James Kerrigan wrote a song in 1896 Bright Mohawk Valley. This is how I came to know the song: James collected songs for folks to sing and play be heart because there was no recording back then. His birth and origins are not clear but his songs have stories behind them. He worked and became friends with other song collectors and writers. For example J.S. Forswick and his song Aura Lea has become and standard in its own right and been used for many other settings to the 1886 tune. Bright Mohawk Valley is not well known though. In its day neither was James Kerrigan. Does anyone know more about this song's history and also the 1925 Riley Puckett interpretation? I also know that other folks have recorded the 1896 James Kerrigan version.