USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol II > Part 10
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prosperity, the development of the iron industry was begun in earnest. It eventually became so important that by comparison it dwarfed all other interests. The oldest ore bed was the Cheever, which is located a mile and a half north of Port Henry village. It is said that more than a million and a half tons of ore were taken from it in a thirty- year period. Other beds were also found, both here and at Mineville. The first blast furnace was built at Port Henry in 1822 while, by 1865, there were eight furnaces, twenty forges, three rolling mills and two foundries located here. Ore was shipped in large quantities to other parts of the State and even to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The population of the town reached 3,065 in 1850 and 4,640 in 1865, but its most spectacular change was from 4,683 in 1870 to 7,881 in 1875; an increase of more than two-thirds in a five-year period. Riding on the crest of this wave of prosperity in the iron industry, Port Henry became an incorporated village in 1869. In time the industry of the Witherbees, the Shermans and other iron barons encountered head- winds and the rapid development of Moriah was checked. In 1930 the town had a total of 6,191 residents, a total less than the count of 1875. Port Henry's population in 1930 was 2,040. In addition to this village there are two other important communities located within the township. Mineville constitutes the chief source of the supply of the ore which has meant so much to Moriah Township and Port Henry village. It was settled around 1810. It is only seven miles from the lake but the difference in altitude made transportation difficulties acute. Before the construction of railroads, the ore was carried to Port Henry over a plank road, and coal was taken on the return trip. The planks were four-inch hemlock, from eight to ten feet in length, and there were two toll gates on the road. Today, Mineville's existence is completely dependent upon the future of the iron industry; but regardless of what lies ahead, this village is assured of a high place in the economic history of the Cham- plain Valley. The remaining community is the village of Moriah, perhaps best known as the home of Sherman Academy, originally incorporated in 1840 by the State Board of Regents. It is useless to predict the future of the town's great iron interests, but the lake sec- tion, particularly around Port Henry, seems assured of a future as a resort area. One of the most interesting facts about this town has to do with the erection of a special jail building to accommodate Chinese
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citizens caught while illegally attempting to enter this country from Canada. So many were captured that the regular jail was over- crowded to such an extent that a separate building was required.
Newcomb Township was formed from Minerva and Moriah in 1828. It is located on the western border of Essex County, facing Hamilton and Franklin. It is a wild, mountainous area containing many high peaks, several beautiful lakes and ponds, and also the Hudson River. Its highest peak is the summit of Iroquois, 4,855 feet, seventh highest in the Adirondacks. This mountain has also been called Clinton and South McIntyre. It cannot be located on government maps, but is in the extreme northeastern corner of the town, next to North Elba and Keene, in that group of peaks known as the McIntyre Mountains. Some distance to the southwest we find Mount Santanoni, 4,621 feet, the thirteenth highest peak in the Adi- rondacks. Of all the mountains in this entire area, none has an older name than this, except Whiteface. Santanoni is a corruption of. the name Saint Anthony, given to it by an Abenaki Indian guide, a fact that demonstrates once more the cultural influence of the French Franciscans upon that red nation. The largest body of water is Lake Sanford, which lies near the center of the town and which is only four miles long. Because of the mountainous character of the landscape, settlement was slow. It was 1816 before the first residents came to town. The economic history was based on lumber and iron. The presence of ore in large quantities was made known to white men in 1825 or 1826, probably by an Indian hunter. It is said that this brave guided a party of whites to a place where the water in the river actually flowed over an iron dam, created by a ledge of ore, which formed a barrier across the stream. A forge was erected in 1826, while a puddling furnace was built later. Most of the iron was trans- ported amost forty miles through the wilderness to Lake Champlain. An interesting attempt was made by David Henderson to enlist the assistance of an English firm to make steel here, but without success. When Henderson was accidentally killed in 1845 the iron industry started on the down grade. After the day of the iron interests came the era of the lumberman. Thousands of logs were cut and skidded, and later rolled into the Hudson each year. In time, much of the town's privately owned lands belonged to lumbering concerns. New- comb never developed to any great extent so far as population is
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concerned As late as ISSo there were less than 300 residents. In recent years there has been considerable fluctuation, the town's popula- tion decreasing from 509 in 1910 to 313 in 1920, but increasing back to 437 in 1930. In spite of this recent rise, however, Newcomb is the second smallest township in Essex County. Today it is a sportsman's paradise and a tourist's goal.
