This color educational film is about Lake Champlain, the Hudson River, and the cities near them. There is no copyright at the beginning or end of the film but based on research this was made in the mid to late 1960s.
Title card: AMERICA! Shots of Mt. Rushmore, Boston Harbor, Football, all things/sites that are uniquely American (:10-:40). Our Host Jack Douglas with another armchair vacation in America! This is about the mighty Hudson River that starts along the Canadian border and stretches all the way down to NYC. The names of Champlain and Hudson were historical and always remembered. Cities along the water way are Saratoga Springs, West Point, Hyde Park, etc. The lake is Lake Champlain and the river is the Hudson (:41-1:26) Title card: THE LAKE AND THE RIVER (1:27-1:30). Lake Champlain lies between the Adirondack Mountains in NY and Vermont’s Green Mountains with a length of 136 miles. It is a natural fresh water lake in within the borders of the states of Vermont and New York but partially situated across the Canada/USA border in the Canadian Province of Quebec. There are lots of islands within the lake. Burlington, VT is our first stop. They go to Grand Isle, VT on the lake. Most people on Grand Isle work as Dairy Farmers. Footage of cattle grazing, cows, old cars. Camping is plentiful on Grand Isle. A ferry can get you to Plattsburgh, NY which is our next stop. The ferry runs from April 1-Dec 30th, it cost $2 per car including driver plus .50 per extra adult or .25 per child. 12 mins is the ferry duration. There is a statue of Samuel Champlain the explorer in Plattsburgh. Plattsburgh was the site of our last battle during the War of 1812 in 1814 with the British. Ausable Chasm is next to visit and its a gorge that is a tourist attraction (1:31-6:20). Fort Ticonderoga is next. Its a large 18th-century fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain. It was constructed by Canadian-born French military engineers between October 1755 and 1757, during the action in the “North American theater” of the Seven Years’ War. The fort was of strategic importance during the 18th-century colonial conflicts between Great Britain and France, and again played an important role during the American Revolutionary War. The Fort is open from mid-May to Mid-October. Flags wave. A plaque lists the names of those famous men who passed throughout the fort. Actors play Soldiers a reenact history. Our narrator gives us some history on the Fort (6:21-8:52). 39 miles further south we go to Lake George. They have a restaurant with a fantastic view and horseback riding as well as a powerboat to rent. You can sail on the Ship Ticonderoga as well (8:53-9:56). Henry Hudson statue. The start of the Hudson River begins in the Adirondacks. Saratoga Springs is up next. Saratoga Springs Race Course is a popular attraction. At the National Museum of Racing, you can see famous paintings of horses. See famous clothing worn by jockeys and celebrities. Congress Park is visited. Saratoga Spa State Park has a geyser. Tourists visit the geyser and try mineral water. Saratoga National Historical Park. Champlain canal that has locks, many rules apply (9:57-15:51). Albany, NY is the state capital and visited next. An old mansion is visited that has a Hamilton room, named for Alexander Hamilton, one of the people who had a hand in the constitution. Old vases and urns are featured (15:52-17:04). Hudson, NY and the American Museum of Firefighting. Many rare artifacts in the museum. Hyde Park, NY is next. Franklin Roosevelt’s home is a museum now, his body is buried there as well (17:05-19:41). West Point, the home of the US Military Academy. A statue of George Washington presides over the grounds. Students march. “76 House” a former prison for American spy Major John Andre. Andre hill is shown as well as where he was hanged (19:42-21:52). Tappan Zee Bridge and a visit to Sunnyside. The home of Washington Irving. The Hudson flows past NYC into the sea (21:52-22:53). Storytown USA near Lake George, see characters straight out of Mother Goose (22:53-23:41). Jack Douglas wraps things up (23:42-23:44).
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