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Interview with Stanley Barber


Stanley Barber (right) with me.

Recently, I had the chance to talk with Stanley Barber. Mr. Barber is the youngest child of Royden Barber, who was instrumental in selling the first Hulett hotel to William H. Wyatt. (To learn more about Royden Barber, you need to buy: The Hulett Hotel Fire on Lake George!) Royden Barber had three children, all of whom are still living: Frances: age 99, Agnes: age 97, and Stanley: age 94. So all the Barber children seem to have the longevity gene.

Stanley Barber is also the nephew of Henry and Cora Buckell, who owned the first Hulett hotel. He is presently 94 (having been born in 1917) and will turn 95 later this year. Stanley Barber would only agree to be photographed if I would join him in the picture. He said, “I’m so old I’ll break your camera. So if you’re in the picture, you can’t blame me for breaking it!”

Interview with Stanley Barber. (Age 94, son of Royden Barber and nephew of Henry and Cora (Barber) Buckell.)

Your father’s sister, Cora Barber, was married to Henry Buckell making the Buckell’s your aunt and uncle. The Buckell’s owned and operated the original Hulett hotel. Do you have any memories of the Buckell’s and their time in Huletts?

Uncle Henry ran a really tight ship. He kept people working at the hotel and my father once told us, he rented cottages that weren’t even built when he rented them. He would take a reservation, tell his workers to cut the wood and build the house, and when the people arrived it would be built. The wood was cut at the Huletts sawmill. That was Uncle Henry, always trying to get people to come to Huletts.

He later retired and moved to Hudson Falls but he worked his entire life. He believed in thrift and hard work!

My Uncle Henry and Aunt Cora had five children: Gladys, Raymond, Hazel, Bernard (Bud) and Naomi. They were my cousins. The youngest, Naomi, just passed away in 2011 in Florida. One sad story that I remember is that a boat sank off of Agnes island and a few of the passengers went down with the boat. Bud, who was an excellent swimmer, dove down and brought the bodies up. They were dead, but it was my cousin, Bud, who got them to the surface. It was in over 40 feet of water but he was a great swimmer and he was the one who did it.

The Buckell’s owned the original Hulett hotel before the age of the automobile. Did you actually ride in a horse-drawn carriage when you were young?

Absolutely. My father bought a car in the 1920’s but as children we crossed the mountain in a horse-drawn carriage. In the winter, you would wear a “lap robe” over your waist and legs to stay warm as the horses pulled the carriage. It was made out of cow hide and the wind couldn’t go through it. It kept you warm. The stable in Huletts was located very close to the present Casino, the new one, back from the water. The horses really labored pulling you up the mountain. I can remember them snorting and pulling. It was a good pull for them going up the mountain. They had to work, but they liked going down the mountain. It was difficult crossing the mountain, and I still remember the sounds the horses made.

Could you tell us one of your memories about Huletts Landing which some people might not know?

Well one of the things I did, which is interesting, is that I actually surveyed a lot of Huletts Landing in the late 1940’s. When Arthur Wyatt died, (the owner of the Hulett hotel at that time) I was hired by a surveyor, from across the lake in Hague, named Henry Watts. He was hired by the corporation to survey the lands of Arthur Wyatt. I believe it had something to do with insurance. I surveyed those lands with Henry Watts and Robert Borden, Franny’s father. We traversed all types of terrain and found some stone markers going back 100 years or more.

Could you tell us what life was like in the 20’s and 30’s in Dresden?

One interesting fact that people don’t know, is that when aviation first started there was a revolving light beacon on the top of Spruce mountain. It spun in a full circle and the next one was about 40 miles north on some mountain. The pilots of planes looked out at night and saw the beacons below to fly by. There was also a “blinker” light on the Black mountain tower. It was different than the Spruce mountain beacon, but it was there so planes wouldn’t fly into it.

As of this interview, you are 94 years old. Can you tell us your thoughts on aging?

Right now, it’s hard. Some days you just ache all over and every move you make hurts. I once worked in a nursing home and you have to fight through it, you can’t give up. I saw old people give up and once that happens they were done. I decided long ago, that however old I got I would always fight and never give in. I don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow but I’ll go out fighting. My father lived to be almost 101 years old, and he was an example to me.

