Thursday, September 1, 2022

9th Annual Fire Tower Lighting event set for Sept. 3

The 9th Annual Fire Tower Lighting event is scheduled for Saturday, September 3 from 9 to 9:30 p.m. and will include several fire towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills. On the evening of the event, volunteers will light fire tower cabs with high-powered lights, and invite people to visit locations where they could look up, see the light on the horizon, and pay homage to fire observers who would stand watch in the towers, protecting the community and surrounding forest.

Established in 2014, this statewide event is the brain child of Doug Hamilton of the Red Hill Fire Tower Committee, and is meant to showcase the history of fire towers around the state.  They were erected in the early 20th century, as fires ravaged hundreds of thousands of square miles of wild forest.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Adirondack History Museum to host Fires of the High Peaks lecture on Sept. 1

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.

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Sunday, August 28, 2022

From Oars to Props: The Transportation Evolution in Long Lake

By Hallie Bond, Town of Long Lake Historian

The Adirondack Canoe Classic, known to many of us as The 90-Miler, is coming up! On September 10, we can stand on the bridge over Long Lake and cheer on those brave souls who are paddling or rowing all the way from Old Forge to Saranac Lake. They will be traveling an ancient route, one that has seen the full range of propulsion options, from human to the gasoline engine. The death this summer of Tom Helms, proprietor for nearly half a century of Helms Aero Service, reminds us that in one Long Lake family we can see most of this evolution happening on this lake over the past 160 years.

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Sunday, August 28, 2022

John Brown Lives! launches Freedom Story Project website

LAKE PLACID, NY  — On August 20, John Brown Lives! (JBL!) launched its “Freedom Story Project” website — www.freedomstoryproject.org — during the first-ever Adirondack Family Book Festival at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.

 

Martha Swan, Executive Director of John Brown Lives!, said, “This website includes the first of many three- to five-minute personal accounts of the activism and engagement of ordinary people working for justice and for human and civil rights, not only here at home, but around the world.”

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Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Making waves for clean water: A look back to 1972

clean water act anniversary

An influential film highlighted Adirondack rivers

As the Adirondacks celebrates the 50th anniversary of the nation’s Clean Water Act (1972-2022), I thought to thumb through a set of old reports to find out what the nonprofit advocate Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks was doing or thinking about at the origins of the Clean Water Act during 1972.

So much of a groundbreaking environmental nature was happening in 1972 that shared the spotlight with the national Clean Water Act. Here is a small sampling from the Association’s 1972 report, authored by its president at the time Arthur Crocker, and by its vice president Paul Schaefer:

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Tuesday, August 16, 2022

EVENT: History and Lore of the Northern Adirondack Fire Towers

Mount Arab fire tower

Marty Podskoch will give a PowerPoint and storytelling presentation on his book, Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore, The Northern District, on Thursday, August 18th at 7 PM at the Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown. The book contains information and photographs about the fire towers in the northern part of the Adirondack Park that include St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, and Essex counties.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Ticonderoga Historical Society presents program on Benedict Arnold on Aug. 12

Ticonderoga, NY – The Ticonderoga Historical Society will present a free public program on Friday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at the Hancock House located at 6 Moses Circle in Ticonderoga, NY. “Benedict Arnold: The Traitor Who Saved Ticonderoga” will be presented by Brian O’Connor, who will discuss Arnold’s role at the Battle of Valcour Island in October 1776.

 

“As an overwhelming British force headed south from Canada, Arnold assembled a ragtag fleet to meet it in a desperate naval action,” said Brian O’Connor.  “Though defeated, his heroics gave our infant nation a year to breathe & win the pivotal victory of Saratoga the following year.”

 

O’Connor, a former history professor, currently serves as Director of Libraries at North Country Community College. The program will be held outdoors under a tent, and attendees should bring their own lawn chairs.

 

Reservations may be made by calling the Hancock House at (518) 585-7868 or via e-mail: tihistory@bridgepoint1.com.

 

Photo at top: Benedict Arnold. Photo provided by Diane O’Connor of the Ticonderoga Historical Society.


Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Adirondack Water Week celebrates the history of waterways

(Paul Smiths, NY, August 1, 2022) – Adirondack Water Week kicks off on Friday, August 5 and runs through Sunday, August 14 this year. The 3rd annual event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, historic legislation that protected our nation’s water resources. Adirondack Water Week is a collaboration involving several organizations and businesses and features more than two dozen programs across the Adirondack region.

The program is coordinated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and is funded in part by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. One of this year’s highlights is the Adirondack Watershed Challenge, a family event encouraging people to get outside and celebrate time spent on Adirondack waters.

 

“The challenge lets families work through a list of fun activities that they can do in their own town,” said Tom Collins, AWI’s education and outreach program specialist and the Water Week coordinator. “Visit a
local lake or pond, take a picture of wildlife, pick up litter from the shoreline, and eat local ice cream.”

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Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Organizations mark 50th Anniversary of Clean Water Act with new museum exhibit, other events

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is marking the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 this summer with a new exhibit and public activities. In tandem with partners around the Champlain Valley, the exhibit and activities give the public the chance to celebrate the importance of clean water through history, action, and educational events.

