Tahawus (also called Adirondac, or McIntyre, pronounced ) was a village in the
Town of Newcomb,
Essex County,
New York, United States. It is now a
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
situated in the
Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is a part of Forest Preserve (New York), New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York (state), New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasur ...
. Tahawus is located in
Essex County within the unpopulated northern area designated to the town of
Newcomb.
Tahawus was the site of major mining and iron smelting operations in the 19th century. Although standing as recently as 2005, the last mining facilities have since been demolished and removed (with the exception of some minor garages, blast furnaces and outbuildings).
It was in Tahawus in 1901 that Vice President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
learned President
William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
was dying.
The
Adirondack Iron and Steel Company
Adirondack Iron and Steel Company is a historic ironworks complex located at Tahawus in Essex County, New York. It consists of the remains of the "Upper Works" iron foundry that date back to 1826. Iron from the site was contaminated with titaniu ...
was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1977.
History
In the nineteenth century the area was mined for iron ore. Adirondac, New York
[Adirondack Museum - The Old Fish House, Tahawus](_blank)
/ref> was a company town of the Adirondack Iron Works. Iron deposits were first found here in 1826 by Archibald McIntyre
Archibald McIntyre (June 1, 1772 Dull, Kenmore, Perthshire, Scotland – May 6, 1858 Albany, Albany County, New York), was an American merchant and politician.
Life
He was the son of Daniel McIntyre and Ann (Walker) McIntyre of the villag ...
and David Henderson. The iron was extracted at what was known as the Upper Works with moderate success between 1827 and 1857. In 1857, after a struggle, the Adirondack Iron Works surrendered to the remoteness of the wilderness and Adirondac became known as the "deserted village". Impurities of titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania , is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. It is a white solid that is insolub ...
were present in the iron, which made it difficult for equipment of that era to properly process the ore. A local flood and a nationwide economic crisis were also factors in the closure of the Upper Works. According to the New York State Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is a part of Forest Preserve (New York), New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York (state), New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for “the free use of all the people for their health and pleasur ...
Agency:
Throughout its existence, the Adirondack Iron Works operated two farms, the blast furnace and forge, a puddling furnace, charcoal and brick kilns, trip hammers and a grist and saw mill. The Village consisted of sixteen dwellings and a building with a cupola, used as school, church and the general assembly room.
The first bank in the Adirondack Mountains opened in the hamlet of Adirondac. The mine and related works operated from 1827 to 1857, after which residents abandoned the community. The enterprise closed due in part to difficulties in extracting an unknown impurity from the local ore.
Mine abandoned
During the latter nineteenth century the principal land uses at the Tahawus tract were lumbering and game. The private and relatively informal Preston Ponds Club was formed in February 1876 by James R. Thompson, an agent of the Adirondack Iron Works. Prior to this time he had been using the property for his own recreational purposes, inviting family and friends to come for hunting and fishing trips. But with the official club, he and his associates were better able to protect the fish and game and to socialize as well. The club leased an area around the three Preston Ponds from the Adirondack Iron and Steel Company – a later incorporation of the Adirondack Iron Works. In January 1877, the club was reorganized and incorporated as the "Adirondack Club" and the entire Tahawus Tract was leased from the heirs of the original Adirondack Iron Works. In 1898 the club renamed itself again to the Tahawus Club. Club management continued to lease the Tahawus tract lands from the mine owners' heirs.
Theodore Roosevelt's visit
Vice President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
was visiting Tahawus in 1901 during the final days of President William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
's presidency. Roosevelt had been vacationing in Vermont, but quickly left for Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
after learning that President William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
had recently been shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz
Leon Frank Czolgosz ( , ; May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901) was an American laborer and anarchist who assassinated President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. The president died on September 14 after his wound became ...
. Hearing of the President's good prognosis and expecting a quick recovery, Roosevelt embarked on a hiking trip up Mount Marcy from Adirondac, where his family was staying. Three hours into the trip, a mounted park ranger alerted him that McKinley was in critical condition. Roosevelt began the trip from Tahawus to Buffalo, and learned of McKinley's death while at the North Creek Railroad Station.
