New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Schroon River

Hudson River Dam History: The Big Hadley And Glen Dams

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Mike Prescott paddling One day as my wife and I and our dogs walked along River Road at Riparius on the Hudson River, my wife said to me in a folksy manner “just think all this water here, is on its way to New York City.”

It’s true the Hudson River has flowed out of the Adirondack Mountains for millennia, southward towards the Atlantic Ocean. And over the last two centuries or so there have been plans to dam the Upper Hudson for one reason or another. Most of those plans have dealt with using the water resources for some down state endeavor. [Read more…] about Hudson River Dam History: The Big Hadley And Glen Dams

Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Found in Adirondack Park

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed in Warren County.

While not unexpected given the EAB’s spread, this marks the first confirmed case of EAB within the Adirondack Park. The affected trees were identified by Department of Transportation personnel at the Warren County Canoe Launch on the Schroon River in the town of Chester. A sample has been sent to Cornell University Insect Diagnostic Lab for further review. [Read more…] about Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Found in Adirondack Park

The Big Boom: Old Hudson River Chain Recalls Logging History

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courtesy Adam PearsallRecently my son Adam and his seven-year-old daughter Mckenna were canoeing on the Hudson River above the Feeder Dam in Glens Falls when they noticed a small tree growing atop an old stone pier about 30 feet from shore – and something more. Tangled in the roots, they found a large old rusted chain with links 4 inches wide by 6 inches long.

Sharing pictures with Richard “Dick” Nason, the unofficial Finch Pruyn historian and an authority on river log drives, it appears likely the chain was left over from the heyday of log drives on the Hudson River. The chain was found in the Big Boom sorting area. Logs were released from the Big Boom upriver and floated down to the sorting area where they were tallied by owners, identified by the owner’s mark stamped on the butt end of each log. The sorting area was used from 1851 to 1929. Dick suspects the chain may be from the late 1800s. [Read more…] about The Big Boom: Old Hudson River Chain Recalls Logging History

Free Historical Tours of Warrensburg This Weekend

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Warrensburg Historical Society BuildingOn Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21 the Warrensburgh Historical Society will be conducting a walking tour of the early residential and civic district of the village, led by architectural historian Delbert Chambers.

The tour will pass more than 30 historic properties and is one of four walking and two driving tours being developed by the Society’s Preservation Committee. [Read more…] about Free Historical Tours of Warrensburg This Weekend

Guide to the Schroon River at the Adk Museum

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The Schroon River today is not well known. Parts such as Schroon Lake, “a wide spot in the river,” have been tourist destinations for years. Yet how many campers on the shore realize that Adirondack river driving began on the little river in 1813? Thousands of logs once floated down the Schroon to the Hudson River and mills beyond.

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, Mike Prescott, a New York State Licensed Guide, will offer a program entitled “Armchair Paddlers’ Guide to the Schroon River” at the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. The presentation is the last of Cabin Fever Sunday series for the season.

The Schroon River is more than 60 miles in length, part of the Hudson River Watershed that flows south to the Atlantic Ocean passing within five miles of Lake George, part of the Lake Champlain Watershed flowing north towards the St. Lawrence River.

There are sections of the river for all recreational enthusiasts. Fisherman can enjoy the deep water fishing of Schroon Lake, while the faster waters of Tumblehead Falls challenge fly fisherman. Paddlers can drift along the lazy current of the upper Schroon and whitewater kayakers can play in the class III and IV rapids. Boaters can enjoy the 14-mile length of Schroon Lake. Hikers and wilderness adventurers are able to explore the mountains, lakes, and ponds of the Hoffman Notch, Dix Mountain, and the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness areas as well as the Hammond Pond Wild Forest area.

The history of human interaction with the Schroon River is rich with stories of logging, industry, tourism, and community development.

“The Armchair Paddlers’ Guide to the Schroon River” will be illustrated with vintage photos and postcards, as well as contemporary photography that shows what a paddler today would experience along the river.

Mike Prescott is a retired secondary school principal and NYS Licensed Guide. He spent three summers working with the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program and has logged many hours observing and photographing loons. He spent thirty-four years working with young people, first as a history teacher and then as a secondary school principal. He has always found nature to be healing and rejuvenating. Mike’s specializes in learning the
history of the lakes, rivers, and streams of the Adirondacks.

The program will be held in the Auditorium, and will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. Cabin Fever Sunday programs are offered at no charge to museum members. The fee for non-members is $5.00. There is no charge for children of elementary school age or younger. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, please call the Education Department at (518) 352-7311, ext. 128 or visit the museum’s web site at
www.adirondackmuseum.org.

Photo: Schroon River at Thurman, ca. 1900. Collection of the Adirondack Museum.