New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Lake George

1950: A Toilet Paper King’s Vessel Sinks in Lake George

by Leave a Comment

A postcard, looking west across Lake George from Diamond Point (courtesy Richard K Dean)In 1950, Mr. and Mrs. David Daniels of Loudonville, New York had a family cottage on Lake George. At the time, David Daniels was the president of Wheeler Paper Company of Albany.

Eight-decades earlier in 1871, entrepreneur and innovator Seth Wheeler, head of the business, first patented his improvement in perforated-wrapping papers. In 1891, Wheeler then re-patented his idea for perforated paper on a roll, essentially developing toilet paper as we know it today. [Read more…] about 1950: A Toilet Paper King’s Vessel Sinks in Lake George

Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background

by 1 Comment

Hovey Pond Queensbury Half-Way Brook Fort AmherstTucked away between a car dealership and several corporate buildings at 25 Lafayette Street in Queensbury sits Hovey Pond Park, a serene oasis in the middle of suburban commercial development.

It’s a place for the jogger, the dog walker, the nature lover, and children seeking a playground. On a pleasant day, visitors may enjoy the park’s flower garden, fishing pond and wild life sanctuary, including a fast-running, bubbling creek that borders the park’s southern boundary. [Read more…] about Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background

The Lake George Trip That Inspired ‘Last of the Mohicans’

by Leave a Comment

A watercolor of Lake George, painted by Captain Joshua Rowley Watson, an English traveler who visited Lake George a few years before James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper’s knowledge of the French and Indian War may have been sketchy, but he was interested enough in its history to contemplate a visit to Lake George, which he finally did with a party of Englishmen in August, 1824.

Lord Edward Stanley (1799-1869), who would later become the 14th Earl of Derby and thrice Great Britain’s Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria, was the leader of that party. His account of the visit to Lake George was committed to his journals, portions of which were published in 1930 in a limited edition of fifty copies commissioned by his grandson. [Read more…] about The Lake George Trip That Inspired ‘Last of the Mohicans’

1869: A Bengal Tiger Roams Lake George

by Leave a Comment

A Bengal tiger (photo by Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, once billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” ceased operation in 2017.  The circus and its predecessors date to 1871.

In 1869, two years before this long-running circus first opened, Campbell’s Circus and Menagerie was at Lake George when it made national and international newspaper headlines. [Read more…] about 1869: A Bengal Tiger Roams Lake George

Crossroads of a Continent: A New Champlain Valley History Podcast

by Leave a Comment

Crossroads of a ContinentLocal historian Tim Dusablon has a new blog and podcast covering the Lake Champlain Valley‘s social and military history called Crossroads of a Continent.  His latest work is on the Battle of Carillon, which took place at Ticonderoga in 1758.

The episode and blog post are part four in a six part series on the French and Indian War in the Champlain Valley. [Read more…] about Crossroads of a Continent: A New Champlain Valley History Podcast

Prospect Mountain: An Environmental History of a Lake George Attraction

by Leave a Comment

Remains of the Prospect Mountain Cable Incline RailwayAfter the Million Dollar Beach and the Adirondack Northway came the Prospect Mountain Highway. The last of Lake George’s three great public infrastructure projects, it was completed in 1969 and opened on June 14 of that year. In other words, at the end of the 1960s. The Age of the Automobile was giving way to the Age of Aquarius.

The modernist building that was to be the project’s literal and figurative crown, its vertex – the so-called Summit House – was never built, a victim, perhaps, of the public’s disenchantment with automobiles, grandiose public projects and even with government itself. [Read more…] about Prospect Mountain: An Environmental History of a Lake George Attraction

Lake George’s 1758 Land Tortoise Shipwreck

by Leave a Comment

Detail from 'The Radeau 'Invincible' Lake George, NY 1759' by Tim CordellThe radeau (raft) Land Tortoise was built in 1758 during the French and Indian War as part of a British effort to regain control of Lake George after the loss of Fort William Henry in 1757.

