The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-03-22
A DESERTED VILLAGE.
What Once Promised to be Thriving
{. Town Has Fallen to Decay.

Ierness, near Lake Tears of the Clouds,
where the Hudson has it's birth, and
close to the reedy shores of Lake Hen
derson and Sanford, is all that now
remains of the once thriving village
Of Adirondack.
Mountains and forests surround 1t.
Rivers, lakes and streams TEEN with
dsh and the woods with game. To the
east Mount Marcy. To the north, Wall
face, Summit Rock and Indian Pass;
west, Lake Henderson, Henderson
Mountain, Panther Mountain, Mount
Andrew, and south, Mount Adam and
Lake Sanford.
In the early part Of the present CEN
fury big dam crossed the Hudson,
or North River, at Tawahas, and the
valley was flooded au far back as the
outlet of Lake Sanford. Barges were
aoated from the Lower Works." as
Lake Sanford, and over it's waters to
Mere Adirondack, a prosperous town,
den stood
Lake Sanford is four miles long,
md not far from its head was situated
that was then known as "the new
'orge." On the lake shore, and extend
ing partly up the course of small
stream, where once strongly built
Tharves and docks for loading barges.
In those days great FORCES sent coll
INNS Of black smoke into the recesses
II the mountains. The roar and rumb-
ling frightened away the game for
miles around. One great forge yet re-
mains. 1t is forty feet square and is
aalf hidden by vines and creepers. Be-
lore the Adirondack Club purchased it,
the place was the lair of the panther,
and in winter the haunt of the bear.
In the years of 1876 Messrs. Hender-
son, Martin and Mcintyre, owners Of
the North Elba Iron Works, were
shown pieces of rich iron ore by
wandering Indian, who told them that
he knew where great quantities of rich
ore could be found So they hired the
red man for fifty cents day and his
food and tobacco. Henderson said
afterward that it cost small fortune
to keep the son of the forest in to-
bacco. He smoked from morning to
night; went to sleep with pipe in his
mouth and relighted it at earliest
dawn.
The Indian led the way, and the pro-
spectors eventually began the erection
of works. A road was built eastward
to Lake Champlain. They built a
church, school house and cottages for
workmen. The ore was rich, but thu
expense of getting it to market swal-
lowed the profits faster thaq they came
In. There was some discussion about
abandoning the works.
On September 8, 1885, Mr. Hender-
son, the senior member of the firm,
with well known guide, started on
Journey. Henderson was afraid of
firearms, so the only pistol in the party
was wrapped carefully in several COW
erings of buckskin and put away in the
guides pack.
That night they halted on the shore
of small pond. The guide laid the
pack on the ground, but Mr.. Hender-
son thought the spot damp upon which
it lay, so he walked over, took the
pack from the earth and dropped it
on a rock. An explosion followed.
I'm shot!" cried Henderson, and
fell to the ground.
The pistol, so securely hidden, had
exploded, and killed the only man who
could have made a success Of the
works.
A monument was built near the little
body of water, and it ever afterward
bore the name of Calamity Pond.
Soon after the death of Mr.. Henderson
the motive power was taken away.
Three years afterward, in 1913, the
works were abandoned.
For a time the works, cottages,
school house and church were in
charge of an old Scotchman and his
wife. After time they, too, moved
away, and Adirondack was left alone
in the wilderness, prey to the ele-
ments and the ravages of time.
The village consisted of several short
streets, or lanes. The main street was
lined with cottages. The school house
and church stood on one side In
tree, at the centre of the village, hung
q bell to SUNNI IN the laborers to work,
the children 20 school and on Sunday
the men and their families to church.
When discovered, or rather redis-
covered, the place had fallen into de-
cay. The cottages lacked doors and
windows. Wide rents in the walls
showed the effect of neglect The mills
were in ruins, wheels broken and over
grown with moss and lichens, and
shattered as if by lightning. The bell
yet hung in the tree, and sounded as
loud as in the days of it's usefulness
years ago.
On a summer day the deserted Will
age was as desOlate a looking place as
could be found in the wilderness.
Near the centre oc the place was a dis
mantled building, once used as a hotel,
and which, it is said, could accommo-
date a hundred guests. Since the
property came into the possession of
the Adirondack Club the school house
has been moved across Tho street and
turned into nsh hatchery, and the
place where young ideas We're once
taught to shoot IS now occupied by
youngsters OF a different species.
Adirondack creepers and vines are
fast covering the piles of rubbish, and
Adirondack is now numbered among
the forgotten places of the world. 1t
will not be long before all that remains
Of the deserted village will disappear
before the march of time, or else the
hands of modern iconoclasts, who can
see no beauty in anything but modern
art as exempiified in well kept walks
ind buildings in perfect repair.