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McIntyre Mines and village of Tahawus

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  • McIntyre Mines and village of Tahawus



    Borrowing Hear the Footsteps idea of linking to an Adirondack Experience photo/Diorama I thought I would do the same. Above is a link to a fascinating set of photos of the diorama at the museum in Blue Mountain Lake. It shows what they believe the village of McIntyre looked like in 1847. Click on the individual photos in the Diorama and they enlarge. The blast furnace (tallest building) was built in 1844 and remains of it can be found today at the Upper Works parking lot just 15 feet off the lower lot (to the east and in the woods). A little closer to the river one can find the remains of the blow tubes and wheel (these are shown in the building to the right). Remains of the puddling furnace exist as do the charcoal storage sheds just behind the blast furnace. These 3 sheds were just off the upper parking lot and west of it a few feet (also in the woods). They exist today as mounds. The cleared hill behind shows the charcoal kilns and if one looks around the area carefully one can find where the ore was mined (blasted). The other photos I posted below show the progression of the village. The sketch was made in the late 1850s and at this point the village was deserted. It shows the charcoal sheds in the far back left, the 1844 blast furnace as the tallest rear building (left/center) and the school in the foreground center (identified by the cupola) as well as the boarding house with all the windows. Across from the boarding house was the house that still stands today and is the building where soon to be President Roosevelt stayed in 1900. It can be identified by the small structure attached to it which served as the bank for the mining village. The postcard is from the late 1880s and it shows the boarding house, Roosevelt cottage (with a pine tree partially hiding it), the charcoal shed remains in the background upper left and the school now down near the river next to an old sawmill. The school was moved to serve as a fish hatchery for the newly formed Preston Ponds sportsman club (formed in 1877). The next photo is from the 1890s and it is similar to the postcard except it shows the first cottage built by a club member (Preston Ponds/Tahawus Club). This cottage is the large building in the rear left of the photo and existed until just a few years ago. It was just before and left of the current parking lots. The final photo simply shows the club in the 1920s or 1930s. This photo was taken from the porch of the Roosevelt cottage and shows several of the newer cottages built for and by the club members. These cottages existed until just a few years ago..
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    Last edited by Festus; 12-22-2018, 04:43 PM.

  • #2
    As a former resident from 1950 up until the big move in 63 I will say this area is filled with history. Everything from the mining to a president being sworn in to office. Tahawus leaves fond memories for everyone that grey up there. The town had a YMCA, Bowling alley Pool hall one store, 2 churches boarding house and no bars. I have lots of photos on my facebook page of the men, the mines and the big move.


    https://www.facebook.com/dave.mcmahon.56/media_set?set=a.1149680988859&type=3"

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    • #3
      Pick up a copy of "Tahawus Memories, the Story of a Unique Adirondack Hometown", by Leonard Gereau. It's mostly about growing up in Tahawus and working for NL, but there is some of the old village of Adirondac. The book mentions the Foote house on the east side of Sanford Lake, but I have no clue as to where it was exactly and wonder if it still exists.

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      • #4
        The foot cottage was located about half way down the air strip. Not sure if it is still there. I have the book and enjoyed it very much however there a lot of things that i9f you didn't actually live there would sound a little boring but it brought back many memories. It5 was indeed a very satisfying place to grow up.https://www.facebook.com/dave.mcmaho...988859&type=3"

        The above link has many photos of the old village as well as some of the great people who lived there.

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        • #5
          Thanks, I'll look for the Foote cottage someday if it's not on private property.

          I've taken a lot of friends up there and when walking thru the ghost town, I always remark that it was the kind of place where your mother told you it was ok to play in the road!

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          • #6
            Originally posted by dundee View Post
            Thanks, I'll look for the Foote cottage someday if it's not on private property.

            I've taken a lot of friends up there and when walking thru the ghost town, I always remark that it was the kind of place where your mother told you it was ok to play in the road!
            It was an incredible town. Everybody knew everybody and watched out for each other. So differant then today. Anyone you talk to who lived there would tell you that it was the greatest town in the world to live. Many videos on you tube about Tahawus but what people dont realize it that Tahawus actually was comprised of 2 separate areas. The upper works where the mines first started (where the blast furnace is) and the later mines. Both areas were amazing and full of history. Teddy Roosevelt was actually vacationing there when McKinley was killed.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by adkman12986 View Post
              It was an incredible town. Everybody knew everybody and watched out for each other. So differant then today. Anyone you talk to who lived there would tell you that it was the greatest town in the world to live. Many videos on you tube about Tahawus but what people dont realize it that Tahawus actually was comprised of 2 separate areas. The upper works where the mines first started (where the blast furnace is) and the later mines. Both areas were amazing and full of history. Teddy Roosevelt was actually vacationing there when McKinley was killed.
              Thanks. I know most of the history of the area, but was happy to learn more at one of the TR Days several years ago. It was fun to listen to a couple of former citizens of Adirondac when NL had mine workers stay in the houses. At the time, these were kids who's dads worked for NL. One of the speakers lived in the last house one the left just before the parking lot. The house is half-standing today.

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              • #8
                Interesting pictures.

                The trees have grown in a lot. I bet(wish) you couldn't(could) retake the pictures at an elevation for a direct comparison to now.

                The peak with the "little beckhorn" caught my eye. I think it may be the peak about level in latitude with the Indian Pass Brook inlet to Lake Henderson on the McIntyre Range.

                There was/is a sizable scale model of the Iron Works in the State Museum in Albany.

                Don

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Hear the Footsteps View Post
                  Interesting pictures.
                  The peak with the "little beckhorn" caught my eye. I think it may be the peak about level in latitude with the Indian Pass Brook inlet to Lake Henderson on the McIntyre Range.


                  Don
                  I'm guessing that's Calamity Mt? I don't have a photo handy, but I think you see that same "beckhorn" from Avalanche Lake
                  Last edited by dundee; 12-28-2018, 02:30 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by dundee View Post
                    I'm guessing that's Calamity Mt? I don't have a photo handy, but I think you see that same "beckhorn" from Avalanche Lake
                    Oh, OK thanks. Guess I got my compass bearings wrong.

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