North Elba Township is bounded on the west by Franklin County, on the south by Newcomb and Keene, on the east by Keene and Wil- mington, and on the north by Wilmington and St. Armand. Its high- est peak is that of Mount Algonquin, also called McIntyre, located in the extreme southern part next to the Newcomb-Keene boundary. In the entire Adirondacks it is second is size only to Mount Marcy and towers to a height of 5, 112 feet. This is a town of many rivers, including the west branch of the Ausable. Most famous, however, of all of North Elba's geographic features is beautiful Lake Placid in the extreme north, which possesses world-wide renown for its charms. Here we find a small oblong-shaped body of clear water, four miles long and two miles wide, containing three islands, two of which are fairly large in size. No written description of this sparkling little Adirondack gem is adequate. Like Lake George, it has to be seen to be properly impressed on one's memory. Without doubt it ranks as one of the leading attractions in this entire resort area. In early times, the iron industry attempted to gain a foothold in this township, but the main industry was lumbering. Fifty years ago a former historian, H. P. Smith, was led to write that "unlike the other towns of Essex County, North Elba's future promises to be greater than her past, by virtue of her almost inexhaustible resources in lumber." He was certainly correct in his prophecy of a brighter future, but was far, far wrong in assigning the reason for it.
The township of North Elba was created in 1849 out of territory belonging to Keene. It was originally settled soon after the opening of the century, but by 1840 most of the early residents had moved away. Although they had been rewarded with a fair degree of pros- perity from the iron mines, a certain Peter Smith, of Peterboro, New York, had come here and bought from the State all the available land, including some on which the settlers resided. They then had sought to buy their land from him, but to no avail. In spite of the fact that Smith had made no effort to drive the squatters out, they had had no interest in improving his property and gradually had moved away
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until only a few remained. Finally, in 1840, Smith died, and his son offered the land for sale. As a result a second wave of immigration began. In 1845, forty-acre tracts were offered to colored people, but this venture did not prove to be very successful. Several Negro fami- lies moved into town, but they were not suited either to farming or the climate and only two ever erected homes on the land given to them. In 1849 the great Abolitionist, John Brown, came here and decided to settle and to aid Smith in his benevolent efforts to help Negroes. He brought his family to North Elba the next year. He was not to spend the remainder of his life in the peace and quiet of Essex County, how- ever. In the 1850s, the dispute over slavery increasingly threatened to engulf the nation in war, and John Brown became one of the lead- ing fire-eaters, filled with a religious intensity in his foolish decision to take the matter into his own hands in defiance of his country's laws. One fantastic scheme followed another until Brown attempted to raid the United States Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. As a result of this folly he was executed in 1859. Although authorities may disagree as to John Brown's greatness, none can afford to underestimate his impor- tance in precipitating the Civil War, in ending the institution of slavery, or in injecting a crusading spirit into the Northern soldiers who marched grimly southward with his name on their lips.
Today North Elba has a greater population than any other township in Essex County, and much of it is of recent origin. From 1920 to 1930, there was an increase from 4,343 to 6,472, most of this being due to the growth of the incorporated villages of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. The latter contains 8,020 citizens. Since approximately three-fourths of the people live in Franklin County, there is no extensive discussion of its development needed here. The Essex County section is divided between the towns of North Elba and St. Armand. From 1920 to 1930 that part found in North Elba increased in population from 1,010 to 1,803. It was incorporated in 1892. Lake Placid, incorporated in 1900, grew from 1,682 in 1910 to 2,099 in 1920, and to 2,930 in 1930. When the United States won the honor of staging the Olympic games, Lake Placid was selected as the site of the winter sports. Today this vil- lage is an extremely important winter resort as well as a great sum- mer resort. Large numbers of winter sport enthusiasts come here annually to gain health and happiness in this number one playground of the Adirondacks. Its future is bright indeed. It has outgrown its
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fond parent, North Elba, and is safely on the road to national, and even international, prominence.
