Hamilton County
Located in the Mid-Adirondacks, Hamilton County offers its myriad forested mountains, seventy-seven major lakes, and countless streams, with beauties that only Nature can provide. Farming was the major occupation of its earliest settlers, who came to the county’s southern section just prior 1800. However, the rocky soil and short growing seasons in the county’s elevated lands pro
ved discouraging. Today, Hamilton County is the third largest and least populated county in the state and only contains 32 small farms. For about 100 years, until around 1912, lumbering was the principal industry. Due to the prevalence of Hemlock bark, the tanning of leather became a secondary industry. There were tanneries in Wells, Arietta, and Hope, employing many people, but when they went out of business or burned down, they were not replaced. Today, tourism and recreation form Hamilton County’s economic base, with its ample accommodations – including 14 public campsites. The first local government was established on April 1, 1805 when a group of settlers gathered at the house of Moses Craig to form the Town of Wells, in Montgomery County. As the population grew, other towns were formed from Wells such as Lake Pleasant and the Town of Hope. New York State created a provisional county, named for Alexander Hamilton, in the Adirondacks in 1816. Meanwhile, in the southwestern section of the new county, Andrew K. Morehouse began the settlement that later became the Town of Morehouse. A short time later, the Town of Arietta. On April 22, 1837 the State Legislature determined Hamilton should be given full status as a county. In 1839, the site of the first county buildings was decided, on a promontory 1,760 feet above sea level in the hamlet of Lake Pleasant. Another settlement was underway in the northern section of the county. A family of Abenaki Indians from St. Lawrence County, headed by “Captain” Peter Sabaitts and his son Mitchell, and the family of Joel Plumely, from Vermont, settled in what would become Long Lake, circa 1833. Others followed and the Town of Long Lake was established on May 4, 1837. Lumbermen were at work in the county’s mid-section during the 1850’s. The Abenaki Indian, Sabael Benedict, had settled with his family in what later became Indian Lake, circa 1776. A nearby stream, on whose banks his wife is buried, is named Squaw Brook. Neighboring Snowy Mountain, which is the highest in the county, was previously called “Squaw Bonnet.” Reuben Rist and his family were the first white settlers , coming from nearby North River. In 1858, the Town of Indian Lake was formed, and on February 1, 1859, the settlers met at the home of Gideon Porter and a town government was created. Indian Lake became the most populated area out of Hamilton County’s nine towns. The Town of Benson was formed in the southern part of the county, on the west bank of the Sacandaga River. The town was taken from Hope and was established in May of 1860 at the house of Apollas Hunter. In January of 1902 the Town of Inlet was taken from the Town of Morehouse on the mid-western side of the county. By this time many people had settled in the area, including several large hotels to accommodate the booming summer trade. The county buildings had become inadequate by 1928. In the following year, a new courthouse and clerk’s office was built and the enlarged Hamilton County jail was opened August 1, 1940. In December of 1989 the county expanded its departments and moved several facilities to Indian Lake. Poor roads were a problem in the early years of this sparsely populated region. Not until 1955 was a paved road built between Indian Lake and Speculator, connecting the upper and lower halves of the county. Previously, legislators from the northern section had to detour 150 miles one way to reach the county seat. This semi-isolation brought a unique culture to Hamilton County residents. They were essentially a brave, hardy people. Residents often faced living on a reduced income, working in dangerous occupations such as river driving and logging, waging an annual battle with the elements, and encountering predatory animals. Tourism has been a source of income for the county since its early years. Sportsmen first made their way into the Adirondacks, returning with ample stores of fish and game. William Murray published his Adventures in the Wilderness, which caused a new influx of people into the area. The building of the Adirondack Railroad from Saratoga to North Creek, in 1871 by Dr. Thomas Durant, opened the central part of the county to travel. His son, William West Durant, developed Racquette and Blue Mountain Lakes by constructing large summer homes. These homes, now known as the “Great Camps,” were sold to people such as Collis P. Huntington, William C. P Morgan, Lt. Gov. Timothy Woodruff, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, the Carnegies, and other prominent people. In 1882, Frederick Durant built the Prospect House at Blue Mountain Lake. This structure was completed with electric lights, telegraph, and with a capacity for 500 guests. A railroad was then built from Dr. Seward Webb’s Mohawk and Malone Railroad, on the west side of the Adirondacks, to Raquette Lake. Some wealthy families owned their own private railroad cars. Meanwhile, Long Lake began to draw its own set of distinguished visitors. Lake Pleasant became a fashionable resort area with the Hamilton Inn at its center. Headed by the world heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney, Speculator became the center for the training of prizefighters in the mid 1920’s. This drew hordes of enthusiasts. Tourism had taken over. With modern roads and rapid travel many of the larger hotels began to disappear. People now built their own summer homes, flocked to the local inns, or made use of the State’s many campsites. Summer vacationers, fall sportsmen, and winter sports enthusiasts swell Hamilton County’s population of less than 5,000, without cities, and with Speculator as its only incorporated village. The world-famous Adirondack Museum, opened in 1957 at Blue Mountain Lake, is a “must” for those seeking insight into the area’s history. Other cultural and entertainment opportunities are available in villages from time to time, and are often sponsored through by the Adirondack Center for the Arts at Blue Mountain Lake.
