Posted on

1915 – 2015 Hulett Hotel Fire Anniversary: Hotel Staff


The staff of the Hulett Hotel around 1905. (Click to see larger version.)

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hulett Hotel fire, which I chronicled in my book, The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George. After the fire, there was a trial which I also detail in the book.

November 14, 1915 was the actual date of the fire. So during the next two weeks, I’ll be sharing some pictures that I believe have some historical significance.

The picture above appears on page 44 of The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George. The original is faded in the middle.

Two things to note. Adelbert Buckell, standing far right and labeled # 13 in the picture, was one of the first people on the scene of the fire the morning of November 14, 2015. He may have been the person who galloped off on horseback around the Landing to roundup assistance in fighting the fire.

I also believe Henry W. Buckell, appears in the far back center of this photograph labeled as # 7. Henry Buckell owned the hotel for a number of years before selling it in 1913. He was a witness at the trial that followed the fire.

(Click on the picture to see a larger version.)

Posted on

Columbus Day 2015


The Debarkation of Columbus (Morning of October 12, 1492) by Edward Moran (Oil on Canvas – 1892. U.S. Naval Academy Museum Annapolis, Maryland.) Click image to see lager scale.

“Late in his career, marine artist Edward Moran (1828-1901) became influenced by the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage. He did several large painting of the voyage. The artist has chosen the brilliant spectacle of Columbus with cross uplifted, in magnificent regalia of scarlet and gold and purple, and his officers with the standards of Castile and Leon, and the white and green colors of the expedition, disembarking with his men when his hopes had become a reality, for the purpose of claiming the newly discovered land.”

Today, October 12, 2015 is the 523rd anniversary of Columbus’s landing. Enjoy the federal holiday, if you have off!

Posted on

1915 – 2015 Hulett Hotel Fire Anniversary: Glenwood Hotel Lake Bomoseen


The Glenwood Hotel on Lake Bomoseen circa 1910. (Click image to see larger version.)

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hulett Hotel fire, which I chronicled in my book, the Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George. The Glenwood Hotel, which was located on Lake Bomoseen, is part of the story and is documented in Chapter 3. The picture above is a shot of the front of the Glenwood that did not make it into the book.

The Glenwood was similar in many aspects to the new Hulett Hotel which was constructed after the fire.

As we get closer to the anniversary date of the Hulett Hotel fire, I will post more pictures that did not make it into the book which all should find interesting.

Posted on

Anne Diggory – Look TV Interview

Ticket sales are going very well for the Anne Diggory event on Thursday, so if you haven’t gotten tickets yet, you’ll want to soon.

Here is Anne on Look TV, where at about minute 7, she mentions the Thursday event.

Posted on

Man Finds Unique Hulett Treasure


Anthony Cuva, a guest of the Nash’s, holds a piece of Hulett treasure he found while visiting the Landing. (Click picture to see full-scale.)

Larry Nash contacted me to tell me that one of his guests, Anthony Cuva, found an old key while metal detecting this past week. It is attached to a star shaped piece of metal, labeled “Lakeside Inn 5.”

The original “Lakeside Inn” was built in approximately 1877-1878 and was a boarding house on the peninsula directly south of the steamship landing. Built by Whitehall businessman, John W. Hall, after purchasing one acre from Philander and Emeline Hulett in November 1873, it was originally constructed as a Victorian cottage. There was a bridge between the two peninsula’s because the area between them was swampy and difficult to traverse on foot. Many classic pictures of Huletts show the “Lakeside Inn.”

Anthony recounted that he was out metal detecting and he found it buried right beneath the surface. “It was only covered by a thin layer of dirt and the metal detector picked it right up,” he said. “I wasn’t quite sure what it was, so I showed it to Larry and he knew right away.”

While the key ring is clearly in excellent shape, the key itself is only partially attached and is mostly rusted away.

All-in-all this is a great historical find and most likely over a century old.


A closeup of the Lakeside Inn key tag, that Anthony Cuva found.

Many thanks to Anthony and Larry for sharing this piece of Huletts history!

Posted on

FHHL Party & Lecture on Thursday, July 2


Adirondack artist and scholar Anne Diggory.

Support the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing and hear noted Adirondack artist and scholar Anne Diggory on Painting Lake George with Artistic License, Then and Now.

The evening will benefit the many community programs of the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing and includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6:00 pm on the porch of the 1880 camp, The Seven Pines, on Bluff Head with a fabled view of The Narrows and Black Mountain. Illustrated lecture follows at 7:00 pm.

In an exploration of the creative process, Diggory will present her ongoing research into the relationship of motif to finished work in 19th century paintings of Lake George by John Frederick Kensett and in her own work. Her research into the painting location of John Frederick Kensett’s iconic “Lake George, 1869,” was recently published in the Metropolitan Museum Journal, in an article that corrects their catalogue by placing the viewpoint on Homer Point, contrary to myth, legend and firmly held opinions by lake lovers and art history scholars. Diggory’s paddling adventures and boating trips around the lake have enabled her to locate over 20 painting locations that inspired Kensett as well as many that inspired other 19th century artists such as Asher B. Durand and David Johnson.