Next we come to the township of North Hudson in the south cen- tral part of Essex County, bounded by Keene and Elizabethtown on the north, by Newcomb and Minerva on the west, by Schroon on the south and by Moriah and Crown Point on the east. It contains sev- eral mountains, of which the highest is Dix's Peak. This is 4,842 feet high, being surpassed by only seven peaks in the entire Adiron- dacks. It was named in honor of John Adams Dix, New York's dis- tinguished soldier and statesman, who was Governor, United States Senator, Secretary of the Treasury, and Minister to France at one time or another and who also became a major-general during the Civil War. When the mountain was named for him in 1837 he was Secre- tary of State in Governor Marcy's administration. Dix's peak is located in the extreme northern section of North Hudson Township, almost on the Keene line. Also in North Hudson we find several ponds and many streams, particularly branches of the Schroon River. This town was created from Moriah in 1848. The first settler came from Poultney, Vermont, about 1800. Many of the earliest residents set- tled along the branches of the Schroon. Until 1830, growth was very slow, but from that time on until the end of the lumber era there was considerable activity. Great quantities of logs were floated down the rivers, while it was not an unusual occurrence to find as many as forty heavily loaded wagons, filled with white pine lumber, stopped at Weatherhead's Inn at dinner time. Tanneries also constituted a profitable enterprise for a time. With the end of the lumber era, North Hudson's population went the way of the timber. In recent times it has declined from 434 in 1910 to 397 in 1920, and to 235 in 1930. At present it is the least populous township of the entire county.
The incorporated village of Port Henry has been discussed in connection with the history of its parent township of Moriah. Sara- nac Lake village, being primarily a Franklin County community, is outside the scope of this work, but its main development is traced in the history of North Elba and St. Armand.
St. Armand Township forms the extreme northwestern corner of Essex County, being bounded by Franklin County on both the north and the west. On the south it faces North Elba, while on the south-
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east and east we find Wilmington. It was set off from Wilmington in 1844. Although not distinguished by such towering peaks as are many of its neighbors, St. Armand certainly is broken and moun- tainous. Its principal drainage is provided by the Saranac River, down which the settlers floated logs for the Plattsburgh market. Although the origin of this town's name has been a matter of dis- pute, it is claimed by good authority that it was named in memory of St. Armand, Canada, the home of one of the earliest settlers. The first permanent resident arrived in 1829, but prosperity did not come until 1850. From then until 1880 lumber was king. On all sides there were saws and axes. So thorough were the lumbermen that in thirty years not enough timber was left to make the industry profit- able. Bloomingdale, incorporated in 1905, and located in the extreme northern part, is the only incorporated village entirely in the township. In the southwestern corner we find a small section of Saranac Lake village, however, containing 258 people. In this corner of our map of the township of St. Armand we also find the name Trudeau, which reminds us of the part played, in the evolution of the area around Saranac Lake, by Edward Livingston Trudeau and his famous sana- torium. Its development will be sketched in greater detail in the chapter on medicine. Its beginning was made possible in 1884 by the guides and residents around Saranac Lake who gave both money and land to this worthy enterprise. This was the first American institution to attempt the conquest of tuberculosis by the climatic and open-air method, while in 1894 Trudeau established here the first laboratory of its kind for the study of tuberculosis in the United States. Robert Louis Steven- son was one of the most noted patients treated here. The town reported a population of 1, 190 in 1930 as compared with 727 on the preceding census.
