Goodsell Museum | ||
TOWN OF WEBB HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | ||
P. O. Box 513, Old Forge,
NY 13420 Phone/Fax: 315 369-3838 |
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Museum Hours: Tuesday through Saturday - 10am - 3pm ~ or by appointment |
100,000 Acres of Paradise The Early History of the Adirondack League Club |
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November 2014 thru October 2015 | ||
The
Industrial Revolution brought a surge in personal wealth to many by mid-1800. Fortunes were made from mining, manufacturing
and railroads. The rich had ample
leisure time and sought enjoyment in the outdoors. Vacation spots, which would offer peace and
tranquility, were in great demand. Families
like Vanderbilt, Huntington and Webb purchased vast tracts of land in the Gen. Sherman at a temporary camp
In 1885, Dut
Barber’s father secured a 20 year lease on 19,000 acres of the Anson Blake
Tract ( Ole Snyder, who often vacationed at Forest Lodge,
introduced Robert C.
Alexander, Mills Barse, Henry Squire and Mark M. Pomeroy to the area
in the late 1880’s Concerned with the destruction of the
forests and the yearly decrease of lake water, due to the construction of the
Erie Canal, they felt the 100,000 acre Anson Blake Tract would be a fine
hunting and fishing preserve. Fishing on Jones (Honnedaga) Lake After
locating the heirs, a purchase price of $475,000 was reached (which included
Forest Lodge). Between 1890 and 1894 the ALC purchased 20,000 additional acres and leased 71,000 acres. In 1893, the Bisby Club and the ALC merged. The Adirondack
League Club’s main objectives were and still are to:
A healthy forest would produce healthy animals and help sustain the animal population. Game restrictions and hunting rules were major elements in the ALC by-laws.
By 1892, the
ALC had issued a ban against deer jacking (hunting deer in the dark using
lights) and, later, hounding. Many years
before the State banned these forms of hunting. Deer hounding The ALC put
restrictions on the number of game and fish that could be taken. Many streams were and are designated for fly
fishing only. Safeguarding
the fish population was needed.
Hatcheries were built to strengthen and help manage the fish population
and maintain the pristine waters. Combs Fish Hatchery - 1895 Forest Lodge
on Forest Lodge - 1890 Built
in 1879, Bisby Lodge was eventually torn
down and a larger building constructed in 1901.
After a major fire, it was rebuilt in 1941. Bisby Lodge & gardens in 1910 Mountain
Lodge was built on Little Moose Lake in 1892. It was rebuilt in 1914 after a
fire. The lodge is now known as Little
Moose Summer House. Little Moose Lodge and Boat House Today,
the Adirondack League Club encompasses over 50,000 acres, making it the
largest, privately held preserve in the |
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the Town of Webb Historical Association, P. O. Box 513, Old Forge, NY 13420
Please contact the Historical Association’s Director at 315-369-3838 or by Email to share additional information that can be added to our files.
Last Updated:February 12, 2015