Tim Dusablon

Haskell Free Library, built on the U.S./Canadian border. The History of the Champlain Valley also has a foot in the histories of America and Canada :)

The beautiful and peaceful Lake Champlain is a place for rest, relaxation, and recreation. Every year, thousands flock to the Champlain Valley to soak in the magnificent views of the lake surrounded by majestic mountain ranges. However, Lake Champlain has not always been the peaceful getaway it is today.

Throughout the 1600's through to the early 1800's, Lake Champlain and the surrounding valley was one of the most contested locations in North America. In fact, at times during this timespan, Lake Champlain was an absolute warzone. Kings over 3,000 miles away were intent on fortifying the lake with stone and earth fortifications. King Louis XV of France specifically instructed French forts be built on the lake. King George III viewed Lake Champlain as a critical waterway early in the Revolutionary War, as did his grandfather George II during the French and Indian War.

This lake was one of the most strategic pathways in the "New World". Some historians have gone so far as to call Lake Champlain (especially the area in between Crown Point and Ticonderoga) the Gibraltar Straight of North America. Crossroads of a Continent explores the cultural and military history of the Lake Champlain Valley.

Crossroads of a Continent began in 2023 as a blog and resource website for the history of the Champlain Valley, along with the social media pages. In 2025, the podcast was started as a means to make the content more accessible in the digital environment.

Tim Dusablon is a passionate researcher of the history of the Lake Champlain Valley, having done extensive study over the last decade on topics ranging from First Nations of the valley to border unrest of the 19th Century, and everything in-between. He lives in Georgia, VT with his wife, Hannah, and son, Bradley. He graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Vermont, with a focus in social sciences. Tim currently works for the Vermont State Colleges IT department, specializing in classroom and audio-visual technologies.