History is not only inaccurate; the deeper one digs, the more confusing it becomes. So we try to stick to simple local subjects such as the old dump; where the giant incinerator with a giant smokestack burned 24/7 for years and years.

The smoke from the stack drifted directly over the Will Rogers Tuberculosis Hospital until the incinerator was closed in the 1960’s during my reign as Mayor of Saranac Lake.

There was a brick building attached to the incinerator with drive-in openings at each end close to the burning, deep, steel covered pits. Everything went into the fire: plastic [though not so much of it then]; tin cans, garbage and dead animals including any thrash that was picked up house to house throughout the entire village by the village “waste management” operation … All part of the service funded by village taxes.

The operation then went to landfill…a word that describes how that worked. But the village did not own enough land near the incinerator on the MacKenzie Pond Road to expand the dump so the village traded 30 acres of forest land away back on the other side of the road for two acres of state land adjacent to the dump.

The fire department was called constantly to put out fires at the dump started by who knows; probably by some of the guys doing target practice who spent a lot of time there shooting rats…which helped control the rat population.

Bad fire at the dump

8-2-42, 10 p.m. – Called Leo Maple [his daughter is Mrs. Wallace (Donna) Gay who lives at the DeChantel Apartments] at the fire department to go over to the incinerator immediately.

10:50 p.m. — Leo Maple reports that the fire at the incinerator is very bad. Requested me to bring Truman Wells and Walter Mousseau to the dump did so.

11:45 p.m. — Called to fire house. Wanted police to get Glen Ryan to gas up the fire truck. [??] Fire very bad at the incinerator.

[This was all reported by Officer Bill Wallace]

8-3-42, 6:35 p.m. — Call for a police officer immediately to Mark’s Grill [then at 24 Broadway]. Investigated by Wallace who found one Rocky Stoner swearing and cursing on the sidewalk and tried to back into the Grill. He was bleeding profusely from the mouth. Put him into the police car and as we were going up Berkeley Hill Stoner turned on the Officer almost causing the police car to crash into a car parked at the curb. After being subdued he was taken to the station and locked up for disorderly conduct.

Dr. Gedroiz was called and examined Rocky Stoner. Determined case was a cut lip and intoxication. — Wallace

[In the meantime at 8:20 and 8:45 there were two other calls … there was a dog howling at the cemetery and some boys had stole a fishing rod and thrown it into Lake Colby. Then Rocky Stoner was at it again.]

!0:15 p.m. – Request from prisoner, Rocky Stoner, for a doctor, said he would pay for it. Called all over town and finally found Dr. LeRoy Wardner. He came down to the station but Stoner became abusive and said he would not pay for any G-damn doctor, as he was in jail and did not have to. As he was examined by Dr. Gedroiz earlier and would not pay Dr. Wardner, Dr. Wardner left and he was not in any pain. I did not see what else I could do. — Wallace

8-5-42, 7 p.m. — State Police report: Anna Perry, age 13, a resident of Cook’s Corners, [that hamlet is now Lake Colby] has run away from home again. May go to Saranac Lake to visit Ernest Sawyer at 136 Main Street. — Chief

8-9-42, 8:15 p.m. — Call for police at 32 Riverside Drive. A fight! Investigated by Wallace and Hornby. Found one Mrs. Charles Roberson and her nurse, who had worked for her for two years and her son, a 15-year-old, had gotten into a drunken brawl. Sent Mrs. Patty Belle, the nurse, away. – Wallace

8-12-42, 10 p.m. — Call from Bill Ryan – Buck Brason in Ferber’s Old Store drunk and molesting people – Locked him up. Higgins

8-16-42, 1:30 p.m. – Mrs. Julia Havens of Keene, N.Y., reports that on Aug. 5, she had a dress stolen in Leonard’s Department Store [83 Main] for which she had just paid $6.95. A black, crepe with short sleeves. Rather plain with some nickel or brass colored buttons on the front. [Wow…that’s plain?] Says she bought the dress from a clerk on the second floor. The clerk took her name so that she might send her a circular or something. – Jones