Long Lake is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Hamilton 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 population was 791 at the
2020 census.
The town is named for
Long Lake, beside which it sits. A
census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
bearing the same name sits within Long Lake, home to 596 of the town's 791 inhabitants. The town is entirely within the
Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is a park in northeastern New York (state), New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At , ...
and is the northernmost town in the county. It is a summer tourism destination offering
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
,
hiking
A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time.
"Hi ...
,
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...
and
swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...
. In the winter months,
snowmobiling
A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow.
Their engines normally ...
is also popular. Long Lake is the home of the historic
Adirondack Hotel. Long Lake is also noted for being home to Sabattis Scout Reservation, a long-term camp operated by the Longhouse Council,
Boy Scouts of America
Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
.
History
The town was settled ''circa'' 1833 by Joel Plumley, a native of
Vermont
Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
.
The town of Long Lake was formed in 1837 from sections of the towns of
Arietta,
Morehouse,
Lake Pleasant, and
Wells. In 1861, the town was increased by additions from Arietta, Lake Pleasant, and Morehouse.
Long Lake is part of the 1.1 million acres (4,500 km
2) acquired from the
Mohawk nation
The Mohawk, also known by their own name, (), are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people of North America and the easternmost nation of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Five Nations or later the ...
as part of the 1771
Totten and Crossfield Purchase.
[Schneider, Paul, ''The Adirondacks'', Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1997. . p. 89] Long Lake is a glacial widening of the
Raquette River
The Raquette River, sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York.
The river is a popular destinatio ...
and is part of the water route that connects the
Fulton Chain Lakes
The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight lakes located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, United States. The chain is the dammed-up Moose River, and the dam which creates the chain holds back nearly of water. The lakes are locate ...
with the
Saint Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrenc ...
drainage. This route was frequently traveled by
guideboat in the mid-late 19th century. At that time, "a typical trip might start at the
Saranacs from which a party could make its way to the Raquette River via Indian Carry and Stoney Creek."
[Terrie, Phillip G., ''Wildlife and Wilderness: A History of Adirondack Mammals'', Purple Mountain Press, Fleischmanns NY, . pg. 44] The trip continued "via the lakes accessible from it— Long,
Raquette,
Forked, Blue and
Tupper."
[ Settled by the 1830s, Long Lake was isolated, except by water, until ]William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb (January 31, 1851 – October 29, 1926) was a businessman, and inspector general of the Vermont militia with the rank of colonel. He was a founder and former president of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Early life
Webb ...
's 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 ...
was built through what was then known as Long Lake West in 1892. Long Lake and Long Lake West were connected by a stage route. The Mohawk & Malone Railway was taken over by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...
in 1894, and was merged into the New York Central Railroad in 1913. Passenger rail service on the NYC ended on April 24, 1965. The town of Long Lake West was later renamed Sabattis, after Peter Sabattis and his son Mitchell Sabattis, the Abenaki Indian guides who came down from Canada and first settled in this area, followed by a long line of their offspring and family.
Long Lake West was the site of a fire that destroyed most of the town in 1908.
Long Lake is the starting point of the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail. On September 14, 1901 Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
was climbing Mount Marcy
Mount Marcy is the highest point in the Adirondack Mountains and the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, with an elevation of . It is located in the town of Keene, New York, Keene in Essex County, New York, Essex County. The mountain is ...
when he got word that President William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, who had been shot two weeks before in Buffalo
Buffalo most commonly refers to:
* True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo
* Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo
* Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...
, but had been expected to improve, had taken a serious turn for the worse.
Roosevelt rushed down from his campsite at Lake Tear of the Clouds
Lake Tear of the Clouds is a small tarn located in the town of Keene, in Essex County, New York, United States, on the southwest slope of Mount Marcy, the state's highest point, in the Adirondack Mountains. It is the highest pond in the sta ...
to the closest town and telephone, which was outside of Newcomb, approximately east of Long Lake. From there he took a legendary midnight stagecoach ride to the closest train station to the south, at North Creek, where he learned that McKinley had died. Roosevelt was sworn in at Buffalo.
Geography
Long Lake is located in northern Hamilton County at (43.9717408, -74.5862453) and its elevation
The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
is . It is bordered to the west by Herkimer County
Herkimer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,139. Its county seat is Herkimer. The county was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. It is name ...
, to the north by St. Lawrence and Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People and characters
* Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name
* Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name
* Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...
counties, and to the east by Essex County.
According to the 2010 United States Census, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.[
]
The town is in the Adirondack Park
The Adirondack Park is a park in northeastern New York (state), New York protecting the Adirondack Mountains. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. At , ...
. It is the second-largest town in land area in New York (after Webb
Webb may refer to:
Places Antarctica
*Webb Glacier (South Georgia)
*Webb Glacier (Victoria Land)
* Webb Névé, Victoria Land, the névé at the head of Seafarer Glacier
* Webb Nunataks, a group of nunataks in the Neptune Range
* Webb Peak (disa ...
in Herkimer County). The town of Long Lake extends approximately east to west and up to north to south. The town extends across the northern part of the county.
New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30 (NY 30) is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 (Future Interstate 86) in the Southern Tier to the US–Canada border in ...
, a north–south highway, intersects 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 northerly ...
at Long Lake village. NY-28N and NY-30 run conjoined through part of Long Lake. New York State Route 28
New York State Route 28 (NY 28) is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major ...
is an east–west highway in the southwestern part of the town.
The body of water known as Long Lake is about long and up to wide. The lake extends from southwest to northeast and is part of the Raquette River
The Raquette River, sometimes spelled Racquette, originates at Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. long, it is the third longest river entirely in the state of New York.
The river is a popular destinatio ...
system. The Raquette flows into Long Lake at the southwestern end and out the northeastern end, ultimately emptying into the St. Lawrence River
The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...
