A low-profile water fountain was placed in lower Lake Flower in Saranac Lake several years ago to honor Bill McLaughlin, a reporter for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise for decades.

In the 1950s, following the annexation of the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage by the Village of Saranac Lake, McLaughlin wrote a number of articles about Stevenson and the Saranac connection with the purpose of attracting a new generation of American vacationers. The post-WWII economic boom made for the golden age of family vacation by car when gas was cheap. The following article by Mr. McLaughlin dates from the summer of 1955:

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Entire World Comes to Stevenson Cottage

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“A study of the figures in the registration book which lies on the desk of the famous author at the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage in Saranac Lake indicates that an increasing number of visitors to this area considers a trip to the shrine of the Scotsman an important feature of their stay here.

“A tally of the names registered since May 1 reveals a total of approximately 1,340 adults and 201 children entered the Memorial Cottage to inspect the hundreds of items, including letters, books, pictures, and other personal effects pertaining to the life of the author of ‘Treasure Island,’ ‘Kidnapped,’ ‘Master of Ballantrae,’ ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and many other famous books, not only during his stay here in 1887 and 1888, but in England and the South Sea islands as well.

“Since May, the cottage has been host to visitors from 33 states of the union and from ten foreign countries including France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Australia, Honduras, India, South America, Canada and Newfoundland.

“A geographical breakdown of the localities from which the admirers of Stevenson came reveals some interesting figures in the number of visitors from various areas of the United States and the world.

“New York led with 625 signatures, followed by New Jersey with 95. Pennsylvania registered 65. Michigan signed 43, Connecticut 38 and Massachusetts and Ohio each posted 35, with Illinois writing in 35. Maryland had a figure of 17 and Rhode Island 14.

“Other states ranged from 13 down to one, but it is interesting to note that as many people visited the shrine from the state of Washington–3,000 miles away–as came from Maine, with each registering three and that two admirers from South Dakota matched the total of visitors from Vermont, just a few miles away. More people came from Texas, which posted an eight, than visited here from New Hampshire which registered two signatures, and as many people came from California as visited the cottage from Rhode Island, both showing 13 signatures.

Other figures show Virginia, Wisconsin, Florida and Minnesota with 13 each; Washington, D.C. 10; Missouri, seven; Indiana, six; North Carolina, three and Georgia, Wyoming and Alabama two. Colorado, Tennessee and South Carolina each had one.

“Canada led the foreign countries with 170, followed by Nova Scotia with six. Scotland, Stevenson’s birthplace, registered three; England, Peru and South Australia two each. Other countries sending visitors had one.

“A further leafing back in the register shows that since 1939, visitors have come from New Mexico, Arkansas, Nevada, Nebraska, Oregon, Arizona and such far away places as Singapore, Berlin, British West Indies, Japan, Venezuela, South Africa, Philippine Islands, Shanghai, Brazil, Holland and Czechoslovakia.

“John F. Delahant, Sr., director of the memorial, pointed out that undoubtedly many people have attended who have neglected to register, and that any count, including children, could only be approximate.

“The cottage, which will undergo extensive repair before Spring, is looking forward to an increased number of visitors next year, for the shrine is becoming well-established as one of the most interesting sights in this area.”