The year of 1816 is commonly known as the year without a summer. I found this interesting article from the Warrensburg News from August 31, 1905. It tells about how our area was severely affected by the extreme weather.
Year Without A Summer
Ice Formed in July and Corn Was Frozen in August 1816.
Eighty-nine years ago was the year without a summer. Frost occurred every month in the year 1816. Ice formed a half inch think in May. Snow fell to the depth of three inches in New York and also in Massachusetts in June. Ice was formed of a thickness of common window glass throughout New York on the 5th of July. Indian corn was so frozen that the greater part was cut in August and dried for fodder, and the farmers supplied themselves from the corn produced in 1815 for the seed in the spring of 1817. The old timers of Warren county will tell you that the rising generation is “not in it” with all the big snow storms when comparison is made away back in the days when they were boys.
Many people know of “Hogtown” Road in Fort Ann. I was not aware that this area got it’s name from the year of 1816 when local farmers brought their hogs to this area to feed because of the plentiful nuts and acorns on the ground. It was the only thing that the hogs could eat that year because there was nothing to feed the livestock.
To learn more about the year without a summer, look here.