.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 852 people, 387 households, and 236 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,496 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.42% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.59% African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.35% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.23% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 387 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.68.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 18.4% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,583, and the median income for a family was $44,583. Males had a median income of $29,141 versus $21,429 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $19,466. About 9.9% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations
Inhabited places
*Deerland – Originally called "Grove," this 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 ...
is at the southeastern end of Long Lake on NY-28N/NY-30.
*Deerland Camp – A location on Little Forked Lake.
*Golden Beach – A location on the eastern side of Raquette Lake by the town line.
*Hasbroucks – A hamlet, also called "Hasbrooks," located on the northern shore of Raquette Lake at Outlet Bay.
* Long Lake – The census-designated place (CDP) of Long Lake, near the intersection of Routes NY-28N and NY-30 and near the middle section of the lake, also called the Hamlet of Long Lake and Long Lake.
*Nehesane – An uninhabited location in the northwestern part of the town by Lake Lila
Lake Lila is a remote lake in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area, in the west-central portion of the Adirondack Park. It is accessed via a dirt road. Boat access to the lake is by hand-launch only, after a portage from the parking lot.
...
, formerly owned by William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb (January 31, 1851 – October 29, 1926) was a businessman, and inspector general of the Vermont militia with the rank of colonel. He was a founder and former president of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Early life
Webb ...
.
*Partlow – A location southwest of Lake Lila.
*Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake is the Source (river or stream), source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York U.S. state, State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines ...
– A hamlet on the western shore of Raquette Lake and also on NY-28.
*Robinwood – A location in the northwestern corner of the town, southwest of Sabbitis.
*Sabattis – An abandoned hamlet on the northern town line of Long Lake, originally called, "Long Lake West". Some of this property is known as "Sabattis Scout Reservation" and is used as a week-long summer camp for the Boy Scouts of America through most of July and August.
*Sagamore – A location by the southern town line.
*Whitney Headquarters – A location in the northern part of the town on Little Tupper Lake.
*Woods – A location northeast of Raquette Lake.
Geographic features
* Beaver River – A river flowing out the western side of the town to Lake Lila.
*Big Island – An island in Raquette Lake.
*Bluff Point – A peninsula defining part of Outlet Bay in Raquette Lake.
*Brandreth Lake – A lake north of Raquette Lake.
*Catlin Lake – A lake at the eastern town line. Owned by SUNY-ESF.
* Chub Lake – A lake located west of Raquette Lake.
*Cranberry Pond
This is a list of lakes in Nova Scotia.
Cape Breton Island
All Four Counties
* Bras d'Or Lake
Cape Breton Regional Municipality
* Anse aux Cannes Pond
* The Barachois
* Bear Cove Pond
* Bear Gulch Ponds
* Beaverdam Pond
* Belle Lake
* ...
– A lake located northwest of the hamlet of Raquette Lake.
* Forked Lake – A lake northeast of Woods by the southern town line.
* High Pond – A small pond located on the northern town line, north of Little Tupper Lake.
*Indian Point – A peninsula on the western side of Raquette Lake.
* Lake Eaton – A lake west of Long Lake hamlet and Long Lake.
*Lake Lila
Lake Lila is a remote lake in the William C. Whitney Wilderness Area, in the west-central portion of the Adirondack Park. It is accessed via a dirt road. Boat access to the lake is by hand-launch only, after a portage from the parking lot.
...
– A lake in the northwest of Long Lake, forming the headwaters of the Beaver River.
*Little Forked Lake – A small lake north of Forked Lake by Deerland Camp.
* Little Tupper Lake – A large lake in the northern part of the town.
* Lows Lake – A lake at the northern town line, west of Sabbitis.
* Long Lake – A large lake with a northeast to southwest orientation in the northeastern part of the town, with the hamlet of Long Lake near its southern end.
*Long Lake Town Beach – The town beach of Long Lake. It is home to the Helms Aero Service, a company which offers seaplane rides with views of the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York (state), New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the hi ...
.
*Long Point – A peninsula on the eastern side of Raquette Lake.
* Lower Sister Lake – A lake northwest of Raquette Lake.
* Mays Pond – A pond located west of Chub Lake.
* Mohegan Lake – A lake located south of Raquette Lake.
* Nehasane Lake – A lake by the western town line on the Beaver River.
* Negro Lake – A lake southwest of Partlow Mountain.
*Outlet Bay – The northwestern part of Raquette Lake.
* Pelcher Pond – A lake located west of the hamlet of Raquette Lake.
* Queer Lake – A lake located east of the hamlet of Raquette Lake.
*Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake is the Source (river or stream), source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (state), New York U.S. state, State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines ...
– A large lake in the western part of the town. It is the fourth largest lake in the Adirondack region.
* Round Lake – A lake in the northern part of Long Lake, north of Whitney Headquarters.
* Russian Lake – A lake located west of the hamlet of Raquette Lake.
* Sagamore Lake – A lake located south of Raquette Lake.
*Shallow Lake
Shallow Lake is an alpine lake in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the White Cloud Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. While no trails lead to the lake, it can be accessed from Sawtooth National Forest trail 04 ...
– A lake located west of the hamlet of Raquette Lake.
* South Pond – A lake located south of Deerland.
*Upper Sister Lake
Upper Sister Lake is located northwest of the hamlet of Long Lake, New York#Communities and locations, Raquette Lake, New York. Fish species present in the lake are brook trout, yellow perch, and black bullhead. No motors are allowed on this lake. ...
– A lake located northwest of Raquette Lake.
References
* The Adirondack Atlas, by Jerry Jenkins.
External links
Town of Long Lake webpage
Area information
*
{{authority control
Adirondacks
Towns in Hamilton County, New York
Towns in New York (state)