Mr. Barber, it was a pleasure speaking with you. Thank you for sharing your memories.

Just let people know, if the picture of us breaks your camera, you did it and not me! (Big smile.)

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LGA Annual Meeting to be Held August 17th


LGA members and other concerned citizens gather at the LGA 126th Annual Meeting, last August, at the Lake George Club. This year’s meeting, free and open to the general public, will be held on Friday, August 17, at 10 am

The Lake George Association welcomes everyone with an interest in the health and welfare of the Lake to attend this year’s annual meeting, on Friday, August 17, at 10 am, at the Lake George Club. Registration begins at 9:30 am, and the meeting is free.

Topics of concern to the entire region will be addressed, including the recent detection of spiny water flea in the Lake, as well as ongoing efforts to combat the Asian clam. The consideration of mandatory inspections at boat launches to prevent the spread of invasive species will also be discussed. LGA staff will present recent research studies on the biological impact of the spiny water flea and the longer term impact this invasive has on fish populations. Samples of spiny water flea captured in Lake George will be available for the public to see.

The Rainbow Beach Association, the first homeowner association to establish their own boat launch regulations, will be honored at the meeting.

Randy Rath, LGA project manager will provide updates on several of the LGA’s lake saving projects, including the recently completed projects at the Lake George Town Hall, English Brook and Hague Brook, and the status of the work accomplished at the West Brook Environmental Park, as well as upcoming projects. Emily DeBolt and Kristen Rohne, on the educational staff at the LGA, will talk about new educational outreach programs offered this past year.

Attendees will have an opportunity to sign the LGA clean boater pledge and receive a clean boater kit. Members and guests will also receive a copy of the LGA’s newest publication, A Homeowner’s Guide to Lake-friendly Living.

The general public is welcome to attend the meeting, which is free. After the meeting there will be an optional luncheon buffet. The $25 per person cost for lunch does not include a donation to the LGA. Space is limited. To make a reservation for the meeting and/or the lunch, please contact the LGA at 518-668-3558 or info@lakegeorgeassociation.org, or complete the invitation form available online at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

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Spiny Water Flea Confirmed in Lake George


This picture, courtesy of Jeff Gunderson of Minnesota Sea Grant, shows a clump of spiny waterfleas on a fishing line.

Spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus), an aquatic invasive zooplankton native to Eurasia, has been found in Lake George.

The spiny water flea is very small (about ½-inch long). It is not an insect, but is actually a cladoceran, a type of crustacean. While not technically microscopic, it is still very small with about 70% of the length being a thin barbed tail. Many spiny water fleas look like bristly masses of jelly with black eye spots when tangled on fishing lines, reels and other equipment. This species has had negative impacts on Rainbow Smelt and other small fish which are a large forage base for many game fish species. Impacts on fisheries and other aquatic life in the Lake is of concern as this species reproduces rapidly, altering the structure of the in-lake food web. It is of no danger to humans or domestic animals. There is no known current management for spiny water flea. Once it is in a body of water, it is there.

“The most frustrating aspect of this discovery is that we have no recourse that we are aware of now that it is here. You can’t eradicate or even try to manage spiny water flea in a water body as vast as Lake George,” said Walt Lender, the LGA’s executive director.

An angler on his way out of Lake George on Friday, July 27 showed the LGA Lake Steward on duty at the Mossy Point Boat Launch in Ticonderoga a mass of material that had collected on his line when fishing. The Lake Steward collected the sample, and the sample was transported to Larry Eichler at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute in Bolton Landing to confirm the identification. It was confirmed as spiny water flea. On Tuesday, July 31, staff from the Lake George Association used plankton nets to sample in the area where the angler had been fishing; additional spiny water fleas were found in the northern basin just west of Mallory Island. These samples were also confirmed as spiny water flea by Larry Eichler at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute.


To further confirm that an angler had indeed found Spiny water flea in Lake George, the LGA needed to get out on the Lake fast for some additional sampling in the area. LGA members Ken and Jane Robbins, who live in Gull Bay, came to the rescue and took out Kristen Rohne, LGA watershed educator, pictured here.

