Over a fifteen-year period Darcey Hale cared for and archived the massive Clark Collection of 51,000 printed materials, 6,000 photographs and 2,000 textiles that she unearthed everywhere on the former Clark family properties. Inspired by these treasures she wrote her first book, The Long Trek North that set the stage for A Journey through Childhood, a sequel. She continues to tell the remarkable story of the Clarks of Willsborough Point as she weaves together the threads of life in the Champlain Valley of New York during the 19th century.