Verplanck Colvin

Hudson River Dam History: The Big Hadley And Glen Dams

November 16, 2020 by Mike Prescott 3 Comments

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

In 1883 The Glens Falls News Cycle Was Cut In Half

September 8, 2020 by Maury Thompson Leave a Comment

Breaking news from Sandy Hill was published at 5 am Monday April 2, 1883, the day the Glens Falls news cycle was cut in half from 24 to 12 hours.

“A bout of fisticuffs occurred at the freight depot yesterday afternoon in which several glove handlers were engaged. No less than forty spectators were present. No damage was done beyond desecration of the Sabbath,” The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported in its debut issue. [Read more…] about In 1883 The Glens Falls News Cycle Was Cut In Half

Adirondack Survey Markers: A Conservation Minute

August 28, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

On many hikes, I never truly feel like I have reached the summit of a peak until I’ve found a tiny metal disc set into the rock.

These small plates of metal are called survey markers, or benchmarks, and they are put in place by surveyors to mark important points on the Earth’s surface. [Read more…] about Adirondack Survey Markers: A Conservation Minute

Adirondack Mapping Exhibit in Ticonderoga, Program Planned

August 17, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Ticonderoga Historical Society is set to present a free public program “Mapping the Adirondacks,” on Friday, August 21st at 7 pm at the Hancock House in Ticonderga.

“Mapping the Adirondacks” will open the museum’s newest exhibit, featuring more than 18 military, political and romance maps from its collection, some on display for the first time. [Read more…] about Adirondack Mapping Exhibit in Ticonderoga, Program Planned

Verplanck Colvin’s Survey of Twitchell Lake

May 12, 2020 by Noel Sherry 3 Comments

Camp owners at Twitchell Lake in the Adirondacks have made a tradition of hiking the seven-mile trail north to the isolated hamlet of Beaver River for an annual Octoberfest celebration.

On our 2007 excursion, I stopped at a large stone with a bronze plaque reading: “In Tribute to Verplanck Colvin (1847-1920), Land Surveyor, Founder and Champion of the New York State Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Park, remembered by his friends and admirers on the Centennial of the Adirondack Park, May 20, 1992.” [Read more…] about Verplanck Colvin’s Survey of Twitchell Lake