Lake Clear, New York
Encyclopedia
Lake Clear is a hamlet
and a lake in Franklin County
, New York
, United States
. The area is named for 940 acres (3.8 km²) Lake Clear, part of the original Seven Carries
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, and famous Paul Smith's Hotel
was only five miles to the north. Saranac Inn
, on the shore of Upper Saranac Lake
, is four miles (6 km) to the west, and the village of Saranac Lake
is six miles (10 km) to the southeast. In 1893, the Mohawk and Malone Railway
reached Lake Clear, and in 1906, Paul Smith built an electric railroad that ran from Lake Clear to his hotel.
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
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
at nearby Little Clear Pond.
The Adirondack Airport is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Lake Clear; although it is nominally in Saranac Lake, it is known locally as the "Lake Clear Airport.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
and a lake in Franklin County
Franklin County, New York
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The area is named for 940 acres (3.8 km²) Lake Clear, part of the original Seven Carries
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...
canoe route. It is located in the town of Harrietstown
Harrietstown, New York
Harrietstown is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 5,575 at the 2000 census, much of it concentrated in the village of Saranac Lake....
.
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, and famous Paul Smith's Hotel
Paul Smith's Hotel
Paul Smith's Hotel, formally known as the Saint Regis House, was founded in 1859 by Apollos Smith in the town of Brighton, Franklin County, New York in what would become the village of Paul Smiths; it was one of the first wilderness resorts in Adirondacks...
was only five miles to the north. Saranac Inn
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, USA. It was frequented by US Presidents Grover Cleveland and Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes...
, on the shore of Upper Saranac Lake
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 lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and...
, is four miles (6 km) to the west, and the village of Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....
is six miles (10 km) to the southeast. In 1893, the Mohawk and Malone Railway
Mohawk and Malone Railway
Dr. William Seward Webb's Mohawk and Malone Railway crossed the northern Adirondacks at Tupper Lake Junction, just north of Tupper Lake. Webb was president of the Wagner Palace Car Company...
reached Lake Clear, and in 1906, Paul Smith built an electric railroad that ran from Lake Clear to his hotel.
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
Saint Regis Canoe Area
The Saint Regis Canoe Area is a 19,000 acre area of the Adirondack Park in southern Franklin County, New York about 18 miles northeast of Tupper Lake and southwest of Paul Smiths....
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
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". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
at nearby Little Clear Pond.
The Adirondack Airport is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Lake Clear; although it is nominally in Saranac Lake, it is known locally as the "Lake Clear Airport.
Further reading
- Donaldson, Alfred L., A History of the Adirondacks. New York: Century, 1921. ISBN 0-916346-26-8. (reprint)
- Jerome, Christine Adirondack Passage: Cruise of Canoe Sairy Gamp, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 0-93527294-1.