Big Deer Pond in Hamilton County, New York is located approximately 1.5 west of Lows Lake in the

Five Ponds Wilderness Area The Five Ponds Wilderness Area, an Adirondack Park unit of New York's Forest Preserve, is located in the towns of Fine and Clifton in St. Lawrence County, the town of Webb in Herkimer County and the town of Long Lake in Hamilton County. It inc ...

and the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

Bob Marshall Wilderness The Bob Marshall Wilderness Area is a congressionally-designated wilderness area located in Western Montana region of the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall (1901–1939), an early forester in the federal government, conservationist, a ...

" area (there is another in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

). It serves as a 1/2 mile water-portage between Lows Lake and the upper

Oswegatchie River The Oswegatchie River ( moh, Kaniatarahòn:tsi) is a river in northern New York that flows from the Adirondack Mountains north to the Saint Lawrence River. The Oswegatchie River begins at Partlow Lake in Hamilton County, New York. The river co ...

. The portage is a total of 3.5 miles through blowdown of virgin timber. Big Deer Pond is noted for being a large shallow pond with numerous bog plant life. It was initially named Lost Pond by surveyor

Verplanck Colvin Verplanck Colvin (January 4, 1847 – May 28, 1920) was a lawyer, author, illustrator and topographical engineer whose understanding and appreciation for the environment of the Adirondack Mountains led to the creation of New York's Forest Preser ...

before being rediscovered by conservationist

Bob Marshall (wilderness activist) Robert Marshall (January 2, 1901November 11, 1939) was an American forester, writer and wilderness activist who is best remembered as the person who spearheaded the 1935 founding of the Wilderness Society in the United States. Marshall develo ...

after the turn of the 20th century.

Philo Scott

Big Deer Pond was the home o
Philo Scott
1841–1911;

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...

Region (N.Y.) History 19th century "The Hermit" of Big Deer Pond (or Lost Pond) near

Cranberry Lake Cranberry Lake is a lake on the East branch of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park (after Lake George and the Great Sacandaga Lake). About 75 percent ...

. Scott was a boyhood neighbor and lifelong friend of J. Henry Rushton (canoe designer) and Reuben Wood (professional fly-dresser). Scott was a legendary Adirondack guide, trapper and the model for the title character in

Irving Bacheller Addison Irving Bacheller (September 26, 1859 – February 24, 1950) was an American journalist and writer. He founded the first modern newspaper syndicate in the United States. Birth and education Born in Pierrepont, New York, Irving Bacheller ...

novel, Silas Strong, Emperor of the Woods (1906). Bachellor also dedicated the poem, Him and Me, to Scott. Scott registered two patents one for a
Railroad Switch
and one for a
excavation tool
Scott Philo's one room log cabin was later moved during the winter through the dense woods to Chair Rock on the south end of

. It was used as the dining room for the historic Wildcliff Lodge (formerly known as "Hoppie's" and then "Verns") and still sits unoccupied as of 2008. A committee of home owners in Chair Rock was organized to purchase Wildcliff as a means to eliminate the perceived noise and visitors to the area. Wildcliff now sits in disarray with no intent to repair or rejuvenate the historic property.

References

{{coord, 44.068576, -74.838709, type:waterbody_region:US-NY, display=title Adirondack Park Ponds of New York (state) Bodies of water of Hamilton County, New York