The Works Progress Administration (WPA) is formed from The New Deal.  Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act creating a government pension system for the retired.  Nazi Germany adopts a new flag of Germany, or national flag bearing the swastika.  The Triborough Bridge in NYC is open to traffic.

Locally, the first of three sandy beaches opened at Lake Tiorati in 1935.  Later two other beaches at Lake Sebago and Lake Welch would be established.  (1)  The Silvermine area was developed for downhill skiing at Lake Menomine, later called Silvermine Lake.  Downhill skiing grew in popularity and a second slope was developed in the early 1940s. By this time, six fire towers had been built in the Palisades Interstate Park. (2) The Jackie Jones Fire Tower in Harriman was restored in 2018 by the NYS Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association;  https://vimeo.com/291136930.

“The Palisades Interstate Park Commission continued to acquire private property to construct the man-made lakes.  One of the most newsworthy acquisitions was the cabin of Ramsey Conklin to build Pine Meadow Lake.  Upon his death in 1952, it was thought that he was the last person to be buried on park property in his family plot.

Back at Camp Nawakwa, the Council authorized the drilling of a well.  The Chapter had to assume the entire cost.  Initially, the water was contaminated.  It was thought that seepage down the casing was the source of the trouble.  The present concrete platform around the well was laid and no further trouble developed.  No record of the cost could be found.  The depth is about 96 feet.  (3)

Despite the Great Depression being officially over, finances remained difficult and the Chapter lowered the Camp Overnight Charges to $1.00 for non-members and 50¢ for members.  Day Guests: 25¢.

 

In this period, the New York Chapter constituted about one-third the membership of the entire Club.

• A three-day weekend at Mohonk Mountain House was $3 per day for room and meals.
• The Chapter lobbied for the end of quarrying operations on the Hudson River side of Mount Taurus.
• The Annual Dinner Dance was held at the Hotel Laurelton, 149 West 55^th St.  Evening dress was optional.  Cost $1.75.
• In April 1935, The Trail Marker moved from 81/2 x 14” single sided paper to a folded green format that remained for many years.
• An appropriation of $200 was made for the construction of the canoe dock along the shore to be done by the Park Commission.  The dimensions: 40’ x 20’.
• The announcement of the 1935 Spring cleanup: “There is a lot of wood around to be cut but it has been rumored that a definitely inverse relationship had been observed between the wood cut and the wood burned by individuals.”
• The Park re-shingled all of the Camp Nawakwa buildings in 1935.” (4)

Ellen King
Archivist

 

1. Images of America – New York’s Palisades Interstate Park, Barbara H. Gottlock and Wesley Gottlock, 2007
2. Images of America – Harriman State Park, Ronnie Clark Coffey, 2010
3. A History by Ira Ayres, Adirondack Club, New York
4. 1934 – 1935 Trail Markers

A series of posts as we look forward to the 100th Anniversary of ADKNY in 2023

Greetings fellow Nawakwa Historians,

Prohibition is repealed and the 21^st Amendment officially goes into effect making alcohol legal in the United States.  15 million people are unemployed in the country.  Adolf Hitler becomes the Fuhrer of Germany.

Locally, Eleanor Roosevelt unveiled the memorial plaque in honor of Stephen T. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service at the Trailside Museum in Bear Mountain State Park.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. gifted 723 acres, valued at $18,000,000 to the PIPC to build the parkway from the George Washington Bridge to the NYS line.

President and Mrs. Roosevelt returned to Bear Mountain to inspect and dedicate the George W. Perkins Memorial Highway.” (1)

“This was a lean period for the Adirondack Mountain Club.  Overall membership dropped from a high of 910 in 1931 to a low of 570 in 1938, fewer than the number of original charter members.  The 1929 crash on Wall Street was to send the nation into the Great Depression.  World War II would follow.

