2008 Historic
Summer Walking Tours

Two BRAND NEW Historic Walking Tours for the Summer of 2008

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.

Group Tours & Walking Tours are also available by contacting the Historical Association at 315.369.3838 or email the Director Gail Murray at director@webbhistory.org. 

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