Essex on Lake Champlain
\"Essex
  • About
    • Essex, New York (Town)
      • Essex Maps
      • Essex, New York Weather
      • Town of Essex Government
      • Close
    • Essex on Lake Champlain (Blog)
      • Contributors
      • Sponsors
      • Testimonials
      • Get Involved
      • Close
    • Close
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Calendar
    • Add an Event
    • Upcoming Events
    • Close
  • Essex on Lake Champlain
  • Connect
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Google +
      • Pinterest
      • YouTube
      • Flickr
    • Newsletters
    • GET INVOLVED
    • CONTACT
        • Your Name (required)

          Your Email (required)

          Subject (required)

          Your Message

      • Close
    • Shop
    • Search
        • Search
          • Close
        • Categories
            • Agriculture (518)
            • Architecture (76)
            • Arts (352)
            • Business (122)
            • Daily Doodle (62)
            • Dining (151)
            • Doodle Quotes (5)
            • Doodlebomb (3)
            • Education (295)
            • Entertainment (369)
            • Environment (28)
            • Essex Doodles (62)
            • Events (1702)
            • Exercise (54)
            • Government (247)
            • Health & Wellness (134)
            • Heritage (397)
            • History (183)
            • Hyperlocal (29)
            • Landscape (35)
            • Lifestyle (197)
            • Lodging (16)
            • Music (275)
            • Nature (256)
            • News (1213)
            • Nightlife (18)
            • Obituary (9)
            • Opinion (45)
            • Outdoors (177)
            • People (115)
            • Philanthropy (85)
            • Real Estate (3)
            • Recreation (213)
            • Resources (7)
            • Services (7)
            • Shopping (95)
            • Sports (22)
            • Transportation (71)
            • Worship (17)
          • Close
        • Archives
            • June 2018 (21)
            • May 2018 (30)
            • April 2018 (28)
            • March 2018 (30)
            • February 2018 (31)
            • January 2018 (26)
            • December 2017 (23)
            • November 2017 (25)
            • October 2017 (22)
            • September 2017 (32)
            • August 2017 (35)
            • July 2017 (30)
            • June 2017 (30)
            • May 2017 (35)
            • April 2017 (31)
            • March 2017 (33)
            • February 2017 (30)
            • January 2017 (35)
            • December 2016 (30)
            • November 2016 (37)
            • October 2016 (43)
            • September 2016 (53)
            • August 2016 (49)
            • July 2016 (59)
            • June 2016 (70)
            • May 2016 (57)
            • April 2016 (64)
            • March 2016 (69)
            • February 2016 (56)
            • January 2016 (46)
            • December 2015 (39)
            • November 2015 (43)
            • October 2015 (61)
            • September 2015 (57)
            • August 2015 (61)
            • July 2015 (54)
            • June 2015 (41)
            • May 2015 (67)
            • April 2015 (66)
            • March 2015 (72)
          • Load More
          • Close
        • Contact us
          • CONTACT US

              Your Name (required)

              Your Email (required)

              Subject (required)

              Your Message

            • Close
        • Close
      • Log In
        • Log Into Calendar
        • Log Into Blog
        • Close
      • Skip to primary navigation
      • Skip to main content
      • Skip to primary sidebar
      • Skip to footer

      Essex on Lake Champlain

      Essex, New York Community Blog Since 2011

      • Lifestyle
        • Agriculture
          • CSAs in Essex, NY
            • Essex Farm
            • Full and By Farm
          • Farmstead Catering
          • The Hub on the Hill
          • Reber Rock Farm
        • Outdoors
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Entertainment
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
        • Arts
          • Adirondack Art Association
          • Essex Community Concerts
          • Champlain Valley Film Series
          • Essex Poetry Open Mic
        • Music
          • Essex Community Concerts
        • Shopping
        • Recreation
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Health & Wellness
          • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
          • NEW Health
        • Nature
          • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • Education
          • CFES Brilliant Pathways
          • Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center
        • Nightlife
        • Worship
      • Events
        • Christmas in Essex
        • Downtown Essex Day
        • Fourth of July in Essex, NY
      • Dining
        • Chez Lin & Rays
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Old Dock Restaurant
        • The Pink Pig Cafe
      • Lodging
        • Essex Inn on the Adirondack Coast
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
      • Transportation
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
      • Heritage
        • Architecture
          • Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide
        • Historic Essex
        • History
        • People
        • Government
          • Essex Post Office
          • Town of Essex Government
        • Vintage Essex Trivia
        • Vintage Essex Artifacts
      • Directory
        • Adirondack Art Association
        • Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
        • CFES Brilliant Pathways
        • The Cupola House and Cottage
        • Essex-Charlotte Ferry
        • Essex Farm
        • Essex Ice Cream Cafe
        • Essex Initiatives
        • Essex Post Office
        • Farmstead Catering
        • Full and By Farm
        • Historic Essex
        • Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness
        • NEW Health
        • Pedal Power
        • Reber Rock Farm
        • The Hub on the Hill
        • Town of Essex Government
        • Whallonsburg Grange Hall
      • Show Search
      Hide Search
      You are here: Home / People / Joe Call, the Lewis Giant

