Pierrepont, St. Lawrence County
Community Song Leader
Dawn Atkinson is recognized in her own Cooks Corners community as a fine singer of old traditional music–gospel, country, ballads, etc.–and a respected organizer of community activities, especially for the elderly. Her father, Howard Moore, played accordion and fiddle and was sought out as a skilled square dance caller. Dawn and her whole family sing and play instruments, often just for home entertainment. In recent years, she has invited her longtime neighbors, many of them elderly, for a monthly gathering in her home, for lunch, music, and socializing. In addition, Dawn remains a very traditional gardener and home cook, often preserving hundreds of jars of vegetables, meat, jams, jellies and pickles each summer, all from her farm and garden. She also performs more publicly, for senior citizen gatherings in local communities and, more recently, with Don Woodcock and Bill Smith.
This feature on Dawn Atkinson and Her Gang was produced in 2018 as part of a series of “Video Visits” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of TAUNY’s North Country Heritage Awards.