Anne Diggory combines art from the past with present day photography.

Saratoga-based artist Anne Diggory focuses much of her work on the waters of the Adirondacks. She creates both plein air paintings and “hybrid media” artworks that use a multi-layered process combining sections of photography, digital manipulation and painting. The hybrid works were the focus of recent solo exhibitions at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY, and the Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City. The March/April (2015) issue of Adirondack Life included an essay about her hybrid work.

Posted on

1915 – 2015 Hulett Hotel Fire Anniversary: New Picture in Casino


2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hulett Hotel fire, which I chronicled in my book, the Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George.

To commemorate the anniversary, today I hung a picture of what “Skip’s Shack” or the “Caddy Shack” would have looked like from 1915-1935, at the end of the bar in the Casino. This picture was in my first book, and I thought it captures the spirit of that age. After fighting with glue and tape and the dimensions of the existing frame, it is finally up.

So it’s worth a stop at the Casino this summer to see how folks played golf about a century ago. Notice that the grass is a little higher than today. (Click image to see full-scale.)

Posted on

FHHL Party & Lecture on Thursday, July 2

Support the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing and hear noted Adirondack artist and scholar Anne Diggory on Painting Lake George with Artistic License, Then and Now.

The evening will benefit the many community programs of the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing and includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6:00 pm on the porch of the 1880 camp, The Seven Pines, on Bluff Head with a fabled view of The Narrows and Black Mountain. Illustrated lecture follows at 7:00 pm.

In an exploration of the creative process, Diggory will present her ongoing research into the relationship of motif to finished work in 19th century paintings of Lake George by John Frederick Kensett and in her own work. Her research into the painting location of John Frederick Kensett’s iconic “Lake George, 1869,” was recently published in the Metropolitan Museum Journal, in an article that corrects their catalogue by placing the viewpoint on Homer Point, contrary to myth, legend and firmly held opinions by lake lovers and art history scholars. Diggory’s paddling adventures and boating trips around the lake have enabled her to locate over 20 painting locations that inspired Kensett as well as many that inspired other 19th century artists such as Asher B. Durand and David Johnson.

Saratoga-based artist Anne Diggory focuses much of her work on the waters of the Adirondacks. She creates both plein air paintings and “hybrid media” artworks that use a multi-layered process combining sections of photography, digital manipulation and painting. The hybrid works were the focus of recent solo exhibitions at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, NY, and the Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City. The March/April (2015) issue of Adirondack Life included an essay about her hybrid work.

Posted on

Saturday Quote

“Obliti privatorum, publica curate”

“Forget private affairs, take care of public ones”

Roman political saying which reminds that the common good should be given priority over private matters for any person having a responsibility in the State.

Posted on

New Mount Defiance Tour: Offered Daily at Fort Ticonderoga Beginning May 23, 2015


Mount Defiance will be open to the public beginning May 23, 2015. Fort Ticonderoga as seen from the summit of Mount Defiance. (Click image to see full-scale.)

Visitors to Fort Ticonderoga and the general public are invited to attend the “Mount Defiance: Witness to History Tour” to observe a birds-eye view of Fort Ticonderoga’s epic military landscape and discover how the summit of Mount Defiance shaped American history. Mount Defiance will be open to the public daily, beginning May 23 through October 18, 2015, from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm (last admittance at 4:30 pm); the “Mount Defiance: Witness to History Tour” will be offered daily at 4 pm. Visitors can either purchase tickets to Mount Defiance as a part of the Fort Ticonderoga package ($2.50 per adult, $1.50 per child), or pay directly at the base of the mountain using an electronic kiosk system ($10 per car). Members of Fort Ticonderoga and Resident Ambassador Pass holders are admitted free of charge and can pick up their Kiosk coin at the admissions booth of Fort Ticonderoga.

“The picnic pavilion located at the summit of Mount Defiance is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy one of America’s most historic landscapes” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga’s President and CEO. “Whether you hike up the mountain in the historic footsteps of General Burgoyne’s troops or make the easy drive up to the top in your car, you’ll savor the spectacular beauty of this remarkable and historic view. A visit to this breathtaking summit is a great way to begin or end your day at Fort Ticonderoga!”

Mount Defiance provides one of the most magnificent views in the northeast. From the summit, visitors can see up and down the Champlain basin, and enjoy an aerial view of Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. It is a grand location for appreciating the great water highway which stretches from Montréal to New York City. For more information call 518-585-2821 or visit www.fortticonderoga.org, click on the “Visit” tab, and select “Mount Defiance” from the drop-down menu.

Posted on

Now for Some History: Circa 1930-1935

Administrator’s Note: The letter below was provided to me by Sue Foster Ives. It was written to her older sister, Geraldine, in 2005 and documents what it was like going to school in the 1930’s. Benson Landing, Vermont is on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain a bit north of Dresden across from Putnam. It was the way people would come to Huletts Landing before State Route 22 existed.

