March 23

1763 Birth in Po'Keepsie of Theodorus Platt, eldest of the sons of Judge Zephaniah and Mary Van Wyke Platt. Theodous was one of earliest settlers of Plattsburgh; was a justice of the peace and first surrogate of the county.  His small office stood near a deep ravine on Margaret St. near the southeast corner of Protection Avenue.

1767 -began to freeze a little at 10 last night, and continued to this morning, when a slender crust dried the snow a little.  Logan ventured across the lake, and in all appearance got home safe; this is a soft, thawing day; the McAuley's haul home 9 logs however, from the white pinery. -Gilliland.

1802 Uriah Palmer and Waterman Eels, commissioners of Highways of the town of Peru, laid out a road described thus "And a road turned from George Shavers E., line thence threw the Bald Plane Near Ferris Mills to the Great River as it is now cut out."

1814 William Sowles, aged 72, died in Alburgh, Vt., where he had settled soon after the Revolution, supposing himself in British territory.  AS William Soule, he had served in the English navy and, at the battle of Saratoga, fought on the side of Burgoyne.  After the confiscation of his property, he started northward, intending to go to Canada.  Tradition says he was the owner of the of the Astor House property on lower Broadway, New York city, which he leased for 99 years to the first John Jacob Astor, the lease expiring in 1900.

1834 On the arsenal lot on Broad Street for the murder of Leander Shaw, his son-in-law, Alexander Larabee, maintaining his innocence to the last, was hung.  The Rev. Father Rafferty read a declaration to that effect from the scaffold.

 Today In the Champlain Valley History