Traditional Arts in Upstate New York. Traditional Arts of Upstate New York
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William B Smith

Colton, St. Lawrence County
Adirondack Basket Maker & Storyteller 


Bill Smith of Colton is widely known throughout the Adirondacks and beyond as a master of many traditional arts of the region. As a boy, Bill was fascinated by the ash splint basket making of Mohawk men who camped in the woods behind his family’s house on their way to work in the lumberwoods, and years ago he took up basket making again. In recent years he has also been performing for a variety of audiences with a wide repertoire of stories and songs about local life. At home he learned stories of woodsmen and the woods from his logger father and songs and poems from his mother. In recent years, he has concentrated on retelling traditional stories and creating new ones. He has been written about in numerous articles and books, including his own 1994 collection of stories called Tales from the Featherbed, and has produced several recordings of his stories and songs.


Click here to listen to the TAUNY/NCPR "Meet the Masters" story about Bill.



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