With the new Chapters spread out and distanced from the Main Club, many members had a chapter outlook and drifted away from the activities and concerns of the Main Club.  There was a fear that this central focus of the Club would be lost as members put their efforts into local chapter activities.  At the same time, with Chapter activities taking place close to home, the Chapters attracted members from areas of the state far away from the Main Club.  The future growth of the Club was dependent on the creation of more Chapters.  In 1933 there were three ADK Chapters; Albany, New York and Glens Falls.

The first authoritative guide was published, “Guide to Adirondack Trails, Northeastern Section”, costing 75 cents.  Later this guide became the well-known High Peaks Region guide.  The original plan was to produce an encyclopedia of information but this was not to be, due to the financial constraints of the ADK.“ (2)

While finances were tight, the NY Chapter managed to have an active Social Committee.  “June 16, 1933: The Trail Marker included a reminder of the “DINNER AND BRIDGE PARTY” to be held at Butler Hall, Columbia University. An evening of games including bridge and jig-saw puzzles will follow the dinner in the solarium.  The dinner will be one dollar including tip.  The bridge will be fifty cents.

DINNER AND DANCING – THURSDAY, AUGUST 17^TH at the St. George Hotel Roof, 26^th floor, 61 Clark St, Brooklyn.  Cost $1.50 includes everything.

MOONLIGHT SAIL to Sandy Hook!  Stroll on the deck or dance in the ballroom.  Do come!  The S.S. Sandy Hook leaves pier 81 – west 42^nd Street at 8:15 pm.  Special rate for sail – 75 cents.

For the first time, keys were issued to all members with cars to the gate at the end of the drive.  Stern warnings were given to anyone who failed to lock the gate behind them.

The Chapter invited Nicholas Spadavecchia, a member of The Cosmic Ray Expedition to Mount McKinley, to speak at Town Hall, NYC.  Two members of that expedition died on the mountain.

55 new blankets were purchased and the wire closet in the infirmary room was built.  $250 was appropriated for the purchase.  The old blankets were donated to the Suffern Red Cross.

Times were hard and the annual locker fee was reduced to $3.” (3)

1. Palisades 100,000 Acres in 100 Years, Robert O. Binnewies
2. With Wilderness at Heart: A Short History of the Adirondack Mountain Club 75^th Anniversary 1922 – 1997, Bruce Wadsworth
3. 1932 – 1933 Trail Markers

Ellen King

Archivist

While the Empire State Building was being completed in 1931, Camp Nawakwa added the swimming float.  “The Chapter had to pay for it.  That was the reason for its omission from the original set up.  Cost:  $185.  Later that year, a spring-board (diving board) was installed.  Another vital addition was the pyrofox gas with a gas stove and gas lights in the kitchen.  Later another gas stove was added and the old oil stove discarded.”

‘Host Instructions’ were created to alleviate the problem of hosts unable to estimate correctly how much food they should purchase for their weekends, thus eliminating waste.

There were 226 members of the NY Chapter. (1)

“The Social Committee invited the noted explorer, Harold McCracken, to speak at the Annual Dinner.  Mr. McCracken had just returned from his 4^th major expedition to the Arctic.  He showed three reels of film which are reputed to be perhaps the best movies ever taken of big game of the North.

Kersen Nurian led a hike in January 1931 from Midvale to Suffern.”  For those of you wondering who the Nurian Trail is named after, it is Kersen.  “He established the trail in 1929.

A Committee was formed to explore hiring someone to work at Nawakwa on weekends to fetch wood, water, coal and kerosene, fill the lamps, start the fires and do all things necessary for the proper enjoyment of the camp by members and guests, prepare or assist in the preparation of the meals and in serving them, wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen after each meal on Saturday and Sunday.  In those days, the Sunday lunch was a hot meal.  A petition was formed and signed by 27 members supporting this initiative. The Council (former title of Board of Directors) rejected this proposal due in part that no person could be found to perform the duties.