      Joe Call, the Lewis Giant

      April 6, 2013 By Katie Shepard 2 Comments

      Joe Call, The Lewis Giant
      Joe Call, The Lewis Giant

      Joe Call, The Lewis Giant by Maitland C. De Sormo is a short biography of a 19th century strongman living in the Champlain Valley. He was known in his heyday as the “Modern Hercules” and the “Lewis Giant” and was recognized for performing several feats of spectacular strength. How much of a tall tale the Lewis Giant has become you must determine for yourself.

      Exploits of the Lewis Giant

      In 1781, Joseph Call was born into a family of reportedly large and strong relatives, including a sister who was described as an Amazon almost equal to Joe in strength (24). Call was born in Vermont and came to Lewis, NY, in his twenties. He lived in the Champlain Valley the rest of his life. He married twice and had several children.

      The Lewis Giant’s fame as a wrestler was well-known and several challengers arrived to attempt to defeat him, but only one man ever threw him–Abraham Chase–and that fact is inscribed on his tombstone in Willsboro’s Memorial Cemetery!

      Often the Lewis Giant would intimidate would-be challengers and win without even having a match; there is one story that tells how a man asked Call as he was plowing a field where to find the Lewis Giant. Call picked up his plow with one hand and pointed the way to his home, and another occasion (or version) has Call picking up his ox to point the way (39)!

      Joe Call lifting an ox!
      Joe Call lifting an ox! This is one of Bill McLaughlin’s humorous sketches the seen throughout Joe Call, The Lewis Giant by Maitland C. De Sormo.

      The Lewis Giant was served in a militia during the War of 1812 and fought in the Battle of Bouquet. Call’s fame was apparently known to the British who had a strongman of their own, and when the opportunity arose a match was proposed. Insults were thrown and Call agreed. After winning the first round the Lewis Giant realized he was having to give his full strength to defeat his opponent, and realizing that this was a life or death match he gave it his all and put the British man in a strong hold. When the Lewis Giant let go, the man was dead (47).

      Another occasion or possible version of this tale describes a scheduled match with a Vermonter from another regiment that was highly bet on, and the other man was accidentally killed when his ribs were torn from his backbone by Call’s overwhelming strength in the last bout (49).

      In his later years the Lewis Giant fought less and devoted himself more to business. He gradually gained a modest estate through the operation of sawmills and logging contracts. He purchased the Donaghy Mill site on Trout River and a small community known as Callsville emerged there. It consisted of a mill, schoolhouse, store, and a few other homes and buildings (56). The construction of the Northway’s exit 32 destroyed the settlement and only a few cellar holes remain today (57).

      Joe Call in Essex, NY

      Joe Call lifting a log
      Joe Call lifting a large log (Credit: Bill McLaughlin)

      There are even stories about the Lewis Giant performing amazing feats in Essex, NY. For example, he allegedly assisted in the construction of the former Henry H. Ross store.

      As proof of Call’s almost superhuman strength H.P. Smith stated in his History of Essex County that he had seen a section of timber 50 feet long and 10 inches square, now forming the plate of Judge Ross’s stone store in Essex, which timber, it is said, Call had dragged with one end on his shoulder a distance of 20 rods, then up an inclined staging to the top of the wall and finally placed it in its present position. (40)

      Another story tells of some trouble the Lewis Giant experienced while crossing Lake Champlain on a steam powered ferry. Perhaps it was at our very own Essex-Charlotte crossing? Call was on the ship and spit some tobacco juice onto the deck. The captain got upset and told him not to do it again; perhaps not liking the captain’s tone the Lewis Giant spat again, and the captain ordered him arrested. However, comically every crewman who got close to Call was thrown overboard! The captain rescinded his order and the Lewis Giant refrained from spitting again having made his point (50).