The new exhibit, “The Clean Water Act,” explores the history that led to the passage of the Clean Water Act, key parts to know about this federal legislation, how it relates to Lake Champlain, and people of the Champlain Valley who continue the fight for clean water. Featured locals include Tom Jorling, one of the architects of the Clean Water Act in 1972, former DEC commissioner for New York state, and professor and attorney; Kelley Tucker, executive director of the Ausable River Association; and Iris Hsiang, youth member of the Vermont Climate Council and founder of the Youth Organizing Coalition.

The exhibit was made possible with generous support from the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership. The Clean Water Act exhibit is open for all to visit for free in-person at the museum in Vergennes, VT or online at www.lcmm.org/Clean-Water-Act.

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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

From the Mountain They Call Thunder’s Nest: An Adirondack poet

crane mountain summit

Throughout our region author Sandra Weber appears in the summer to tell tales of Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks. One of the remarkable women she features is the “poet Jeanne Robert Foster.”

Eileen Mach has similarly studied and expertly performed Jeanne Robert Foster many times in our area, including her production of Voice of the Mountains: Jeanne Robert Foster, an Adirondack Legacy.

Noel Riedinger-Johnson edited Adirondack Portraits – A Piece of Time (1986, Syracuse University Press). The jacket cover reads:

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Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Raquette Lake: Durant Days festivities set for Aug. 5 – 7

Those in the Raquette Lake/Long Lake area are gearing up for a weekend jam-packed with an array of festivities for the annual Durant Days celebration slated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 5, 6 and 7. The weekend serves as a celebration of the birth of Great Camps Architecture and William West Durant, the creator of this amazing style of architecture. History buffs of all ages are invited to travel back in time to the days when waterways were the highways and travel was by boat. Durant Days features boat tours of Raquette Lake aboard the W.W. Durant, tours of Great Camp Sagamore, a boat parade, live music, a fireworks display, and much more.

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Monday, August 1, 2022

1922 Centennial Event: Evolution of the Adirondack Wilderness set for Aug. 6

The year 2022 marks the centennial of three historic events that ignited public interest in exploring the Adirondack wilderness and climbing the “46” high peaks: formation of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), publication of Robert Marshall’s High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and Grace Hudowalski’s first 46er ascent of Mount Marcy.

 

The Adirondack History Museum invites the public to celebrate these three seminal events on August 6, 2022. The day-long celebration will include lectures and presentations, a special screening of the film “The Mountains Will Wait for You,” and a retrospective on the history and future of the Adirondack Mountain Club.

 

A new exhibit featuring this significant year in Adirondack history and its effect on recreation, development, and stewardship in the High Peaks will be on display. Programs will be followed by musical selections by Peggy Lynn and Dan Duggan, as well as a reception recognizing ADK’s 100th anniversary.

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Long Lake: Two short plays, historical showcase slated for July 30

 

All are invited to drop by the Long Lake Town Hall on Saturday, July 30, a day which will serve as a celebration of the robust history of Long Lake. Guests are encouraged to view a historical showcase and chat with a member of the Long Lake Historical Society from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. before enjoying two short plays that evening beginning at 7 p.m. The two performances, A Walk on the Wild Side with Mary Ann Keller & Mystery of the Buttercup, are written and directed by Gail Huntley and based on the original settlers of Long Lake. These events are offered free of charge.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Raquette Lake: Great Camp Sagamore offers guided history hikes

Hiking enthusiasts of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take advantage of a unique opportunity to embark on an educational guided hike where participants will venture into the great outdoors at Great Camp Sagamore and learn about the area’s rich history.

Great Camp Sagamore once had a farm, a 100,000-gallon covered reservoir, and a hydroelectric powerhouse, all hidden away in the surrounding forest. These historic structures were located conveniently close by for the workers who operated them, but hidden from view for the Vanderbilt’s distinguished guests.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Mapping the Adirondacks

map

The Ticonderoga Historical Society will present a free public program on Friday, August 5 at 7 p.m.  at the Hancock House, 6 Moses Circle, Ticonderoga.  “Mapping the Adirondacks” will be presented by Pete Nelson, who will discuss the life and work of Rochester physician William Watson Ely.

“Who produced the first detailed map of the Adirondack wilderness, showing most of the water courses, peaks and topography,” said Nelson.  “The answer might surprise, for it was not one of the well-known professionals, but an amateur.”  Ely’s Map of the New York Wilderness dominated the world of Adirondack maps from the 1860’s until nearly the turn of the century.  

Nelson is a mathematics teacher and history lecturer at North Country Community College, a co-founder of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and an avid writer, lecturer and Adirondack history buff whose articles appear regularly in numerous regional publications (such as the Almanack).  He is currently writing a book on early Adirondack surveyors.

The program will be held outdoors, under a tent and attendees should bring their own lawn chairs.  Reservations may be made by calling the Hancock House at 518-585-7868 or via e-mail to:  tihistory@bridgepoint1.com.

A portion of W.W. Ely’s Map of the New York Wilderness from 1867. (Source: New York Heritage Digital Collections, Adirondack Experience Library, https://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll65/id/7033/rec/1)



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The Adirondack Almanack

The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities

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