Historic Walking Tours are offered by the Town of Webb Historical Association Friday Mornings in the Old Forge Area - 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM during July and August. Be sure to bring appropriate rain gear in case of a bit of Adirondack Sunshine!
Tour
#1: "Historic Thendara"
ONE DOLLAR PER
ACRE!
Privately
owned since the late 1790's, the Fulton Chain region was among the first
settlements in the Adirondacks. This tour begins with the story of "Brown's
Tract," named after John Brown of Providence, Rhode Island, and his
family's efforts to settle the region. Indeed - in 1830, ONE DOLLAR would buy
you an acre of land in the fledgling wilderness community where 5,000 acres had
been cleared for farmlands. The tour group, led by Town Historian Peg Masters,
will meet at the historic Moose River House B&B which was built in the late
19th century by the DeCamp family, principal owners of lands at Fulton Chain who
also renamed the hamlet Thendara in 1920. We will view many century-old
structures including the Deis Mill, Van Auken's Tavern, the community's first
Town Hall Building, the bustling Thendara Train Station, and YES - the WHITE
HOUSE! Which US President stepped on the penny-scale at the station to
check his weight? Who was the Nation's #1 early 20th Century murderer arraigned
at Fulton Chain by Judge Charles Van Auken? Where did the local lumberjacks get
their booze during Prohibition? Where & What was the "Goose
Patch?" Mark your calendars and plan to join us this summer for answers to
these questions and much, much more! Reservations are not required, the 1 1/2
Hour Tours are FREE, kids & stroller friendly, and leave from the Moose
River House B&B promptly at 9:30 AM on Friday mornings, July 11th, 18th,
25th, and August 1st.
Tour
#2: "Mail-Order Houses in the Hamlet of Old Forge"
BUILT IN A DAY!
(so...they advertised!)
This unique 1 1/2 Hour Tour will begin at the Goodsell Museum on Main St. in Old Forge. We'll take a few moments at the museum for a "primer" on researching any historic home using tax records, abstracts & deeds, maps, vintage photographs, & other archival materials, before walking along the back streets of the neighborhood. Here we'll see a cluster of mail-order homes built in the 1920s & 1930s by the second generation of Old Forge's pioneer settlers. In conjunction with the Historical's railroad exhibit, we'll learn about the cost of the kit homes that were shipped nationwide in box cars by The Aladdin Company of Bay City, Michigan and the Sears Roebuck Modern Homes Division as well as the stories of the families who purchased & built them. Craftsman-style houses are uniquely American and a revival in the popularity of the vintage homes designed by these companies has surged in recent years. The Tours are led by Town Historian Peg Masters, FREE & depart on Friday mornings at 9:30 AM August 8th, 15th, 22nd. Plan to tour the Goodsell Museum too after the tour to learn more about our great local history!

Sears
Modern Home "Chelsea" - A classic 4 - Square Design built in the early
1920s on Garmon Ave.
We
hope to see
you on the 2008 tours!
Donations are always appreciated and will help
Support the Town of Webb Historical Assoc.
Town of Webb Historical Association
P. O. Box 513, Old Forge, NY 13420
Phone: 315 369-3838
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Last Updated: April 28, 2008