There are all sorts of New Year’s traditions that are supposed to bring luck and prosperity for the upcoming year. From midnight kisses and fireworks to collard greens and black-eyed peas, countdowns and good wishes are all part of gesturing in the New Year. One tradition my family has volunteered for, but never managed to be a part of, is the annual Polar Plunge. Two such New Year’s Polar Plunge celebrations not only are set to shock any toxins out of the body, but to also benefit local charities. » Continue Reading.
Posts Tagged ‘Hamilton County’
Chilly Polar Plunges to Celebrate an Adirondack New Year
New Hamilton Co Marketing Manager
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) has announced the addition of Beth Lomnitzer as the Hamilton County Regional Marketing Manager.
In her new part-time position, she is expected to serve as a liaison between community stakeholders, travelers, and ROOST, and support the implementation of destination marketing strategies for the county. » Continue Reading.
Bennett Brothers; An Adirondack Witch Tale (Conclusion)
At the end of 1915, a year and a half after their mother was removed from the home, conditions had hardly improved for the Bennett brothers of Hope in Hamilton County. Their father, badly troubled by rheumatism, had hired a man to operate the farm, and the boys were learning to do for themselves whatever their father couldn’t. Dr. Edwin Hagedorn, after examining the three boys, said each suffered from “fatty degeneration of the heart,” and that their muscles had atrophied to such an extent that even walking might well be outside the realm of possibility.
On the plus side, they were all still alive, and had begun accepting visitors more often, a result of their notoriety among Adirondack residents and tourists who wished to meet them in person. One of their favorite subjects to discuss with visitors was the conflict (World War I) raging in Europe. » Continue Reading.
Sarah Bennett’s Babies: Years of Sickness
Local authorities, including the Humane Society, considered taking action to alleviate conditions in John and Sarah Bennett’s home at Hope in Hamilton County.
Some believed the Bennett’s three sons were being held captive by their mother, perhaps under a kind of spell. After checking in on the three Bennett brothers, Dr. George Peters of Gloversville rendered this assessment:
“I have examined George, Ward, and Frank Bennett of Hope, New York, and it is my opinion that if the three young men were taken from their home, or even if they were left at home and placed under the tutorship of a competent person — not necessarily a physician, but a person possessing the ability to develop the confidence which the average man possesses in himself — all three would in a few months time be able to perform labor which any man of ordinary intelligence daily performs.” » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Witchcraft? Sarah Bennett’s Babies in Hope, NY
This story is about as bizarre as it gets. Locals in the Wells and Northville area were privy to the odd situation when it first came under public scrutiny a little over a century ago. At that time, a goal of regional counties seeking tourism dollars was providing easier public access to the Adirondacks, which was achieved in part by building new roads and improving old ones.
In southeastern Hamilton County, Northville marked the end of rail access in 1910. From there, stage lines carried visitors north through the hamlet of Hope to Wells and beyond. To accommodate automobiles, which were becoming increasingly common, the road to Wells was chosen for macadamization. The new, hard, flat surface would allow tourists to travel north independently, and then access stage lines from Wells into the mountains. The road would also drastically improve travel conditions for locals using horse-drawn transportation. » Continue Reading.
Recent Forest Ranger Search and Rescue Incidents
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.
A Bike Trip To The Forgotten Pine Lake
The Essex Chain Lakes and Boreas Ponds have been hogging much of the publicity over the state’s acquisition of the former Finch, Pruyn lands. That’s understandable, for both waterways are jewels that are sure to become popular paddling and hiking destinations.
Lost in all the hoopla is Pine Lake, another handsome body of water located a little south of the Essex Chain. In another time, Pine Lake by itself would have been a celebrated acquisition.
Great Adirondack Garage Sale May 27-29
The 2016 Great Adirondack Garage Sale will be held on May 27-29 and has expanded in scope and scale with a new promotional website showcasing garage sales located on a 200-mile “trail” stretching from Malone to Speculator, and Old Forge to Newcomb.
The regional garage sale originated in 2010 when Long Lake linked up with Old Forge, Inlet and Indian Lake to promote 70 miles of garage sales. The expanded event was initiated by Hamilton County in partnership with the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. » Continue Reading.
Hamilton County Bicentennial Celebration Planned
The celebration of Hamilton County’s bicentennial begins on April 12th, 200 years to the day after the provisional creation of the county in 1816.
The year of events gets started at 10:30 am April 12 with a birthday party for the county, held at the County Courthouse in Lake Pleasant. State Senator Hugh Farley and Assemblyman Mark Butler will join other officials on the steps of the courthouse. A small reception with birthday cake will follow, and Hamilton County Historian Eliza Darling will offer tours of the historic county complex. » Continue Reading.
Long Lake Winter Carnival Set For Saturday
Adirondack summers seem to bring festivals while Adirondack winters bring carnivals. Spread throughout the Park, towns and villages take out the stops to celebrate the season.
Long Lake is no exception. On January 16, 2016 the community will bring together wacky and wild activities as part of their 15th Long Lake Winter Carnival.
Overlay For 315 Area Code Approved
The New York State Public Service Commission has approved the addition of a new area code overlaying the 315 area code region, which includes all or parts of Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and 12 other New York counties.
The new area code, 680, will affect new phone numbers – all existing telephone users in the region will be able to keep their current phone numbers, including the 315 area code. » Continue Reading.
High Peaks Happy Hour: Alpine Grille, Hope
For two years we sought input, but now that Happy Hour in the High Peaks is written and published, people are eager to tell us what bars we missed. Sometime in 2014, someone suggested that we visit the Alpine Grille in Wells. Pam dutifully entered it into her notes under the “bars we missed” category. Resurrected and moved up the priority list by the recent sad news that Lake House Grille in Wells will not reopen this spring, we decided to pursue the Alpine as a potential replacement on the Happy Hour Trail. » Continue Reading.
Pete Nelson: Moving To Paradise
I have been thinking a lot lately about Route 28. From the moment it branches off from Route 12 at Alder Creek just southwest of the Adirondack Park, until it branches again at Blue Mountain Lake, it runs sixty-one miles through the very center of my heart. It is and will always remain the fundamental representation for me of what it is to take a journey. But it is more than that: it is an emblem for the magical transition from urban and suburban America to the higher state of wilderness, to the experience of “Freedom in the Wilds,” as artist and Adirondack lover Harold Weston called it. For as long as I can remember I have longed to be able to take that journey from civilization to the Adirondacks and not have to return. » Continue Reading.
Friday Declared ‘French Louie’ Seymour Day
The Herkimer County Legislature has named Friday “French Louie Day” in honor of the noted French-Canadian Adirondacker Louis Seymour. A celebration is planned for Saturday in the Town of Inlet.
Friday marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Seymour, who made the wilderness between Inlet and Lake Pleasant his home from the 1860s until his death in Newton’s Corners (now Speculator) on February 27, 1915. Seymour’s name became legend after the 1952 biography Adirondack French Louie: Life in the North Woods by Utica author Harvey Dunham, which portrayed him as a man of hard work, determination and humor. » Continue Reading.
30th Indian Lake Winterfest Planned
The 30th Indian Lake Winterfest will kick off with a parade on Friday, February 13, 2015 at 4:30 pm.
This year’s theme is the Wild, Wild West and will include a SnoCade Photo Scavenger Hunt, during which participants will have a week to snap various pictures of the town to win two gift certificates. Lots of activities and events are planned. » Continue Reading.
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