“It is still too soon to know how widespread the infestation is,” said Emily DeBolt, director of education for the LGA and coordinator of the LGA’s Lake Steward Program. “We went out yesterday to sample to confirm its presence, but we don’t know much more than that it is here. We are working with the Lake George Park Commission, Darrin Fresh Water Institute, and our partners to coordinate additional sampling so that we have more information.”

“Right now the Commission’s top priority is invasive species control and management, and we will work with our many partners on determining the extent of this population,” said Dave Wick, executive director of the Lake George Park Commission. “The Commission is currently developing a comprehensive invasive species prevention plan for Lake George, with the goal of preventing any new invasive occurrences from entering the lake,” he added.

Spiny water flea infested the Great Lakes in the 1980s, but wasn’t found in inland waters of the state until 2008 when it was confirmed in nearby Great Sacandaga Lake. From there it has spread, being confirmed in Peck Lake in 2009, the Stewarts Bridge Reservoir, and Sacandaga Lake in 2010, and the Glens Falls Feeder Canal and Lake Champlain Canal just a few weeks ago in July 2012.

“While this is most definitely not good news, I guess the silver lining is that it is an example of how important education is and that it can work,” said Emily DeBolt. “Some days we feel like a broken record with our spread prevention messages – but this instance shows us that people are listening. It’s encouraging that our messages have reached the population in such a way that an angler recognized that he had something bad on his line and brought it to the attention of one of our Lake Stewards.”

“This is a very disturbing development,” said Lender. “It shows us that we must do more to stop the spread of invasive species. We have no way of telling how spiny water flea came into Lake George and there is little we can do now that it is here, but we should not lessen our efforts to keep invasives out. There are too many on the horizon: species that can do much more to harm our water quality than spiny water flea. This will have a negative effect on our fish population over time, but it will not do the same damage as some of the aquatic plants that have been discovered in other New York lakes such as hydrilla or some of the other animals like quagga mussels or Asian carp.”

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Lake George Cleanup Day: August 4th

This is a great event and a wonderful reminder to always try to pickup loose trash. Because if it isn’t picked up, it ends up in the Lake.

I’m going to take part myself and I’m going to post a picture of the stuff I find.

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Elephant Mountain Fire Extinguished


Bill Ingleston, Assistant Dresden Fire Chief (far right), stands with the crew of the helicopter that extinguished the Elephant Mountain fire after they landed on the Huletts Landing Golf Course. State police pilots are in blue. Forest rangers are in yellow (left) and green (middle). (Click on picture to see full-scale. This picture only.)

6:34 PM

The helicopter has departed Huletts Landing and there is no visible smoke coming from Elephant Mountain. It appears that the fire has been extinguished.

5:57 PM

The helicopter has stopped making water drops after two rangers on the mountain called them off. (The fire appears extinguished.) The helicopter is now on the golf course unloading.


The orange water bucket is in front of the helicopter.


The bucket that dropped thousands of gallons of water on the fire.


Spectators and volunteer firemen wait and watch.

5:37 PM

Water drops are continuing with the state helicopter going in for pass after pass. First reports are that the fire was first seen around noon, rangers needed to be called in, who called in state police helicopter who got permission from the Lake George Park Commission to remove water from lake.

5:29 PM

After numerous water drops (at least 15) the smoke appears to be lessening.

5:17 P.M BREAKING

A fire on Elephant Mountain has brought in state forest rangers and a state police helicopter with a bucket in an attempt to douse the blaze. Numerous water drops have already occurred.

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Now for Some History: 1755

Note that the events described below happened on July 26, 1755, making this week the 257th anniversary of the events described.

The account that follows may be in reference to the battle of the Harbor Islands (now owned by the Paulist fathers) or it may refer to a massacre at Sabbath Day Point.

All day and all night of the 25th of July (1755) Lieutenant Corbierie, with fifty Canadians and three hundred Ottawas, lay in ambush among the islands of Lake George, above what is now called Sabbath-Day point. On the morning of the 26th there came gliding down the lake in twenty-two barges a New Jersey regiment of three hundred soldiers, under the command of Colonel John Parker.

