Adirondack History Museum staff are pleased to host a Fires of the High Peaks Lecture by Sharp Swan on the evening of Thursday, September 1 at 7 p.m. The start of the 20th Century saw massive forest fires throughout the Adirondack region. Between 1903 and 1913, about 862,000 acres of forest burned.

Long droughts and extensive logging of the North Woods left huge areas of timber “slash” that made the forest a veritable tinderbox. Campers, tourists, and farmers burning off their fields, along with trains that scattered sparks, all helped to ignite the forest. Due to public outcry for protection from the devastation, measures were established to prevent and detect fires, eliminating the scale of destruction that occurred in the Adirondacks a hundred years ago.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Covid-19 vaccination is strongly recommended, and masks are encouraged. Masks will be available at the museum. Seating is limited and will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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The Adirondack History Museum is located at 7590 Court Street in Elizabethtown, NY.

For more information, call  (518) 873-6466 or visit http://www.adkhistorymuseum.org/.

Photo at top courtesy of the Adirondack History Museum.