This postcard, which depicts the United Helpers Children’s Home on State Street, where the Edgar A. Newell II Memorial Golden Dome stands today, shows what the home would have looked like prior to the construction of a three-story expansion that was built in 1925. The postcard actually contains a message written on the back addressed to simply “Miss Elizabeth Clements, Canton, N.Y.,” with no zip code. The card is postmarked Sept. 17, 1908 and contains one cent in postage.

OGDENSBURG – On May 4, 1898 Alzina Milligan climbed into her buggy and rode to Potsdam to pick up a young boy in need of care. Each day since then, for 125 years, in some way, shape or form, United Helpers has been caring for our friends and neighbors across the North Country.

The original United Helpers Home sat at 22 Congress Street in Ogdensburg, but it wouldn’t be long before the organization outgrew that space and opened a larger facility on State Street, where the Edgar A. Newell II Memorial Golden Dome stands today.

As is the case with any business or organization that has been around for 125 years, United Helpers has had to adapt and change many times to meet the changing needs of the community over the years.

Recognizing that there was a need for care in the community for orphaned children, a group of 10 women each contributed $100 (roughly $3,634 in today’s currency) to form the Society of United Helpers and open the original children’s home.

Just one year later, the group realized the need for a larger home and on Jan. 1, 1901 the new United Helpers Home on State Street was opened. That home remained open until 1972, although the number of services offered there would change several times over the years.

Nursery opens in 1904

In 1904, a nursery for babies opened, and in 1910 the first elderly woman was admitted to the home. It wouldn’t be until 1955 that the home would care for its first elderly man.

The home continued to thrive and in 1925 the Society of United Helpers raised $76,000, the equivalent of more than $1.3 million in today’s dollars, to build a three-story expansion, which added 25 new rooms to the home.

As the field of human services began to change the State Department of Social Welfare, which would later become Social Services, began placing children in foster homes, rather than group homes such as the United Helpers Home.

During the 1950’s, admissions began to decrease and children from the United Helpers Home were removed and placed with foster families.

The last child left the United Helpers Home on July 3, 1959.

The year 1959 was also historical for another reason. Up until that time, the company had been run entirely by women.

As the need for elder care facilities in the region continued to grow, United Helpers began planning for yet another addition to the State Street property.

However, a fire at the home in April of 1968 stalled those plans, and property was purchased just outside the city on State Route 68 for what would eventually become a 120-bed skilled nursing facility on the site of the former Pythian Home.

Ground was broken on July 16, 1970. Following the completion of that structure, the United Helpers Home on State Street, which had been purchased by the Newell family on behalf of the Ogdensburg City School District was demolished. Construction on what is now the Edgar A. Newell II Golden Dome soon began.

Assisted living facilities

United Helpers continued caring for elderly men and women, but it wouldn’t be long before they noticed the need for a facility that could house seniors who needed some assistance, but not the level of care provided by a skilled nursing facility.

In 1978, construction began on what would become the United Helpers Adult Home, a 40-bed facility that provided seniors with meals, medication management, and a secure place to live where they no longer had to worry about home maintenance.

The 1980’s and 1990’s were a tremendous time of growth for the organization, as several new service lines were introduced leading to the opening of several new United Helpers locations, including the Management Company complex at 732 Ford Street in Ogdensburg.

The 1980’s saw the introduction of property management services.

Today the organization manages 23 senior/disabled housing complexes, with one complex also offering family housing for a combined total of 503 apartments across St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties!

First ICF in 1982

In 1982, United Helpers Care, Inc. was formed, opening its first Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) in Ogdensburg. Five more ICFs would soon be opened in Rensselaer Falls, Lisbon, Heuvelton (2), and Morristown, providing care in a home-like setting for individuals with developmental disabilities.

In 1994, United Helpers Care Inc., which today is known as United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills would open its first Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA), a home similar to an ICF that also provided care to folks with developmental disabilities.

This branch of the company would continue to grow, and in 2005 United Helpers purchased LEAP, Inc. adding three more residential facilities to its portfolio.

At that time each of the homes were converted into IRAs.

 Today, United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills operates 11 IRAs in communities all across St. Lawrence County, providing employment to nearly 300 people working as Direct Support Professionals or in supervisory, housekeeping, food services, and support positions.

In 1991 United Helpers Care, Inc. also opened Gateway Apartments in Ogdensburg and created the Assertive Community Treatment Team to provide mental health services for people all across the county.

Those services would be further enhanced, when in 2016 the United Helpers Behavioral Health Clinic in Ogdensburg opened its doors. Just three years later. United Helpers would open a second clinic, located in Canton in the former Key Bank building.

In 1979, United Helpers took ownership of both the Cedars Nursing Home in Ogdensburg and the Moongate Nursing Home in Canton.

One of largest healthcare providers

 These acquisitions made United Helpers one of the largest health care providers in the region. The Cedars Nursing Home would eventually merge with the United Helpers Nursing Home, forming RiverLedge Health Care & Rehabilitation Center.

In 2008, construction would begin on what is now known as United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton.

That building would house both inpatient and outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as a memory care unit, a short-term rehabilitation unit, and what remains to this day, the county’s only Assisted Living Program. The former Moongate Nursing Home would close. Today, that building serves as an office complex for St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES.

In 1998, United Helpers saw the opening of the county’s only retirement community. The property, which was originally known as Partridge Knoll is now known as United Helpers Independent Senior Living.

Sadly, in 2021 United Helpers announced the closure of its Rehabilitation and Senior Care complex in Ogdensburg. The closing was due to a lack of funding from the government of New York State, which has not provided an increase to Medicaid reimbursement rates in more than 15 years contributed to the closure, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sparx created

The future. Though. for United Helpers remains bright. In 2012, a for-profit division of the company, Sparx was created. Today Sparx provides IT, office management and payroll services to businesses and organizations in the county.

Sparx also includes a software division, which creates, markets and sells software that can be used in health care facilities across the state.

Sparx Construction Company & General Contracting was also launched in 2022, providing both commercial and residential services across the North Country. Proceeds from these ventures will help to support the United Helpers mission.

In 2013, through a partnership with St. Lawrence Health Systems, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley, and United Helpers, Northern Lights Home Health Care was formed, further complimenting the continuum of services offered through the United Helpers organization. While Hospice is no longer a partner in this venture, they were instrumental in its creation.

Today the United Helpers organization employs more than 700 people, making it one of the top 10 largest employers in St. Lawrence County. People work in a variety of both health care and non-health care roles. Company-wide payroll puts millions of dollars back into the region each year.