After the first volley, the French and Indians at once urged their bark canoes towards the barges of the Jerseymen, as if to board them, but the latter took fright on the approach of those hideous warriors; many of them dropped their arms, and all sought safety in flight. But the arrow like canoes quickly overtook the barges, and a fearful massacre ensued. Those even who sought the western shore were soon run down by the light-footed savages. After a hundred and thirty-one were killed, the Indians became satiated with blood, and began taking prisoners. Of these they captured a hundred and fifty-seven. Only twelve of the whole three hundred escaped death or captivity. On the other hand only one Indian was wounded, – the strongest possible evidence of the panic of their opponents.

A French writer (Roubard) states, of his own knowledge, that one of the slain provincials was actually boiled and eaten by the ferocious Ottawas!

Taken from: The History of Washington County New York, 1737-1878 published in 1878.

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LGA’s Floating Classroom Visits Friday


Over 30 people, including many children, enjoyed having the Lake George Association’s Floating classroom stop in Huletts in 2011.

The Lake George Association’s Floating Classroom, will return to Huletts this Friday, July 20th at 1:00 pm, courtesy of the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing who is sponsoring this event.

So if you missed the excursion last summer, there’s still room but you must sign up in the Post Office. A donation will be required to help defray the cost.

(Click on image to see full-scale.)

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Banded Mystery Snail

While out swimming yesterday, I noticed a few of these little snails sitting on a rock beneath the water line. Having never seen any before, I picked a few up, took a picture, and asked Emily DeBolt of the Lake George Association what they were. Here is part of her response to me:

They look like banded mystery snails. They are actually non-native to the lake – but have been here for at least 100 years – probably longer – so they are pretty well established. Their impacts are not well known – so they aren’t considered ‘invasive’ per se – just ‘ non-native’ at this point. But that point could be debated by experts in the field…. They are usually just in the sand – not on rocks – but they could have been on a rock as you said. These things have ‘boom and bust’ cycles for reasons that we don’t necessarily understand – and I would say that this looks like this year we had a ‘bust’! Snails are associated with swimmer itch – along with ducks and geese. The ‘itch’ is actually traveling between the snails and the waterfowl when the ‘swimmer’ accidentally gets in the way.

So now you know.

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LGA Seeks Volunteers for Annual Adirondack Loon Census

On Saturday July 21, the Wildlife Conservation Society will be conducting an annual loon census with the help of local Adirondack residents and visitor volunteers.

The Lake George Association coordinates volunteers on Lake George; multiple volunteers are needed to cover 176 miles of shoreline simultaneously during the hour of the census. To register and sign up for a section of Lake George to monitor, please contact the LGA at 518-668-3558. The LGA will provide information on how to participate, and a data sheet.

Census volunteers will monitor a selected portion of the Lake from 8 – 9 am, and report the number of adult loons, chicks, and immature loons they observe. Similar loon censuses are also conducted in other states throughout the Northeast at the same time on the same day, contributing to a thorough regional overview of the population’s current status.

This data provides a quick glimpse of the status of the breeding loon population in and around the Adirondack Park and across New York State. The results help guide management decisions and policies that affect loons. One of the major findings of the 2010 census: The Adirondack loon population has almost doubled since the last pre-census analysis in the 1980s, and now totals some 1,500–2,000 birds.

The Annual Loon Census is a project of the Wildlife Conservation Society Adirondack Program and is conducted in partnership with Biodiversity Research Institute’s Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation.

For more information, contact the LGA at (518) 668-3558 or visit the LGA website at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

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Bruce Young Reappointed as Chairman of LGPC


Huletts Landing resident, Bruce Young, was recently appointed to a third term as Chairman of the Lake George Park Commission by Governor Cuomo.

During the last day of this terms legislative session, Bruce Young, a life-long Huletts Landing resident, was confirmed by the New York State Senate to a third term as Chairman of the Lake George Park Commission (LGPC). Mr. Young was originally appointed by Governor Pataki in 1996 and reappointed to a second term in 2002. “I have served under four different Governors and am pleased to have been appointed by Governors from both parties”, said Young.

