A small band of armed insurgents fell upon Quebec in the winter of 1775. They were sent north to liberate the Canadians, but they were abandoned in the snow, denied reinforcements, and driven up the river and out of Canada. The officers and men of the Separate Army formed their brotherhood in the anguish of their defeat, established their association following the joy of victory at Saratoga, and by doing so, launched a pervasive culture and unique lifestyle that flourished in their clubs and dominated the halls of power in the state and nation unto the second and third generation. This is a tale of the second generation, the generation that followed the American Revolution. They lived in a time of uncertainty and crisis; a time when men and women struggled against convention to find out if a nation derived from deceit, created by rebellion, and governed by greed could long survive. It's the story of a young man with a desire for success and talent for trouble who stumbles forth upon a quest for personal fame and glory in the years of political intrigue, war, and conspiracy that marked the beginning of the American Empire.

The world has changed. Two hundred years ago most people lived in small rural communities. They walked or rode a horse when they traveled. Water wheels were their only source of power. Communication was res

Thousands of men and a few women moved into the far western lands at the edge of the Great Lakes in the early eighteenth century. This is a tale of the time: an era marked by political intrigue, commercial exploitation, emerging technology, flourishing eroticism, and pursuit of power. The French had been on the lakes for a hundred and fifty years and the Dutch aristocrats still controlled the political power of the state. But a new world order emerged on the shores of the lakes. Men enjoyed many options, but women's options were limited by the law and customs.

Some women, however, achieved their aspirations within the sporting clubs that appeared in the late 17th century and flourished before being banned in 1844. These were the men and women who created the commerce, built the cities, and fostered the lifestyle that became America.

A small band of armed insurgents fell upon Quebec in the winter of 1775. They were sent north to liberate the Canadians, but they were abandoned in the snow, denied reinforcements, and driven up the river and out of Canada. The officers and men of the Separate Army formed their brotherhood in the anguish of their defeat, established their association following the joy of victory at Saratoga, and by doing so, launched a pervasive culture and unique lifestyle that flourished in their clubs and dominated the halls of power in the state and nation unto the second and third generation. This is a tale of the second generation, the generation that followed the American Revolution. They lived in a time of uncertainty and crisis; a time when men and women struggled against convention to find out if a nation derived from deceit, created by rebellion, and governed by greed could long survive. It's the story of a young man with a desire for success and talent for trouble who stumbles forth upon a quest for personal fame and glory in the years of political intrigue, war, and conspiracy that marked the beginning of the American Empire.

Thousands of men and a few women moved into the far western lands at the edge of the Great Lakes in the early eighteenth century. This is a tale of the time: an era marked by political intrigue, commercial exploitation, emerging technology, flourishing eroticism, and pursuit of power. The French had been on the lakes for a hundred and fifty years and the Dutch aristocrats still controlled the political power of the state. But a new world order emerged on the shores of the lakes. Men enjoyed many options, but women's options were limited by the law and customs.

Some women, however, achieved their aspirations within the sporting clubs that appeared in the late 17th century and flourished before being banned in 1844. These were the men and women who created the commerce, built the cities, and fostered the lifestyle that became America.

The world has changed. Two hundred years ago most people lived in small rural communities. They walked or rode a horse when they traveled. Water wheels were their only source of power. Communication was restricted to the spoken and printed word.

But everything changed. The change started slowly in the forests of western New York. Visionaries used the technology of the 1800's to manufacture potash from ashes, used the technology of the 1820's to collect and market natural gas, and used the technology of the 1840's to make kerosene from petroleum. Advances in engineering made it possible to dig canals and build railroads to get these products to market. These canals and railroads accelerated the pace of change. Merchants then learned to protect their interests by influencing public policy and funding decisions being made in the state legislatures and in the United States Congress.

This resulting combination of technology, engineering, and public policy impacted the lives of those who lived in Chautauqua County many years ago, and it still impacts our lives today.