There was a nice tribute to John J. Duquette, who authored a commemorative booklet on behalf of the Centennial Committee. John was a detailed, accurate historian of this area.

I was honored to have served on that committee through the good graces of my friend David S. MacDowell, who was community development director at the time and the ramrod behind those celebrations.

William Madden III was mayor. His board of village trustees included Bob Rice, Ray Scollin, Reggie Perras and Dennis Dwyer. Dick DePuy was village manager.

Time takes on a different significance as time marches on, at least for me. The incorporated village had only existed for 38 years when I was born in 1930, and then 34 years later I was mayor of that incorporated village.

Horse drawn fire wagons at old iron bridge on Broadway.

–

Excerpts from the centennial booklet

–

[The lead story in the booklet]

“To Jacob Smith Moody belongs the honor of becoming the first settler. He came from Keene, N.Y. in 1819 and built a log cabin in the Highland Park (later Park Avenue) area with his wife and four children. Five more children were born in Saranac Lake. In this latter group was a son, Cortez, who became the first child to be born in the area. Jacob did not own the property at Highland Park but later acquired 160 acres in the extreme northwest corner of the Town of North Elba. This grant included ‘the Pines’ [the area just opposite the Pine Ridge Cemetery] and the general region including Moody Pond.

“At the time of his arrival Jacob found a complete wilderness which still contained the moose, wolf and panther in a forest where his sons would roam in pursuit of game. It was inevitable that the boys would become expert woodsmen and eventually very popular guides.

“Martin Moody, better known as ‘Uncle Martm’ became perhaps the most publicized guide in local history. Later ‘Mart’ relocated to Tupper Lake and built the first hotel on Big Tupper Lake 1868 and a better one in 1888. He guided Presidents Arthur and Cleveland and by special invitation from President Cleveland did actually visit the President at the White House.”

For those interested in Saranac Lake history, try to find a copy of the Centennial booklet. The stories and photos are incredible, and reading it again and again, I am more impressed with Mr. Duquette’s writings.

–

History from Enterprise files

–

As the large families of Moody are spread out across the area, the Miller families were to be the next family of early settlers.

Katherine Finnegan arrived in Saranac Lake in 1868 from Willsboro, the daughter of Michael and Mary Anne Finnegan. On June 28 of that year she was married to Milo B. Miller.

Milo Miller was a descendant of Capt. Pliny Miller, born at Sand Lake but later moved to Wilmington, from where he went to serve in the War of 1812. Pliny was the first supervisor of Harrietstown when it was formed in 1841.

The women, especially in history, always seem to be left out — but not so for Mrs. Miller, who died in 1901 at age 60.

From her long obituary:

“The grim monster of death has again entered our midst, this time taking Katherine Finnegan Miller, wife of Milo B. Miller, to her last rest on Saturday, December 21, at 7 a.m.

“She was loved by all who knew her. She was one of the best friends to the poor who will miss her kind acts and remembrances and pleasant words. She was of a lovable disposition and made friends of all with whom she came in contact.

“She leaves a husband, a daughter and eight brothers; James, George, Henry, William, Thomas, John, Charles and Richard; two sisters, Mary Wallace and Mrs. P. H. Carey.

“In respect, during her services, all stores and businesses were closed for two hours.”

–

Founder of Democratic Party

–

“John Herbert Miller founded the Democratic Party in Harrietstown. Mr. Miller was the son of another famous early settler, Van Buren Miller [Van Buren Street next to Kinney drugs]. He was born in Wilmington in 1858 but came to Saranac Lake as an infant when his family settled here.”

Condensed items from his obituary:

He graduated from Beman Academy in New Haven, Vermont, where he prepared for college and graduated second in his class. In the summer he was the clerk for V.C. Bartlett at Bartlett’s Hotel, and in the winter he was the “Principal of the Saranac Lake Graded Schools.”

He established a thriving mercantile business, and in 1882 he was elected town clerk and in 1889 elected supervisor. [Eat your heart out, Mike Kilroy. He was only 31, and you had to wait until you retired.]

He was nominated for county clerk in 1890 and then nominated for the state Assembly in 1894 — “though of course, he was defeated in the election in a county so strongly Republican.”

Also, he was a delegate to the state Democratic convention in Buffalo and was one of the founders of the Adirondack Guides Association [he probably knew Joe Hackett]. He became a surveyor and was “one of the most valuable men on the Hon. Verplanck Colvin’s surveying party locating the boundaries of the state’s Adirondack holdings.”

It is difficult to believe that this talented young man died at age 38 on April 10, 1896.

He married Margaret E. Barry in October, 1884, and was survived by his widow and three children: Julian Harold, aged 10; Helen Marguerite, aged 7, and Herbert Dwight, only 7 months old.

The obituary read:

“He overtaxed his strength by hard work and over study which brought on brain fever from which he never recovered. A serious kidney trouble brought on disease of the heart and rheumatism from which he died.”

There must be descendants of that family somewhere — wouldn’t that be nice to discover some of his great-great-grandchildren.