Asked to reflect on his tenure at the helm of the LGPC, Mr. Young stated, “I think that the important things to reflect on are the successes of the Commission. Our lake safety patrol has been repeatedly honored for its outstanding safety achievements, many of which have been life saving. Our stormwater regulations have been nationally recognized and are used as a model program by other states. We are also winning the battle with eurasion millfoil having eradicated over 150 of the discovered sites. My fellow commissioners and our permanent staff have worked diligently to protect the treasure that is Lake George.”

When discussing his hopes for the future, Mr. Young stated, “We’ve got to control invasive species. We have to come up with a plan that will not only combat the major threats that we face today such as asian clams and zebra mussles, but also those that are sure to come down the pike in the future. We live in the age of an extremely mobile society where you can literally be wading in an asian rice paddy one day and swimming in Lake George the next. We also need some sort of reasonable stream corrider protection plan.”

Young, who grew up in Huletts Landing, spent his summers caddying at the golf course (yes, there was a day when people used caddies) and later working at the front desk of the Huletts Hotel. “I have fond memories of carrying two bags every Saturday for Mr. Nash and Mr. Eichler and would receive the grand total of $5.00 a day, a huge sum for a teenager in 1950 when a good salary for a skilled worker was $1.00 per hour. The many guests I met working at the front desk was a valuable introduction into the world outside Huletts Landing”, said Mr. Young.

After graduating from Cornell University, Mr. Young entered the United States Air Force where he finished first in his pilot traing class. Given his first choice of assignments he quickly selected his life long ambition of fighters. He was then selected to attend the Air Force’s Advanced Interceptor Fighter School, the Air Force’s version of “top gun.” Graduating at the top of his class there, he won the Air Force’s equivalent of the “Top Gun” award made famous by the movie of the same name featuring Tom Cruise. He spent his active duty years flying the Air Force’s top fighter, the Mach 2 F-106, participating in the Cuban missile crisis and other “Cold War” missions that are still classified.

After active duty, Mr. Young was a pilot for United Airlines for 30 years, finishing his career as a Boeing 747 Captain. He is married to Susan Young, a local realtor, has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Young is also an avid collector of Huletts Landing memorabilia. He demonstrated for me the telegraph morse code transmitter from the old steamship office at the big boat dock. He also possesses an old Huletts ice saw. “My grandfather used that saw to cut ice from the lake for the hotel in the 1920s and 30s.”, said Young. He also has a framed photo of his grandparents, mother and aunts and uncles at the laying of the cornerstone of the Mountain Grove Memorial Church in July 1922. Mr. Young’s grandfather, Harland Foote, was the builder of the stone church.

“Since I retired, I’ve dedicated my life to three things”, continued Young. “First is my love for Lake George and my work with the Lake George Park Commission. Additionally I’m also involved with the Mountain Grove Memorial Church where I’ve been a Trustee and Treasurer since 1990. Last, but not least, I’ve served as the Trustee of a Cornell University scholarship fund for 35 years. Years ago I remarked to fraternity brother, Ezra Cornell IV, that sholarships should be based on scholastic performance and have been stuck with the job ever since.”

“When I look out at this beautiful body of water I realize that my job is to protect it, but while doing so, to always remember that our citizens are part of the Lake George story and that their legitimate rights need equal protection. It may be a quaint phrase, but I believe in maximum use without abuse. I believe that being appointed to three consecutive terms by different governors is evidence that the approach we’re taking is the right one”, said Young.

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Guided Hike – Cook Mt. Preserve, Ti

The Lake George Land Conservancy is sponsoring a guided hike on Saturday, July 7th from 9 am – 12:30 pm up Cook Mountain in Ticonderoga.

There’s still room for a few more hikers – call or email to sign up today! Take in some of the most awesome views of Lake George and Lake Champlain from Cook Mountain’s summit. The LGLC’s first preserve, Cook Mountain has some beautiful mixed forests and wetland areas. The climb to Cook’s summit is steep; 3 miles, round-trip, challenging hike. Registration is required but the hike is free.

To register email: shoffman@lglc.org