Loon Lake (Franklin County, New York)
Encyclopedia
Loon Lake is a hamlet on the east side of Loon Lake in the north east region of the Adirondack Park 20 miles north east of Saranac Lake
and 25 miles north of Lake Placid
in New York State.
Loon lake was a socially prominent destination throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to the Loon Lake House resort.
,the abolitionist, gave 200 acres to Willis Hodges, a freed slave, to settle a community with 10 families.
Unsatisfied with conditions, Hodges and the settlers became discuraged and abandoned the community after two winters.
. Smith, enjoying the area, bought 200 acres in 1852 on the North Branch of the Saranac River
for $300. Here he built "Hunter's Home" and served doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. In 1858 Hunter's Home burned and Smith relocated the lower St. Regis and built a much larger hotel.
At this size, the resort had an expansive infrastructure that included two water systems, an underground sewer, an early electrical system, a dairy, vegetable and flower gardens, a large boat house, bowling alleys, and one of the Adirondack's first golf courses built in 1895. Sufficient as a small town, the resort also included a general store, post office, and a large and elegant train station. The train station originally serviced Chateaugay Railroads. In 1892 the New York Central Railroad
completed their rail line allowing passage directly from New York City.
The beautiful landscape and lavishness of Loon Lake House attracted many public figures of the period. Presidents Grover Cleveland
, Benjamin Harrison
, and William McKinley
enjoyed stays at the Loon Lake House during their presidencies. Wealthy families of the period, including the Vanderbilt's
, Whitney's
, Rothschild's
, Rockefeller's
, and Guggenheim's
regularly stayed at the resort. Additionally, popular literates including Irving Berlin
, George Gershwin
, Theodore Dreiser
, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
,and Oscar Wilde
vacationed at the Loon Lake House.
The Chase's owned and managed the hotel from construction in 1878 until 1929. Business dwindled after the stock market crash of 1929 forcing Mary Chase to sell the resort. In 1956 the primary building burned. The remaining assets including the grounds and cabins were auctioned off in 1957.
.
by E.L. Doctorow, is a stream-of-consciousness styled work. A large private estate on the lake is the main setting for this 1930's Depression period story.
Loon Lake is mentioned in Chapter XLII of Theodore Dreiser
's The Titan
.
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....
and 25 miles north of Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
in New York State.
Loon lake was a socially prominent destination throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries thanks to the Loon Lake House resort.
Blacksville
In 1848 Blacksville was the first attempt to settle the Loon Lake area. Gerrit SmithGerrit Smith
Gerrit Smith was a leading United States social reformer, abolitionist, politician, and philanthropist...
,the abolitionist, gave 200 acres to Willis Hodges, a freed slave, to settle a community with 10 families.
Unsatisfied with conditions, Hodges and the settlers became discuraged and abandoned the community after two winters.
Paul Smith
After Blacksville was abandoned two hotels were built, the Merrillsville Inn and Loverin Tavern. These hotels served loggers and hunters including Paul SmithApollos Smith
Apollos Smith founded the Saint Regis House in the town of Brighton, known universally as Paul Smith's Hotel, one of the first wilderness resorts in Adirondacks...
. Smith, enjoying the area, bought 200 acres in 1852 on the North Branch of the Saranac River
Saranac River
Saranac River is an river in the U.S. state of New York. In its upper reaches is a region of mostly flat water and lakes. The river has more than three dozen source lakes and ponds north of Upper Saranac Lake; the highest is Mountain Pond on Long Pond Mountain...
for $300. Here he built "Hunter's Home" and served doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. In 1858 Hunter's Home burned and Smith relocated the lower St. Regis and built a much larger hotel.
Loon Lake House
In 1878 Mary and Ferd Chase purchased 10 acres on a bluff overlooking Loon Lake and built a 31 room hotel, The Loon Lake House. The resort's instant success allowed the Chase's to expand operations, and, by 1893 the Loon Lake House's capacity reached 500 guest. Eventually the resort would expand to accommodate 800 guests across two hotel structures and 60 private cabins spread over the resorts 3,000 acres.At this size, the resort had an expansive infrastructure that included two water systems, an underground sewer, an early electrical system, a dairy, vegetable and flower gardens, a large boat house, bowling alleys, and one of the Adirondack's first golf courses built in 1895. Sufficient as a small town, the resort also included a general store, post office, and a large and elegant train station. The train station originally serviced Chateaugay Railroads. In 1892 the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
completed their rail line allowing passage directly from New York City.
The beautiful landscape and lavishness of Loon Lake House attracted many public figures of the period. Presidents Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
, and William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
enjoyed stays at the Loon Lake House during their presidencies. Wealthy families of the period, including the Vanderbilt's
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch origin prominent during the Gilded Age. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy...
, Whitney's
Whitney family
The Whitney family is an American family notable for their social prominence, wealth, business enterprises and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635.-Rise to prominence:...
, Rothschild's
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
, Rockefeller's
Rockefeller family
The Rockefeller family , the Cleveland family of John D. Rockefeller and his brother William Rockefeller , is an American industrial, banking, and political family of German origin that made one of the world's largest private fortunes in the oil business during the late 19th and early 20th...
, and Guggenheim's
Guggenheim family
The Guggenheim family is an American family, of Swiss Jewish ancestry. Beginning with Meyer Guggenheim, who arrived in America in 1847, the family were known for their global successes in mining and smelting . During the 19th century, the family possessed one of the largest fortunes in the world...
regularly stayed at the resort. Additionally, popular literates including Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
, George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
,and Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
vacationed at the Loon Lake House.
The Chase's owned and managed the hotel from construction in 1878 until 1929. Business dwindled after the stock market crash of 1929 forcing Mary Chase to sell the resort. In 1956 the primary building burned. The remaining assets including the grounds and cabins were auctioned off in 1957.
Loon Lake
Loon Lake is fresh water and approximatively 3 miles long. The lake is positioned between Look Out and Loon MountainLoon Lake Mountain Fire Observation Station
Loon Lake Mountain Fire Observation Station is a historic fire observation station located on Loon Lake Mountain at Loon Lake in Franklin County, New York. The station and contributing resources include a , steel-frame lookout tower erected in 1917; it has been abandoned since 1971...
.
Cultural Allusions
Loon Lake (novel)Loon Lake (novel)
Loon Lake is a 1980 novel by E. L. Doctorow. The plot of the novel is mostly set on Loon Lake in the Adirondacks during the Depression. The novel is one of the more experimental works of Doctorow, incorporating a great variety of different techniques, many of which are used for preventing the...
by E.L. Doctorow, is a stream-of-consciousness styled work. A large private estate on the lake is the main setting for this 1930's Depression period story.
Loon Lake is mentioned in Chapter XLII of Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
's The Titan
The Titan
The Titan is a novel written by Theodore Dreiser in 1914. It is Dreiser's sequel to The Financier.-Plot summary:Cowperwood moves to Chicago with his new wife Aileen. He decides to take over the street-railway system. He bankrupts several opponents with the help of John J. McKenty and other...
.
Sources
- Beckwith Smith III, Karl Loon Lake: An Introductionhttp://loonlakehoa.org/llhistoryks.pdf
- Collins, Geradine. The Biography and Funny Sayings of Paul Smith, Paul Smiths College, Paul Smiths, NY. 1965.
- http://loonlakehoa.org/RR%20NYT%2012Jul1888.pdf
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00617FE395C17738DDDA10894DF405B8285F0D3&scp=5&sq=loon%20lake&st=cse