Schroon Township is bounded on the north by North Hudson, on the west by Minerva, on the south by Warren County, and on the east by Crown Point and Ticonderoga. Its scenery is picturesque. Across the township from north to south flows Schroon River through a beautiful and fertile valley, finally emptying into lovely Schroon Lake, the southern section of which is located in Warren County. Other extremely beautiful lakes are Paradox in the northeast, and little Pharaoh in the extreme southeastern corner. These are but three of the large number of lakes and ponds that are so characteristic of this
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township. The mountains are not extremely high, but are in general attractive. The first settlers came to this township in 1797, and Schroon was created as a separate political unit out of territory belonging to Crown Point in 1804. Until 1817 it included Minerva. The basic industries of Schroon were lumbering enterprises, iron production and tanneries. Lumber became of paramount importance as early as 1820 and reached its height between 1830 and 1845. There were numerous sawmills on the various rivers in the township while great numbers of logs were driven down Schroon River, then through the lake, and finally to Glens Falls and Hudson Falls for manufacture into lumber. The first forge was built before 1830 at Schroon Falls. It used ore from Paradox, while the finished product was shipped to market by way of Crown Point. The Schroon Lake tannery was erected in 1852 and for years that industry was of overshadowing importance. At an early time, however, the town began to attract summer tourists and gradually attained an important place in the resort business. Perhaps the most famous hotel, catering to this trade, was the large and attractive Leland House. Although it burned to the ground in 1938, the present owner immediately indicated his intention to rebuild it. It was originally constructed in 1872. Although Schroon's population declined between 1910 and 1920, its increase from 852 in 1920 to 932 in 1930 seems more indicative of future trends. So with confidence in its future, we leave Schroon, land of lakes and rivers.
Next we come to Ticonderoga Township, whose historical impor- tance dwarfs that of any other community in these eleven counties. Although for one extremely brief period it was eclipsed by Saratoga, and although at one time or another its claim to first place was chal- lenged by Fort Edward, Fort William Henry, Crown Point and Isle LaMotte, if we consider their history as a whole Ticonderoga is preeminent. Situated strategically on the great thoroughfare from New York to Montreal, it controlled the junction of the two possible routes to the southward; the western one leading to the Hudson by Lake George, and the eastern following the southern tip of Lake Champlain. The control of the important waterways of this north- ern area was, to a large extent, dependent upon the possession of Ticonderoga. Its possession was eagerly sought after by the red men, while its ownership was the objective of major campaigns in
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both the French and Indian War and the Revolution. £ Here was fought Champlain's memorable battle with the Iroquois. Here was the famous portage between Lakes Champlain and George, due to the presence of the falls in the stream that connects the two. For centuries before European armies passed over this pathway, the trail was kept clear by the soft tread of countless moccasined feet. It was over this route that the great Jesuit, Isaac Jogues, traveled in 1646 to give Lake George the name of Lac du St. Sacrament, and to gain the distinction of being the first white man to gaze on its sparkling waters. In fact, his first glimpse of that lake was gained in the south- ern part of Ticonderoga Township. If Burgoyne had made use of the portage in 1777, instead of meandering through the wilderness and swamps south of Whitehall, most historians feel that he would have won the battle of Saratoga, although I seriously question this conclusion.
Ticonderoga has presented many interesting pictures to those of us who have vivid imaginations. Here we see Champlain, in shining armor, advancing deliberately toward the Iroquois and then firing his arquebus. Here we see Jogues and his companions gazing in silence and exaltation upon the highway to martyrdom. Here we see Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and their Vermonters rushing into the fort in the early morning hours, then confronting the British commander, and later joining in exultant celebration. Here we see Abercrombie's huge army, particularly his Black Watch Regiment of kilted Highlanders, being hurled again and again against Montcalm's impregnable barri- cades. And here also we see St. Clair's stricken army retreating rapidly across Lake Champlain in the night, the route ominously lighted by the flames rising high from Fermoy's dwelling. The Ticon- deroga of Revolutionary days was until the present time discolored by historians, and covered with a cloak of varying hues. This was, in general, due to the hatred felt by writers for the memory of Bene- dict Arnold and, to a lesser extent, to other factors of a similar nature. It is only now that the true history of this place in that particular era is being deciphered. Historians, writing about Ticonderoga, have also too frequently been led astray by their lack of knowledge of the geography of this section. Few apparently have had any conception of the exact location and formation of Mount Defiance. Others cer- tainly knew little about the characteristics of the portage between the two lakes.
