The Adirondacks stand to be one of the most illustrious, stunning, alluring, and captivating spots on the planet. Its mix of flora and fauna, and wild untamed nature, has kept the past intact. With over six million acres, including over 150,000 acres of open water, the Adirondacks is the largest Park in the contiguous United States.
The region offers something for everyone from museums to folkart crafting sessions, nature trails to mountain peak hikes. It’s much more than an exploration, it’s an experience of the closest kind to the natural world. Learn how the past has influenced the present day and why many chose to preserve this bit of paradise for future generations to come.
Let’s start with the Mohawk, members of the Iroquois Confederacy and known as the keepers of the Eastern Door. For over a thousand years, the Mohawk inhabited the northeastern region of New York, reaching into southern Canada and Vermont. Their locations along rivers and lakes gave rise to their reputation as excellent trappers, quickly recognized by the Dutch settlers they traded with along the Hudson River. The populous and well-organized Mohawk, along with the neighboring rival Algonquin, used the Adirondacks as their hunting and warring ground. They lived in longhouses, rectangular structures made of timber and bark, that housed multi- families and also served as community gathering places. Among the many talents of the Mohawk were basketry, beadwork, and mask-making.
During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the tribes took sides: the Mohawk sided with the British and the Algoquins with the French, increasing the tension between the two. The Mohawk allied with the British because they believed the British would let them retain their ancestral homelands. A British victory preserved their wish temporarily until more European settlers began encroaching on their territory. The Indian tribes in the area preferred neutrality, but these encroachments prompted them to again join forces with the British during the 1775 Revolutionary War. By the end of the war, the Iroquois Confederacy, including the Mohawks, retreated north to Canada after their land was confiscated and their lucrative trading networks broken. For more information about the Mohawk, visit the Akwesasne Cultural Center in Akwesasne. The Adirondacks explores the relationship between the wilderness and its many inhabitants over the centuries and is a highly recommended read.
History’s conflicts involve some sort of protection against enemies and forts served that purpose. These strategically built fortifications helped defend and control waterway access during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. Visit star-shaped Fort Ticonderoga on Lake George for battle reenactments and educational tours of these forts that provide a glimpse into the past. Learn about history from local craftsmen who delight in sharing their trades with you. Fort William Henry, built in 1755 by the British, was featured in the movie, “The Last of the Mohicans,” and is open to visitors.
The emergence of the logging industry, which expanded dramatically in the mid-to-late 19th century, contributed to the region’s economy. Urbanization and the introduction of waterways, like the Hudson River and its tributaries, facilitated transport of logs downstream to markets and mills. Logging camps harvested hardwoods, pine, spruce, and hemlock, and soon clear cutting became common practice leading to significant deforestation. Fortunately, things were about to change for the better.
A minister, William H. H. Murray (1840-1904), began exploring nature as a spiritual quest to quiet the mind and found solace camping in the Adirondack wilderness. He lectured about his experiences and wrote articles, finally drafting a book on camping, Adventures in the Wilderness, in 1869. His book had a major influence on thousands of people, almost single-handedly encouraging them to visit the Adirondacks and take up this recreational activity. An awareness arose about the need for conservation to protect these natural resources and soon New York state enacted laws and regulations to preserve them. The Adirondack Park was created in 1892 and established as “Forever Wild” in 1894.
The late 1880s ushered in the Adirondack Gilded Age, made famous by the railroad tycoon, William West Durant. An architect himself, Durant capitalized on bringing the wilderness experience to the wealthy and built grand vacation homes for them to enjoy in rustic luxury. Homes and lodges were constructed on and near lakes, using local materials such as native timber, bark, and granite fieldstone. The lavish summer homes featured cottages or lodges for guests, boathouses, recreational facilities, elaborate gardens, grand fireplaces, and expansive dining halls. Famous personalities to visit the grand camps included Gary Cooper, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, Jerome Kern, General George C. Marshall, and Ulysses S. Grant.
A fun fact: The Prospect House, a 300-room resort on Blue Mountain Lake, was the first hotel in the world to have electricity in every room, in 1882, thanks to head electrician Thomas Edison.
The best preserved and most famous of them, is Durant’s own personal home, Camp Sagamore, which was later sold to the Vanderbilts and is now open to the public. Over 200 camps and resort hotels were built at the height of their popularity. By 1950, only four remained that were constructed before WWII. Today, the Great Camps remain an essential part of American architectural history, admired for their harmonious integration with the wilderness. Learn more about the highlights, the people, and design of these magnificent homes in Great Camps of the Adirondacks.
Slip into one of the grand camps, or overnight in a wilderness cabin for a step back into the past. You’ll come away with a greater appreciation for the natural world and hopefully, bring some of that Adirondack energy and spirit of the wild home with you.
A few books worth mentioning will introduce you to life in the Adirondacks and can be found at Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid.
Woodswoman Anne Labastille
The Plains of Abraham, by Mary Mackenzie
Adirondack Audacity, by LR Smolerek
Cloudsplitter, by Russell Banks
A Cold and Lonely Place, by Sara J Henry