 

 

 

At the same time, a petition was created supporting the construction of a toboggan slide and ski jump at Nawakwa.  The idea was rejected by the Council due to the cost of $900, the question of how often these facilities would be used, and who would upkeep them.  The Park came up with the funds and began construction of a toboggan slide on the hill north of Camp as they had extra unemployed staff with nothing to do.  The Chapter would only have to pay for the wood, $250, so the Council agreed.  It was brought up for vote at the Chapter’s annual meeting and was turned down.  The Chapter would have been responsible for the insurance and ongoing maintenance which may have swayed the vote.

The idea of a boat house was considered by a committee to house canoes owned by members.  Members were surveyed to see how many owned canoes and would want to store them at Nawakwa.  No mention is made as to why this was not built.

In 1932 seven fire extinguishers were purchased and installed.

The Trail Marker invited members to a meal ticket to Cut-Rate Parties offered by a Manhattan church for members who had been impacted by the Depression.  In practically every TM issue there is mention of members being late in paying their annual dues.  Members were invited to spend their summer vacations at the Camp as well as at Johns Brook Lodge at reduced rates.” (2)

“With the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to President in 1932, publicly funded work programs increased.  Two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps were established in Harriman Park each housing 185 men.  Soon there were twelve camps throughout the Palisades Interstate Park with ten thousand men.  They planted trees, built roads and buildings and developed Pine Meadow, Turkey Hill, Wanoksink, Welch, Silver Mine and Massawippa Lakes.” (3)

1. A History by Ira Ayres,  ADK
2. Trail Markers 1931 – ‘32
3. Palisades 100,000 Acres in 100 Years, Robert O. Binnewies

Ellen King

Archivist

This period was a busy one in the formation of Harriman State Park.  As the attached photo reflects, the land was bare and in need of replanting.  During this period the mountain laurel was purchased and transplanted in the Park.  112 Group Camps were in operation. Franklin Roosevelt, Governor of NYS, toured the Palisades parks of which he was very familiar.  He said the parks would “relieve us of the dangers of overcrowding in the cities and the strain on our nervous systems.” (1)

 

On October 24, 1929, “Black Thursday”, the stock market fell by five hundred points.  The onset of the Great Depression was at hand and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission would be severely impacted. The residents of Sandyfields, a mountain hamlet in a remote section of Harriman Park opposed construction of a dam as it would flood their properties.  Most residents agreed to sell their lands but some held out as properties had been in their families since the 1700s.  Other settlements including Baileytown, Johnsontown, Pine Meadows, Queensboro, Doodletown and others succumbed to the PIPC.  (1)

The Depression caused the dayliners on the Hudson River to stop operation.  Wages were cut across the board for Park employees.  Raymond Torrey’s salary was cut in half from $3,000 to $1,500 per year.  (1)

During this time, single women could not camp in the park.  Married women could camp as long as they were accompanied by their husbands.  (1)

The Park received needed assistance through Governor Roosevelt’s newly created Work Relief Program.  Within weeks, 2,500 men were employed in the park system.  They were paid $4.00 per day minus 50 cents for transportation.  They took the train arriving at Bear Mountain. (1)

Back at Camp Nawakwa, in 1929 “a new sleeping cabin was erected (cabin 2) and the washrooms in the Main Cabin were added.  The trap door and steep stairs leading to the basement were eliminated and a real staircase was constructed from what was previously the front sleeping room.  The pack room was created with shelves and hooks for packs, camping and sports equipment, coats and hats, etc.  The kitchen was enlarged.  The purpose of the new sleeping cabin was to accommodate the girls’ bunks removed from the main lodge.”  (2)  The new Women’s Cabin was completely weather proofed.  (3) The partition in cabin 1 were removed.  Originally the cabin was partitioned into four sections, one of which had a stove.  The intention was to provide a small place for a small group coming up during the winter without opening the main building.  The idea never worked out.  (4)

The January 1930 Trail Marker – “The Editor takes the liberty of again suggesting that we would all do well to get out on the trail much more frequently than we do.  Perhaps we are getting too “camp minded”.