Typed Copy of Letter from
Mrs. Marion Munger, Benson, VT 05743

To:

Mrs. Geraldine Foster Moore, Granville, NY 12832
August 29, 2005
___________________________________________________
My name is Marion (Morris) Munger and I was born on March 24, 1918 at Benson Landing, VT. I have a younger sister, Frieda (Morris) Walker. We went to a one-room school in Benson until my 8th grade when we switched to Putnam Central School. We went across the lake (Champlain) every day and got the bus at Putnam Station. The next year I started at Ticonderoga High School and the high school bus didn’t come all the way down to the Station, so I had to go up the old Ferry Road (which had been discontinued the year before).

In the winter, I left my snowshoes and flashlight (it wasn’t daylight yet) at the Graham farmhouse, and continued up the road to the Ledgewood turn, where I met the bus. There was no shelter there so it was very cold sometimes. The next year the bus came way down to the Station and picked us up because there were some other students there.

We rowed our boat straight across the lake to the old ferry landing, then walked the railroad track to the Station where we waited in Sweatt’s store. In the winter, we went across to the Station, on skates if the ice was bare, or snowshoes or skis if there was snow. We were never late for the bus, nor did we ever miss a day of school except for sickness.

When the lake was freezing in December, we stayed on the New York side with Bess Sweatt until it was safe. In the spring when it wasn’t too safe, we used to push a boat on top of a big sled so we could jump into the boat if the ice started to crack. Needless to say, we didn’t always make it and went into the lake. Then we had to pull ourselves into the boat and break ice all the way back to shore, which took a long time and our wet clothes froze on us. Luckily these weren’t school days but on Sundays when we would go over to stay until the lake opened.

Sometimes in the spring, and fall, there would be terrible winds that made it very hard to row across the lake but we always made it somehow. I can still remember the big blisters on my hands from those oars!

I guess kids were tougher in those days (1930 – 1935 for me and 1936 for Frieda) because we never thought it was an ordeal, and just did it! It must have been good for us because I have lived 87 years in good health, and my sister has lived 86!

Posted on

Now For Some History: 1912

ATTACKED BY WILD CAT
Former Warrensburqh Man’s Thrilling Adventure Near North River.

Louis Napoleon Beach, a former Warrensburgh man, who is now employed in Harry Raymond’s livery stable at Riverside, while driving from North River to Hooper’s Mines, late Friday afternoon, had a thrilling experience with a bob-cat which has been hanging around that section all winter.

Mr. Beach was driving a pair of horses, belonging to his employer, hitched to a light wagon, and as they passed under a large pine tree, about three miles from North River, he heard a noise in the branches, and down into the back of the wagon dropped the big cat. The horses became frightened and bolted, while the driver was struggling with the animal.

Mr. Beach attacked the cat with the butt of his horse whip, but this only served to enrage the fury of the creature and it clawed and bit, making several ugly wounds on the unfortunate man. The horses made a sudden jump to one side of the road which dislodged the cat from the wagon, and (the) thoroughly maddened team ran wildly toward the village of Garnet. As they came to the house of R. J. Bennett, they bolted into his barn yard, where they stopped so suddenly that Mr. Beach was thrown to the ground.

After he was somewhat recovered he went into the house, where Mr. Bennett dressed the wounds inflicted by the cat. The attack has stirred up the people of that section. One of the horses, valued at $250, was badly injured, and will probably have to be shot.

Warrensburgh News – April 18, 1912

Posted on

1915 – 2015 Hulett Hotel Fire Anniversary: Judge Erskine C. Rogers


Washington County Judge Eskine C. Rogers, as he would have appeared in his Judicial robes, circa the 1920’s.

2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the Hulett Hotel fire, which I chronicled in my book, The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George. After the fire, there was a trial which I also detail in the book.

The Judge who presided over that trial was Washington County Judge Eskine C. Rogers. In my book, I shared two pictures of the judge, both of which were hard to come by. On page 82, I have a picture of the judge as a young man graduating from high school, which I obtained from the Old Fort House Museum/Fort Edward Historical Association. On page 137, I presented a picture from his obituary, which was reproduced from a newspaper microfilm printout. Neither picture was ideal, but they were the best I had when the book went to print.

Shortly after the final edits were done on the book, I was able to speak to Judge Roger’s grandson, an attorney in Florida. He had a picture of his grandfather on his mantel and snapped the above picture on his mobile phone (which you can see the reflection of in the lower left of the photo.) It was too late to include this picture in the book, but I share it here because it captures what the judge would have looked like as he presided over the trial.

Rogers was described as hardworking, earnest and of good judicial temperament. I think the picture above captures all of that and more. What I see is a determined man who looks eminently fair in his demeanor. In my opinion, he looks like an excellent judge. The ornate, carved, high-backed chair adds to the prestige of the photograph.

My conversation with his grandson gave me additional insights into who Judge Rogers was. While I document in the last chapter of the book how Judge Rogers continued his distinguished career after the trial ended, he died unexpectedly in 1940. His grandson told me his grandfather’s sudden death was an extreme blow to his family and one which was difficult for them to overcome. His grandson was happy to share the above photo. I share it here for history’s sake in light of the 100th anniversary of the Hulett Hotel fire.

(Click on the picture to see full-scale.)