Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...
s, part of the
Saranac River, in the towns of
Santa Clara and
Harrietstown, near the village of
Saranac Lake Saranac Lake may refer to:
* Saranac Lake, New York, a village in the northern Adirondacks
*One of the three nearby Saranac Lakes, part of the Saranac River:
**Upper Saranac Lake
**Middle Saranac Lake
**Lower Saranac Lake
Note: There is no lake nam ...
in 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 circula ...
in northern
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in 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 circula ...
. With
Middle Saranac Lake and
Lower Saranac Lake, a paddle with only one
carry is possible. There are 20 primitive campsites accessible by boat available on a first-come basis. Upper Saranac Lake is also known as Sin-ha-lo-nen-ne-pus.
[
The 37 miles of shoreline is 54 percent privately owned, and much of it is lined with "camps", ranging from true Great Camps to small weekend cottages. The lake, along with both ]Middle
Middle or The Middle may refer to:
* Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits.
Places
* Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man
* Middle Bay (disambiguation)
* Middle Brook (disambiguation)
* Middle Creek (d ...
and Lower Saranac Lakes, is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY
Old Forge is a hamlet (and census-designated place) on New York State Route 28 in the town of Webb in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 756 at the 2010 census. Old Forge was formerly a village but dissolved its i ...
and ends in Fort Kent, ME.
History
Prior to the development of railroads
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
and the automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded ...
, the Saranac Lakes formed part of an important transportation route in the Adirondacks; one could travel across, from Old Forge to Lake Champlain
, native_name_lang =
, image = Champlainmap.svg
, caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada
, coords =
, type =
, ...
, almost entirely on water. The earliest settlement on the lake was built at the south end to serve sportsmen: the Rustic Lodge, built by Jessie Corey on Indian Carry, about 1850, was a simple hostelry offering room, board, and guides for hunting and fishing. Bartlett's, built soon after at the site of Bartlett Carry was similar. Bartlett's Carry enabled sportsmen to get from the Upper to the Middle Saranac Lake, while the Indian Carry crossed from Upper Saranac Lake to Stony Creek Ponds and onto the Raquette River.
In 1889, the Wawbeek Lodge (also known as the Hotel Wawbeek) was opened on the southwest shore, north of the southern end of the lake, at the historic Sweeney Carry, another portage
Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...
route to the Raquette. Guests could choose between luxurious hotel rooms, cottages or carpeted platform tents along the shore. Despite its scenic location and lavish appointments, it closed in 1914, a victim of high operating costs and a trend toward shorter hotel stays and increasing private camp and cottage ownership. It was demolished for salvage. In 1922, a much smaller hotel was built on the site which operated until just after the 1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States.
Lake Placid was elected ...
. A third hotel complex was established using the buildings of the Great Camp adjacent to the hotel property; it is no longer open to the public, and the buildings, designed by William L. Coulter, have been torn down.''Press Republican'', "Changes planned at Wawbeek property", February 22, 2008
/ref>
The northern end of the lake was the site of the Saranac Inn, built in 1864, continued in operation until 1962; it burned in 1978. At its peak, it accommodated up to a thousand guests, and was frequented by US President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
s Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
and Chester A. Arthur, and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American statesman, politician and jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the ...
.
Camp Eagle Island was a Great Camp built in 1899 as a summer retreat for New York Governor and United States Vice-President Levi Morton
Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as United States ambassador to France, as a U.S. representative from New York, and as the 31st Governor of N ...
, designed by noted architect William L. Coulter. The mainland camp, now known as Pine Brook, was originally a part of the Morton camp. Camp Eagle Island was a Girl Scout camp from 1938 to 2008. Camp Eagle Island was included in a multiple property submission for listing 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 artist ...
in 1986, was listed there in 1987, and was named a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 2004. The camp property, including Eagle Island, two smaller islands, and a staging area on Gilpin Bay Road on the mainland, was purchased on November 6, 2015 by The Friends of Eagle Island, Inc. (now Eagle Island, Inc.), which now operates the property as a youth camp.
Moss Ledge and Prospect Point Camp are two other Great Camps on the lake designed by William L. Coulter. In the 1940s, the latter was sold, and had a brief career as a lodge, Sekon in the Pines. It was sold again in 1951, and used as a summer camp for young Jewish girls. In 1969, it was purchased by Young Life, a Christian non-denominational ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who use it for one-week-long educational camping sessions.
The cottages that grew up around Saranac Inn (the first dozen were built by the Inn owners) still exist, as do some of the Great Camps built in the area. World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the Great Depression and the Income Tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
combined to put an end to the Great Camp era, however; many were abandoned and lost for unpaid taxes, burned or left to crumble.
Image:Moss Ledge, Upper Saranac Lake, New York.JPG, Moss Ledge
Image:Prospect Point Camp boathouse, Upper Saranac Lake, New York.jpg, Prospect Point Camp boathouse
Image:Prospect Point Camp, Upper Saranac Lake, New York.jpg, Prospect Point Camp
Image:Eagle Island Camp Upper Saranac Lake, NY.jpg, Eagle Island Camp
Image:Hotel Wawbeek - Stoddard - 1890.jpg, Hotel Wawbeek, 1890 ( Stoddard)
Image:Wawbeek Lodge on Upper Saranac Lake.jpg, Wawbeek Lodge, 1900
Image:Fish Park Camp - Upper Saranac Lake.jpg, Fish Rock Camp (later Sekon Lodge), 1900
See also
* Saranac Inn
* Lower Saranac Lake
* Middle Saranac Lake
* Northern Forest Canoe Trail
*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 circula ...
References
Sources
*Jamieson, Paul and Morris, Donald, ''Adirondack Canoe Waters, North Flow'', Lake George, NY: Adirondack Mountain Club, 1987. .
*Tolles, Bryant F., Jr., ''Resort Hotels of the Adirondacks'', Lebanon NH: University Press of New England, 2003. .
External links
New York State DEC - Camping Information
Historic Saranac Lake - Upper Saranac Lake
''New York Times'', "SUNSHINE AND PICNICS; A Combination Saranac Sojourners are Playing to the Limit", August 5, 1906
''New York Times'', "DEVOTEES OF TENT LIFE.; Enjoying the Fresh Air in the Adirondack Mountains", August 12, 1906
*
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Adirondack Great Camps
Adirondacks
Lakes of New York (state)
Lakes of Franklin County, New York
Tourist attractions in Franklin County, New York
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
Saranac Lake, New York