Constructed by provincial militia forces under Captain Samuel Cobb of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) the 52-foot long floating artillery battery was built in just over a month, launched, tested (“rowed well with 26 oars”) and then intentionally sunk. [Read more…] about Lake George’s 1758 Land Tortoise Shipwreck

1885: Colonial Relics Found Near A Lake George Church

by Leave a Comment

The northwest bastion of replica Fort William HenryThe July 19, 1887 issue of the Glens Falls Daily Times newspaper declared that Isaac Crandall had “no superior as a florist.” The greenhouse owner not only was renowned for his exquisite-flower arrangements, he also was incredibly lucky.

Two years earlier in 1885, Crandall accidentally uprooted rare artifacts while planting a tree near the Methodist church in Caldwell (now known as Lake George). [Read more…] about 1885: Colonial Relics Found Near A Lake George Church

The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

by 1 Comment

Fort William Henry, 1757 (a fictionalized account of the massacre)The story of sieges and massacres of soldiers at Fort William Henry in August 1757 and two years later to residents of the Indigenous village of St. Francis (Saint-François-du-Lac, a community in Quebec, Canada, also known as Odanak by the Abenaki), are well-known by those with even a casual interest in the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

The story of Jonathan Dore is a small, but interesting tale of capture and self-redemption. His actions during both of those events shed a little more light on their impact on the individuals caught in this harrowing conflict. [Read more…] about The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

by Leave a Comment

Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett, co-pilot for Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd on the MacMillian Arctic Expedition in the Summer of 1925 and the Byrd Arctic Expedition of May 1926. For the later mission, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and commissioned to the warrant rank of Machinist. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)It was a carnival-like atmosphere as the two ships in Donald Baxter MacMillan’s latest Arctic expedition were about to sail from Wiscasset, Maine.

School children released multi-colored balloons, the 5th Infantry Band played “Aud Lang Syne,” and thousands of well-wishers gathered to see him off shouted, “See you in September, Mac,” the Associated Press reported on June 20, 1925. [Read more…] about 1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

Lake Champlain Maritime Archaeologist & Museum Director Chris Sabick

by Leave a Comment

Chris Sabick (courtesy Lake Champlain Maritime Museum)This week’s Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast features Chris Sabick, the Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, in Vergennes, Vermont.

Sabick discusses his experience as a maritime archaeologist; the museum’s plans for commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US; Benedict Arnold’s leadership during the Battle of Valcour Bay; and how the Lake George Submerged Heritage Preserve could be better managed. [Read more…] about Lake Champlain Maritime Archaeologist & Museum Director Chris Sabick

Roadside Attractions: Lake George’s Mid-Century Theme Parks

by 8 Comments

Storytown, USA in Lake George shoeBy July 4, 1945, the war in Europe was over. That weekend, “many more cars (were) parked on the streets of Lake George Village than have been seen here since the war started,” the Lake George Mirror reported. The transformation of Lake George’s tourist economy from a summer-long resort for the wealthy to a place where middle class and working families could come by car for a two-week vacation had begun.

By 1950, 50,000 people were spending their vacations here every summer. But once these families were here, what were they do? One answer: roadside attractions, specifically, small-scale, family-owned theme parks. By 1957, the Adirondacks contained the greatest concentration of roadside attractions to be found anywhere in the U.S. [Read more…] about Roadside Attractions: Lake George’s Mid-Century Theme Parks

Lake George Journey: An Alphabet Adventure Book Launch and Exhibition

by 2 Comments

Lake George Journey - An Alphabet AdventureLake George Journey: An Alphabet Adventure, is, in the author’s words, an “alphabetical exploration” of all the region has to offer. Written by Tamara Jacobi and Walter Wright, the book features stories that entertain and fun facts that educate.