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The original Indian name for the vicinity of the falls at the port- age was Cheonderoga or Ticonderoga, meaning the "place between two lakes." In 1755, the building of a fortress was begun under the supervision of Michel Chartier, afterward Marquis de Lotbinière. At first it was known as Fort Vaudreuil in honor of the Governor of Canada, but later was given the name of Carillon, meaning a "chime of bells," referring to the sound of the falls at the portage. It had the shape of an irregular polygon and was built on a rock. In spite of Abercrombie's imposing force it remained in French hands until 1759, when it was abandoned to Amherst and his superior army. It then remained in English hands until Allen and Arnold captured it in 1775. Although greatly strengthened by the Americans, it was cap- tured by Burgoyne in 1777, due primarily to the failure of the Ameri- cans to fortify Mount Defiance. The British, in their turn, lost pos- session after the battle of Saratoga, but in 1780 it was held for a few months under St. Leger, while efforts were being made to detach Ver- mont from the patriot cause. In 1781 the fort was abandoned by the English and since then it has had no military history. A peculiar fact about the story of the fort is that when it passed from one to another of the three nations that possessed it, it always changed hands without a struggle. The one real battle fought near it, between Montcalm and Abercrombie, decided nothing except the incompetency of English leadership. After the days of military conflict the walls of Fort Ticonderoga fell into decay, and the great historical treasures of this area were headed fast toward oblivion, but into the battle to save the remnants from extinction were flung the resources and the tireless zeal of Ticonderoga's great Pell family. Thanks to them, the fort was restored and rebuilt. Thanks to them we have today the wonderful museum and library which have made Fort Ticonderoga a veritable shrine of American history. It is certainly one of the leading attractions of this entire area.
The township of Ticonderoga forms the southeast corner of Essex County. It is bordered on the north by Crown Point, of which it was a part prior to 1804; on the west by Schroon; on the south by War- ren County ; and on the east by Lake Champlain. It includes a small portion of Lake George. The French never made any permanent settlements here, that honor being won by the English, who began to arrive soon after the conclusion of actual hostilities. Because of the
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presence of water power and large timber resources close at hand, lumbering was at first the chief industry. In fact the French had erected a sawmill here. English and American mills sprang up rapidly thereafter, and Ticonderoga, it is said, exported for years more lumber than any other port on the lake. One lumberman alone shipped away 340 boat loads in one year. This industry reached its zenith, however, in the 1830s, and began declining after 1840. The first iron forge was erected in 1800, or perhaps before, and from time to time others appeared. Some of them used ore from Ticonderoga mines, but others brought their supply from Port Henry. The first graphite deposits were discovered about 1815, while later a mine was opened in Hague, Warren County. Ultimately a large factory was erected at Ticonderoga to work this ore. After the decline of the lumber industry, agriculture became increasingly an important occupation, and in 1857 an early writer declared that "Ticonderoga should be known chiefly as a wool-growing, stock-raising and horse-breeding town." Manufacturing gradually forged to the front, however. A woolen factory was built here in 1808; between 1826 and 1840 a local concern did the largest business in carding and dressing wool of any in this section ; prior to 1854 a flourishing tannery business was in opera- tion here; in 1858 the boat building industry was the most important of all; and finally we come to the beginning of Ticonderoga's important pulp and paper industry. The most important citizen in the early days was Samuel Deall, a wealthy New York merchant who rightfully has been called the Father of Trade, Manufactures and Agriculture in this town. General Schuyler became interested here immediately after the Revolution, and acquired possession of valuable lands by means typical of his day, but not approved by ours. Riding rapidly toward economic prosperity on the wings of the pulp and paper industry, the village of Ticonderoga became incorporated in 1889. Its recent trend seems to be favorable, although its population rise from 2,102 in 1920 to 3,680 in 1930 is partly accounted for by the fact that its boundaries were extended in 1922 and 1923. In that same ten year period, Ticonder- oga township decreased slightly from 5,267 to 5,105. In Essex County, the township is exceeded in population by North Elba and Moriah, but the village is the largest.
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