CANTON – Did you ever wonder why your town is shaped the way it is, or when it was founded?

Learn more about why the county looks the way it does when John Austin speaks about the historical townships of St. Lawrence County – their historical divisions and consolidations – at noon Thursday, Feb. 23, at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.

The lecture is part of the Brown Bag Lunch Series and is free and open to the public; bring your own lunch and enjoy a beverage and dessert provided by SLCHA.

John Austin is the author of “St. Lawrence County in the War of 1812: Folly and Mischief.” An amateur historian and genealogist, he has produced many research aids for the SLCHA and is currently researching the influence of the Parish family on the growth of the county.

The Brown Bag Lunch Series is a popular lunch time lecture series dedicated to the memory of Patricia Harrington Carson, who founded the series during her 24 years as a trustee of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.

Pat Carson was active on numerous SLCHA Committees, and was an article writer and an issue editor of the SLCHA’s history journal, The Quarterly.

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at the Silas Wright House is normally open Tuesday through Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; and Friday, noon-8 p.m. Admission to the museum is free; admission to the archives is free for members and children, $2.50 for college students, and $5 for the general public.

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is located at 3 E. Main St., Canton.

Parking is available behind the SLCHA, next to the museum’s main entrance.

Visit the SLCHA’s website, www.slcha.org, for more information on St. Lawrence County history.