Mine reopening
In 1940 a new mine opened, this time for the purpose of obtaining the titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania , is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 (PW6), or CI 77891. It is a white solid that is insolub ...
that had been partly responsible for the previous mine's commercial failure. In 1940 National Lead Industries reopened the mines along Sanford Lake. This location, known as the Lower Works, was about a mile south of the original operation. A new community was established in 1943 for the mine workers which was called Tahawus. By 1945, Tahawus had 84 buildings. Some of the buildings left over at Adirondac were also used. Forty million tons of titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resista ...
were extracted at the National Lead Industries' mines before operations ceased in 1989.
Conservation
The Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute (OSI) (not to be confused with the facilitator network of open conversation space) is a conservation organization that seeks to preserve scenic, natural and historic landscapes for public enjoyment, conserve habitats while s ...
took an interest in the property for conservation purposes because of its interest in the Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
watershed. Joe Martens, former president of the institute, described the Tahawus tract as "absolutely breathtaking." He continues, "Its defining natural features include rugged mountains, crystal clear, glacially carved lakes, and the headwaters of the Hudson River." Four years after the 1989 mine closure the Open Space Institute opened purchase negotiations, which concluded in 2003 as a public-private partnership with the New York Adirondack Park Agency purchasing the Tahawus tract in August 2003 for US$8.5 million and the OSI sharing management responsibilities.
Tahawus today
The remains of at least 10 buildings remain on the former village site; most of them were constructed between 1890 and 1930 by the Tahawus Club. Only one of the buildings still standing on the site dates from the years when the old mining village of Adirondac was in operation, along with the remnants of the McIntyre Blast Furnace (built 1854). The furnace site has recently been cleared, and the furnace stack stabilized and cleaned. This was done as part of the Tahawus Tract project undertaken by the Open Space Institute
Open Space Institute (OSI) (not to be confused with the facilitator network of open conversation space) is a conservation organization that seeks to preserve scenic, natural and historic landscapes for public enjoyment, conserve habitats while s ...
which purchased the area in August 2003. Also, as part of a grant given for area cleanup and historic preservation, the old MacNaughton Cottage (built in 1845, one of the approximately ten remaining buildings) underwent restoration. This was the house that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
stayed in during his hike to Mount Marcy when he received news of President William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
being close to death after being shot in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
on September 6, 1901. No buildings are known to remain at the latter community of Tahawus along Sanford Lake, including the mines.
Geography
Tahawus is also a name sometimes used for Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York, located outside of the town. However, the name was likely never used by the aboriginal peoples of the area to refer to the mountain, and its meaning, "Cloud-Splitter," may have no roots in any language.
Located within the Tahawus tract is Henderson Lake Henderson Lake or Lake Henderson may refer to:
* Henderson Lake (New York), a lake in the Adirondacks which is considered to be the official source and start of the Hudson River
* Henderson Lake (British Columbia), the former name of Hucuktlis Lake, ...
, a lake cartographically stated to be the true source of the Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
. Tahawus also contains Mount Adams and several minor Adirondack peaks. According to the Adirondack Park Agency, wildlife in tract include "bears, deer, loons, coyotes, foxes...and the elusive Pine Marten
The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...
".
Transportation
Only one county-maintained highway passes through Tahawus, Essex County Route 25, better known as Tahawus Road. CR 25 brings drivers northward to Henderson Lake. It connects with New York State Route 28N
New York State Route 28N (NY 28N) is an east–west state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. It extends for through the Adirondack Mountains from Blue Mountain Lake to North Creek. The route is a norther ...
approximately south of the town.
References
External links
Adirondack Park Agency
Adirondack Ghost Town Awaits its Future
The 'Deserted Village' Anthologies
at ghosttowns.com
{{Coord, 44, 03, 02, N, 74, 03, 04, W, type:city_region:US-NY, display=title
Buildings and structures in Essex County, New York
Ghost towns in New York (state)
Adirondacks
Geography of Essex County, New York
Theodore Roosevelt
Protected areas of Essex County, New York
Nature reserves in New York (state)
Hamlets in New York (state)
Mines in New York (state)
Mining communities in New York (state)