Lake Clear is a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
and a lake in
Franklin County,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. The area is named for Lake Clear, part of the original
Seven Carries
The Seven Carries is an historic canoe route from Paul Smith's Hotel to the Saranac Inn through what is now known as the Saint Regis Canoe Area in southern Franklin County, New York, in the Adirondack Park. The route was famous with sportsmen ...
canoe route. It is located in the town of
Harrietstown.
In the late 19th century, Lake Clear was near the center of a thriving tourist industry;
Upper Saint Regis Lake, three miles (5 km) to the north, is home to some of the earliest and most elite of the
Adirondack Great Camps
__NOTOC__
The Great Camps of the Adirondack Mountains are often grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks. The camps were summer homes for the wealthy, sites ...
, and famous
Paul Smith's Hotel
Paul Smith's Hotel, (1859–1930) formally known as the Saint Regis House, was founded in 1859 by Apollos Smith, Apollos (Paul) Smith in the town of Brighton, Franklin County, New York, in what would become the village of Paul Smiths, New Yor ...
was only five miles to the north.
Saranac Inn
The Saranac Inn was a large, luxurious hotel located on a peninsula at the northern end of the Upper Saranac Lake in the town of Santa Clara in the Adirondacks in New York State, United States. It was frequented by US Presidents Grover Cleveland ...
, on the shore of
Upper Saranac Lake
Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest la ...
, is four miles (6 km) to the west, and the village of
Saranac Lake is six miles (10 km) to the southeast.
New York Central and Lake Clear Junction as a passenger train transfer point
In 1892, the
Mohawk and Malone Railway
The Mohawk and Malone Railway was a railroad that ran from the New York Central Railroad's main line at Herkimer north to Malone, crossing the northern Adirondacks at Tupper Lake Junction, just north of Tupper Lake. The road's founder, Dr. Will ...
reached Lake Clear, and in 1906, Paul Smith built an electric railroad that ran from Lake Clear to his hotel. That railway became the Adirondack Division of the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...
(NYC) in 1913.
[ ''See also:'' ] Lake Clear was served by New York Central trains from
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
in the north and
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to the south. From Lake Clear passengers would transfer to
Lake Saranac and
Lake Placid to the east.
However, by the post-World World War II years, the default itinerary for trains coming from cities to the west and the south beyond the Adirondacks region involved trips east through Lake Clear to Lake Placid, rather than Montreal or
Malone to the north. Scheduled train service by the New York Central north to
Malone ended in 1956. On April 24, 1965 the NYC ran its final train on the route. The tracks through Lake Clear were removed in 2021 to enable construction of a new rail-trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, planned for completion in 2024.
Lake Clear today
Today the area is still largely devoted to tourism, but in a much quieter way. Many of the area's great camps and cottages are still in use, along with other guest facilities. The nearby
Saint Regis Canoe Area
The Saint Regis Canoe Area in Adirondack Park is the largest wilderness canoe area in the Northeastern United States and the only designated canoe area in New York state. It is closed to motorized vehicles. Among the 50 ponds (small lakes) and l ...
is a major draw for paddlers. The state now owns much of the land, including most of the shoreline of Lake Clear, and it operates a
fish hatchery
A fish hatchery is a place for artificial breeding, hatching, and rearing through the early life stages of animals—finfish and shellfish in particular.Crespi V., Coche A. (2008) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Gloss ...
at nearby Little Clear Pond.
The
Adirondack Airport is northeast of Lake Clear; although it is nominally in Saranac Lake, it is known locally as the "Lake Clear Airport".
WBNZ News - "Chamber to Help in Marketing Lake Clear Airport"
References
Further reading
*Donaldson, Alfred L., ''A History of the Adirondacks.'' New York: Century, 1921. . (reprint)
*Jerome, Christine ''Adirondack Passage: Cruise of Canoe Sairy Gamp'', HarperCollins, 1994. .
External links
Adirondack Airport
{{coord, 44, 22, 03, N, 74, 13, 58, W, type:city_region:US-NY_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title
Hamlets in New York (state)
Hamlets in Franklin County, New York