Family and friends contributed memories and observations of life on Lake George. [Read more…] about Lake George Journey: An Alphabet Adventure Book Launch and Exhibition

The 1777 Battle of Diamond Island Podcast

by Leave a Comment

Postcard showing Diamond Island in the middle of Lake George, ca 1930s-40sThe Battle of Diamond Island was the only naval engagement of the American Revolution fought on Lake George. In the latest Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast, Bruce Venter provides context for the battle, which occurred on September 24, 1777, and its effects on British General John Burgoyne‘s campaign to capture Albany for the British. [Read more…] about The 1777 Battle of Diamond Island Podcast

1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism

by 1 Comment

Postcard of Ephraim Williams Monument on Route 9 four miles south of the head of Lake GeorgeIt was July 12, 1886, and the Glens Falls Post-Star newspaper published a story entitled “Stop the Vandals.” Relic hunters were destroying the Ephraim Williams Monument obelisk, located off Route 9 four miles south of Lake George, breaking off pieces from the corners of the once “handsome monument.” [Read more…] about 1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism

1925 Northern New York Radio History

by Leave a Comment

Family listening to the radio in Washington, DC, circa 1925Orrie Gould had a radio and would travel. “Gordon Russell and George Wilson were at J. Hebert Bly’s Sunday evening and enjoyed a radio entertainment furnished by Orrie Gould of Ticonderoga. The main feature was a church service from Albany, after which several stations were tuned in for musical selections,” the Crown Point Merchant’s Row correspondent reported in the Ticonderoga Sentinel on April 11, 1925.

“A few of our members were privileged to listen to a radio entertainment at the home of John Andre Saturday yesterday evening,” the Crown Point correspondent reported April 23rd. Orrie Gould of Ticonderoga brought the radio. [Read more…] about 1925 Northern New York Radio History

1926: Man Claims A Lightning Bolt Cured His Rheumatism

by Leave a Comment

lightning (NOAA)In the summer of 1926, David Lillie, from the Glenburnie-on-Lake George area, had an unusual experience with lightning. That firebolt would dramatically change his life.

Most American school children can tell you the story of Benjamin Franklin’s 1752 experiment with lightning, a kite and key, and electricity. Yet, lightning is a very scary thing. It is a powerful spark of electricity that happens between the skies and the ground. [Read more…] about 1926: Man Claims A Lightning Bolt Cured His Rheumatism

The Adirondack Northway’s Ambiguous Legacy

by 1 Comment

The Northway above Lake George, as portrayed by the Lake George MirrorThe Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87) made Lake George more accessible than any other resort area in the Northeast. So, it’s appropriate that the birth of the modern interstate highway system can be traced to Lake George; specifically, to the 46th Annual National Governor’s Conference, held July 11 to 13, 1954, at the Sagamore Hotel in Bolton Landing.

To be precise, the Conference was the site not so much of the birth of the interstate highway system, but of the announcement of its birth. [Read more…] about The Adirondack Northway’s Ambiguous Legacy

Blind Rock: An English-French Frontier Boundary in Warren County, NY

by Leave a Comment

Blind Rock in QueensburyThe “Lake George Battlefield Moments” podcast this week features historian and Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough discussing Blind Rock, an Indigenous landmark and the 17th and 18th century dividing line between New France and British territories in the Lake Champlain-Lake George-Hudson River corridor. [Read more…] about Blind Rock: An English-French Frontier Boundary in Warren County, NY

Boat-Access Camping on Lake George Islands

by Leave a Comment

Lake George Island CampingLake George‘s island campsites are spread across much of the lake and are accessible only by boat. They’re divided into three groups — Glen Island, in The Narrows east of Bolton Landing; Long Island, on the south end of the lake; and Narrow Island — part of the Mother Bunch Islands located in the northern part of the lake.

There are 387 shoreline campsites located on 44 State-owned lands. There are 85 sites located in the Narrow Island Group (Mother Bunch Group), 170 standard sites and 42 cruiser sites (sites for large boats with sleeping quarters) in the Glen Island Group (The Narrows), and 90 sites are on Long Island. [Read more…] about Boat-Access Camping on Lake George Islands

We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever

New York Almanack receives no public funds.

It’s supported only by readers like you.

Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best)

PayPal

Venmo

Patreon

Buy Me A Cup of Coffee

CashApp

Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)

Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.

*Donations are not tax deductible.

(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).