Railroads brought tourism to Cranberry Lake from cities downstate, because the stories they'd heard about hunting and fishing and the natural beauty of the area drew them out to the country for summer vacations, or fall deer hunting, or spring fishing.
Railroads were built into some remote areas for reasons like mining, logging, or milling, and that meant word finally got out about the incredible mountain country beauty that great painters used to make famous, health nuts used to exploit with tales of miracle spring cures, etc.
Tthe tourism craze peaked almost instantly. Hotels were built in the 1880s and 1890s, and then more in the early 1900s. Mines began operating, and then the mills needed to make flour, carpentry and wood lumber factories to build the small towns, and summer business flourished from tourists and longtime visitors.
Dale commented about a cool book about two small towns, Clifton and Fine, "Two Towns - Two Centuries 1776-1976" https://www.amazon.com/Two-Towns-Centuries-1776-1976/dp/B002ENPGDC
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/32913/20161116/north-country-at-work-how-railroads-brought-tourism-to-cranberry-lake
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/32911/20161115/north-country-at-work-moving-the-town-of-benson-mines
Via the very informative http://www.adirondackbasecamp.com/adirondack-snow-conditions-resources
I lived in cranberry lake for 21 years, there is a book called two towns, two centuries (towns of clifton and fine) that focuses on the industries that relied on the trains. mining, lumber and tourism.there were many massive hotels serving the tourist from nyc and everywhere else. great pictures!
ReplyDeletecool, thanks!
Deletehttps://www.amazon.com/Two-Towns-Centuries-1776-1976/dp/B002ENPGDC
DeleteWhat is the purpose of the chain-driven mechanism that can be seen in the second-last photo?
ReplyDeleteLooks like that might be a crane rail car... but I don't know. Just guessing from the gears and machinery inside, that seem to be going out the roof
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