View, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, has announced the organization has begun moving forward with the construction of the Henry M. Kashiwa Wetlands Walkway. [Read more…] about Old Forge Art Center Begins Work on Outdoor Walkway
Old Forge
Dams, Canals, Locks & Inclined Planes: Farrand Benedict In The Adirondacks
This is a story of a fascinating but rather forgotten individual from the history of the Adirondacks.
Along with his slightly older mentor Ebenezer Emmons, and his younger contemporary Verplanck Colvin, he was among the first to accurately survey much of the Adirondacks. He also proposed a number of early dams, canals, locks and inclined planes and considered using historic waterways and canals to traverse the Adirondacks by water. [Read more…] about Dams, Canals, Locks & Inclined Planes: Farrand Benedict In The Adirondacks
Annual Plein Air ‘Paint Out’ Goes Anywhere, Online
View’s 11th Annual Plein Air Paint Out is set to be held virtually, from Saturday, August 29th through September 10th.
Over 40 artists are set to donate a painting for the benefit auction, as well as providing one or two paintings for the consignment sale. [Read more…] about Annual Plein Air ‘Paint Out’ Goes Anywhere, Online
View’s Annual Ice Cream Social At Point Park In Old Forge
View, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, is set to host their 11th Annual Ice Cream Social on Friday, August 14th, from 11 am to 3 pm. [Read more…] about View’s Annual Ice Cream Social At Point Park In Old Forge
Great Adirondack Garage Sale This Weekend
The 2020 Great Adirondack Garage Sale is set for this coming weekend, August 7th, 8th, and 9th. In the past, the event was traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend, but due to safety concerns, it was pushed back to August for this year.
The 11th annual event consists of residents selling their items along a 150-mile trail stretching from Tupper Lake to Speculator, and Old Forge to Newcomb in the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about Great Adirondack Garage Sale This Weekend
Police Chase Winds Through Adirondack Park
New York State Police report they were involved in a pursuit from Utica into the heart of the Adirondacks 90 miles away.
Police say strip spikes were deployed twice, but did not stop the driver. The pursuit ended at Blue Mountain Lake, in Hamilton County. [Read more…] about Police Chase Winds Through Adirondack Park
View To Host Sketching Workshop Around Old Forge
View, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, has announced a two-session workshop, Urban Sketching, with View interns Grace and Emma.
The first session is set for July 17th, from 3 to 5 pm. The second session will take place via Zoom on July 24th, from 3 to 5 pm. [Read more…] about View To Host Sketching Workshop Around Old Forge
Reception For View, Old Forge Exhibits Tonight
View, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, has announced an opening reception of Lewis Bryden’s Boardwalk Idyll exhibit, and the juried Summer Idylls exhibit, set for today, Thursday, July 2nd from 4 to 7 pm. Additionally, A Select Rustic Show will also be open. [Read more…] about Reception For View, Old Forge Exhibits Tonight
Central Adirondack Art Show Winners Announced
View, the Center for Arts and Culture in Old Forge, has announced the award winners of the Central Adirondack Art Show. This art show is a long-standing Old Forge tradition, showcasing artists throughout the Central Adirondack Region and beyond.
[Read more…] about Central Adirondack Art Show Winners Announced
The Shooting of Adirondack Guide Alex White
Sunday, October 22, 1916, seemed like a good day for a deer hunt at the Adirondack League Club, near Old Forge. Walter D. Gelshenen of Manhassett, Long Island, and his brother-in-law William S. Lawson of New York City hired two local guides, Alexander White and Howard Stell.
They started out early for Fernow Mountain, east of Little Moose Lake and just south of Mountain Pond. [Read more…] about The Shooting of Adirondack Guide Alex White
The Crego Family: Three Generations of Adirondack Guides
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, three generations of the Crego family worked as wilderness guides in the Western Adirondacks. Along the way, they raised families, worked for prominent employers, adapted to new forms of transportation, and helped lay the groundwork for the conservation movement in New York State. [Read more…] about The Crego Family: Three Generations of Adirondack Guides
Father Fitz: Missionary to the Adirondacks
The Rev. John G. Fitzgerald, or “Father Fitz” as he was known to contemporaries, was the first resident Roman Catholic priest in Old Forge. He is fondly remembered as a missionary to the widely scattered working people of the region and as a prolific builder of churches.
His obituary in 1925 and local histories rightly focus on his time in Old Forge, but Father Fitzgerald had a significant career prior to that. His early assignments reveal a resourceful and energetic clergyman who made an impact across the Adirondacks and North Country. He served the people of northern New York State for a total of 49 years providing faith, culture, and kindness. [Read more…] about Father Fitz: Missionary to the Adirondacks
Community Christmas Trees: Historically Rooted in the Adirondacks
Community Christmas trees are an American tradition that bring people together regardless of income, faith, political persuasion, or pretty much anything that divides us. Whether sponsored by a city, town, church, or civic organization, community trees are placed in an outdoor public setting for anyone to enjoy.
It’s a rare treat to share something so nonpartisan: whatever you might personally like about the holidays is what you’ll take away from viewing the tree or sharing in song and merrymaking with fellow citizens. And it’s nice to know that America’s first community Christmas tree, the one that spawned a movement still going strong more than a century later, was an Adirondack balsam. [Read more…] about Community Christmas Trees: Historically Rooted in the Adirondacks
A New History of the Fulton Chain
A new history covering the Fulton Chain of Lakes region from Moose River Settlement to its boundary west of Raquette Lake is now available.
Regular contributor to the Weekly Adirondack of Old Forge Charles E. Herr’s new book, The Fulton Chain: Early Settlement, Roads, Steamboats, Railroads and Hotels, documents the story of the stalwart folk whose lives shaped the Fulton Chain.
The book represents the first general history of the Fulton Chain region in almost seventy years.
[Read more…] about A New History of the Fulton Chain
A Small Error Leads To A Terrible Adirondack Railroad Accident
On May 9, 1903, a seemingly minor error led to a terrible Adirondack railroad accident near Old Forge. About seven miles south on Route 28 was Nelson Lake siding (a side rail, or pullover) on the Mohawk & Malone Railroad (an Adirondack branch of the New York Central Railroad). A little farther down the line from Nelson Lake was the village of McKeever.
That fateful day started like any other. From Malone, New York, about 90 miles northeast of Nelson Lake, train No. 650 (six cars) was heading south on its route that eventually led to Utica. At around 8:00 that morning and some 340 miles south of Malone, train No. 651 of the Adirondack & Montreal Express departed New York City. At 1:05 pm, it passed Utica, beginning the scenic run north towards the mountains. [Read more…] about A Small Error Leads To A Terrible Adirondack Railroad Accident
Old Forge and The Fulton Chain of Lakes
Linda Cohen and Peg Masters, both descendants of 19th-century pioneer settlers of the Old Forge region, have written Old Forge and The Fulton Chain of Lakes (Arcadia Publishing, $21.99) the latest Adirondack edition in the Images of America series. Together they compiled over 200 images from around the area, many seldom seen.
Old Forge is nestled at the foot of the Middle Branch of the Moose River, more commonly known as the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Year-round accommodations at the Forge House in 1871 and dependable rail service in 1892 led to permanent settlement of the hamlet. Within a decade, Old Forge emerged as the residential and commercial hub of the Central Adirondacks and a popular destination and gathering place for guides, sportsmen, and wilderness tourists. [Read more…] about Old Forge and The Fulton Chain of Lakes