Olympic History

Lake Placid Celebrating 1980 Olympics 40th Anniversary

December 3, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Forty years ago this February, the Adirondack village of Lake Placid hosted the 13th Olympic Winter Games. The U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team’s improbable win over the Russians, known as the “Miracle on Ice,” along with speed skater Eric Heiden’s five gold medals, helped make the 1980 Lake Placid Games one with an enduring legacy.

From February 14 – 23, the two-time Olympic village (the first winter games to be hosted outside of Europe took place in Lake Placid in 1932) is set to host a full slate of activities. [Read more…] about Lake Placid Celebrating 1980 Olympics 40th Anniversary

Insider’s View of ’84 Winter Olympics in Canton

January 15, 2018 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Learn more about the history of the Olympic Winter Games when Mark Friden speaks at noon on Thursday, January 18th, at the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.

The talk will cover his involvement in figure skating as a competitor and as an official, leading up to his work for ABC Sports as their technical consultant for figure skating at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics. Brown Bag Lunches are free and open to the public. Bring your own lunch and enjoy a beverage and dessert provided by SLCHA. [Read more…] about Insider’s View of ’84 Winter Olympics in Canton

Jack Lagree: Dannemora’s Bobsled Guru

October 30, 2017 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

Long before the 2015 escape of Richard Matt and David Sweat, the word Dannemora instantly conjured images of the prison. While the high wall dominates the landscape, the village does have other historical connections, some of them in the world of sports, including one through the person of John “Jack” Lagree. Jack was a native of Churubusco, a tiny hamlet in northwestern Clinton County.

Blessed with engineering talent, mechanical skill, and a strong, traditional, North Country work ethic, he rose to national prominence in the world of bobsleigh competition (referred to hereafter by the more popular term, bobsled). [Read more…] about Jack Lagree: Dannemora’s Bobsled Guru

Chateaugay Olympian Karl Frederick: Literally A Shooting Star

September 29, 2016 by Lawrence P. Gooley Leave a Comment

The 2016 Summer Olympics have ended, and as usual, they were quite the spectacle. Folks in the Adirondacks and North Country are perhaps bigger fans of the Winter Olympics, for obvious reasons: the games have been held twice at Lake Placid, and a number of area natives have attained lifelong dreams by earning a place on the podium. But a man born in this region achieved summer Olympic glory long ago, one of many highlights in a very accomplished life.

Karl Telford Frederick was born in 1881 in Chateaugay (northern Franklin County), where his father was a Presbyterian minister, which required a somewhat nomadic existence (five relocations in 14 years). Before Karl was three, the family moved to Essex on Lake Champlain, remaining there until 1888—not a long time, but sufficient to establish a lasting connection between him and the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Chateaugay Olympian Karl Frederick: Literally A Shooting Star

Olympic Museum Speed Skating Exhibit Opens

June 6, 2016 by Christie Sausa Leave a Comment

A new permanent exhibit has sped into the Lake Placid Olympic Museum that celebrates one of the original Lake Placid winter sports—speed skating. “Quest for Speed” features various displays explaining the history of the sport and its origins and impact in Lake Placid.

Skaters profiled included local Olympic stars Charles Jewtraw and Jack Shea, and of course Wisconsin-native Eric Heiden, who won an unparalleled five gold medals at the 1980 Olympic Games. Museum director Alison Haas interviewed several champions in the sport to research the exhibit, including traveling to Salt Lake City to interview Eric Heiden. [Read more…] about Olympic Museum Speed Skating Exhibit Opens

1932 Olympics: Speed Skater Spawned Suit

November 25, 2015 by John Conway 1 Comment

To most, Irving Jaffee will best be remembered for the two gold medals he won in the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid. To others, he will forever be the man over whom two legendary Catskill hotels went to court one winter.

Jaffee was among the greatest speed skaters of his generation. He turned in the fastest time in the 10,000 meters at the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz, only to have the event canceled without an official winner because unseasonably warm temperatures had thawed the ice. Four years later, in Lake Placid, Jaffe won gold medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races as American men swept all four speed skating events. [Read more…] about 1932 Olympics: Speed Skater Spawned Suit

The Lake Placid Legacy of Willis Wells

December 29, 2014 by Lawrence P. Gooley 1 Comment

Among the folks who played an important role in Northern New York regional history and personified the traditional Christmas spirit was Willis Wells of Lake Placid.

Long before Willis gained attention, his father, Duran, a native of Peru, New York, had become a North Country fixture, operating a peddler’s cart in the post-Civil War years. From the shores of Lake Champlain to the Paul Smith’s area, he supplied homes and farms with the daily needs of life, an important function in those early days when stores visited many of their customers. [Read more…] about The Lake Placid Legacy of Willis Wells

Lake Placid Hockey History Lectures Planned

March 20, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society has announced the third program of its 2014 “Odds and Ends” Winter Lecture Series on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 in the Legacy Room at the Lake Placid Convention Center. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m.

This program in the four-part series is titled, “A History of Hockey in Lake Placid” presented by Denny Allen, Butch Martin and Steve Reed. The Historical Society, the Olympic Museum and Northwood School will showcase a display of memorabilia. [Read more…] about Lake Placid Hockey History Lectures Planned

New Olympic Museum Exhibit Celebrates Sonja Henie

December 17, 2013 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Lake Placid Olympic Museum, located in the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, has announced the opening of their new, permanent exhibit, “Sonja Henie: Perfection on Ice.” Sonja Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater, to include three Olympic crowns and six European championship titles.

Her innovative skating techniques and glamorous demeanor transformed the sport permanently and confirmed its acceptance as a legitimate sport in the Olympic Winter Games. [Read more…] about New Olympic Museum Exhibit Celebrates Sonja Henie

Lake Placid Olympics 1932 Rink Renovation Underway

August 20, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Renovation to the facade of the Lake Placid Olympic Center’s 1932 rink is underway. The contractors, J.T. Erectors, are restoring the structure to its original appearance in the 1930’s. Some of the work includes the installation of windows that have been enclosed by brink since prior to the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.

The revitalization project is being financed through the remaining funds from a grant through Empire State Development, which funded the construction of the newly completed Conference Center at Lake Placid.

When complete the 1932 facility, along with its conventional use for skating and hockey and akin to the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, will join the conference center to provide nearly 100,000 square feet of convention space. The fresh look will complement the conference center, which opened for business May 2011.