      Legend after Death

      Joe Call pointing with plow
      Joe Call points the way to his home with his plow one-handed to a would-be challenger. (Credit: Bill McLaughlin)

      In his later years, the Lewis Giant moved to Westport, to give his children better educational opportunities, and it was there that he died at the age of 54. He developed a carbuncle in his neck, and though a doctor was sent for, Call grew worse through the end of summer and died on September 20, 1835.

      It was five years after the Lewis Giant’s death that a local journalist, Anson H. Allen, began publishing “whimsical and occasionally fanciful” accounts of Call’s career and great deeds, and many North Country newspapers reprinted and spread these stories (19-20).

      Unquestionably, Call was an exceptionally powerful man and a formidable wrestler so even if he did not quite live up to the legends that evolved around him he evidently rated his reputation as the most talked-about Champlain Valley resident of all time. (13)

      Related articles
      • Vintage Brochure: Visit Essex on Lake Champlain (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
      • Merchant Row Mansions in Essex, NY (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
      • John Bird Burnham: Conservationist and Adventurer

         (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

      • Rob Ivy: Rattlesnake Increase and Essex Dissolution (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

      Share this:

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Pinterest
      • Email
      • More
      • Print
      • LinkedIn
      • Pocket
      • Reddit
      • Tumblr

      Filed Under: People Tagged With: Abraham Chase, folk tales, Henry H. Ross, Joe Call, Joe Call The Lewis Giant, Maitland C. De Sormo, tall tales

      About Katie Shepard

      Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Lee C. Parker says

        April 8, 2015 at 4:08 pm

        Looks like I’ve run into quite a few relatives/past residents of Essex…Jay,,,Huldah Matilda Call Burnham(1827-…married a Edward Burnham 2-28-1847. Andrew Call married a Fanny Eddy…her brother…a William Eddy…his nephew…Clarence Darrow. I still need to “find ” my post cards ( over 500 ) to see if I have some from Essex. Regards, Lee

        Reply
        • Katie Shepard says

          April 8, 2015 at 5:15 pm

          Interesting. Glad you’re learning more about your family and historical connection to the area. And if you ever do find any Essex-related postcards we’d love to see them!

          Reply

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler’s Field Guide 

      Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide

      View all Essex Editions books...

      Follow Essex, NY on FacebookFollow Essex, NY on TwitterFollow Essex, NY on PinterestFollow Essex, NY on YouTubeFollow Essex, NY on FlickrFollow Essex, NY on RSS

      Search

      Top 10 Contributors

      • Katie Shepard (595)
      • Geo Davis (394)
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall (259)
      • Avatar photoChamplain Area Trails (CATS) (208)
      • Avatar photoEssex Farm (205)
      • Olive Alexander (190)
      • Sara Kurak (165)
      • Avatar photoTom Mangano (142)
      • Avatar photoFort Ticonderoga (142)
      • Avatar photoLakeside School (116)

      Footer

      Resources & Policies

      • About Essex on Lake Champlain
      • About Essex, New York
      • Essex, NY Weather
      • Disclosure Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Submit a Story
      • Contact Us

      Popular Essex, NY Searches

      • Essex, NY
      • Essex, New York
      • Essex on Lake Champlain
      • Essex Charlotte ferry
      • Essex ferry schedule
      • Essex Charlotte ferry schedule
      • Full and By Farm
      • Essex Farm
      • timber rattlesnake
      • Essex NY fireworks
      • Christmas in Essex, NY
      • Champlain Area Trails

      Local Links

      • Adirondack Art Association
      • Belden Noble Memorial Library
      • Champlain Area Trails
      • Champlain Valley Film Series
      • Essex Community Concerts
      • Essex Theatre Company
      • Historic Essex
      • Rosslyn Redux
      • The Crater Club
      • Town of Essex Information
      • Whallonsburg Grange Hall

      Copyright © 2023 Essex Editions

       

      Loading Comments...