-ups of any Upstate music festival, featuring over 20 musical acts — from solo acoustic to 10-piece swing, Gypsy to Gospel, Irish to Oompah, jazz to Americana.

There are several attractions in Clinton that seniors will not want to bypass. One of the more popular sites is called Root Glen on the campus of Hamilton College. Today’s Root Glen is the result of the work of three generations of the Root family, whose members are widely known for their various achievements in scholarship, diplomacy and art collecting.

In 1850, Oren Root bought the building standing adjacent to the glen which he named The Homestead. Oren and his wife, Nancy, set about planting trees, shrubs and flowers in the cleared sheep pasture around their house.

 Seniors Visit Hamilton College

The Hamilton College Arboretum is a place where trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are grown for scientific and educational purposes. Facebook suggests that seniors explore the Orsino Museum, the Welling Museum of Art at Hamilton College and the Clinton Historical Society.

With Fall in the air, stop by North Star Orchards and pick out some delicious apples and other apple goodies like apple cider donuts. Drop by Artisans’ Corner, an artists’ cooperative filled with a variety of unique items, handmade by local and regional artists. Others popular visits include the Clinton Cider Mill and the Kirkland Library.

As a side note, I discovered that Tom Vilsack ’72 was a graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton. I am from Iowa and he served as our Governor and then on to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and a Democratic Candidate for President in 2008.

 Seniors, set your GPS for Clinton and enjoy this historic town. -jeb