WHO SHOULD DO THE DISH WASHING

The question has arisen again as to the desirability of having paid help about camp on the week-ends.  This question has been much discussed and very definite views both “Pro” and “Con” have been brought up.  After considerable discussion, the Camp Committee was asked to investigate as to the practicality of securing such “help”.

Footnotes:

1. Palisades 1000 Acres in 100 Years, Robert O. Binnewies (including attached photo)
2. The Trail Marker – April 1929
3. The Trail Marker – December 1929
4. The Trail Marker – January 1930
5. A History by Ira Ayres

 

Ellen King

Archivist

In this edition we’ll cover events taking place at Camp Nawakwa and the Palisades Interstate Park during 1927 and 1928.

The May 1927 Trail Marker includes: “CAMP NOTES: Since there are a good many members of the club that attend camp who have not learned to like snakes, the Camp Committee has made the following ruling:

No snakes of any kind may be brought on the camp property by any member or guest of a member.  Members will be held responsible for guests bringing snakes into camp.”

From the November 1927 Trail Marker: “WANTED: A VICTROLA    The camp victrola has at last refused to carry on.  On the cold winter evenings to come, a little music would be most acceptable.  Any member donating or obtaining the donation of a victrola would find their act appreciated.”

As for the big change in Harriman State Park camps that year, “some camps introduced archery.”

The July 1928 Trail Marker: “A WORD TO THE WISE – Bathing Suits Should Not Be Worn In Main Room of Camp, Lodge Or On the Porch.  Serious and justified complaint has recently been made by a number of members who object, and rightly, to the wearing of bathing suits around the main lodge and on its porch.  One person recently had the bad taste to appear at the luncheon in a bathing suit.”

Ever wonder when the tradition of introducing Applicants during the Saturday evening meal was first introduced?  The November 1928 Trail Marker: “CAMP HOSTS TO INTRODUCE APPLICANTS EACH WEEKEND – In accordance with a suggestion made at the last meeting of the Council, the Camp Committee will ask all hosts at Camp Nawakwa in the future to introduce to the members present all applicants in camp.  This is to be done during the Saturday evening meal by calling upon the applicants to stand and be recognized.  The aim of this proposal is to make applicants known to members and to officially welcome the applicants to the camp.”

The Schedule of Summer Outings 1928 – “NAWAKWA SEASON BOOMING – A number of improvements have been made and others are planned by the Camp Committee.  The boats have had the club emblem painted on each bow, copper screens have been put on the windows of the main cabin and are to be put on the two winter cabins to make them mosquito proof.  A diving board will be put into place on the dock and the canoe dock is to be rebuilt.”

This same year, “The dam and core wall of Lake Sebago was completed, impounding a lake of 500 acres with seven miles of shore line; 42,000 cubic yards of each and rock place at core wall, 1,000 feet of core wall fill riprapped and planted; steel and concrete bridge, 190 feet long, erected over spillway.  The foreman’s cabin and one ice house with 200-ton capacity was completed. (1)

In 1927 the Trailside Museum was officially established at Bear Mountain State Park. (3)

Further south in the Palisades Interstate Park, John D. Rockefeller Jr. proposed to extend the park to where would later be the George Washington Bridge.  “Between 1928 and 1931 he orchestrated a massive land-buying program.  The Commission could not consider expanding parkland in New Jersey.  It was just too expensive for them.  But, it was not too expensive for JDR Jr., and he spent $21,158,475 dollars accomplishing the task.  He kept his land buying a secret from the Commission and the press.  If buyers found out that a rich philanthropist wanted their land, prices would skyrocket.  The New York Sun reported that a ten-mile strip of land in the Palisades was purchased, and though they suspected conservation as the motive, the purchaser was unknown.  In July 1933, JDR Jr. announced his intention to donate the 652 acres of land to the Commission.” (2)

Footnotes:

1. Twenty-Seventh Annual Report of the Commissioners of the Palisades Interstate Park, January 31, 1927
2. Nature’s Parkway: Landscape and Philanthropy at the Palisades Interstate Park, 1900 – 1930
3. Trailsidezoo.org

Ellen King

Archivist