1945-1965
Text excerpted from: Aber, Ted, and King, Stella, The History of Hamilton County. Lake Pleasant, NY: Great Wilderness Books, 1965 and Aber, Ted, Adirondack Folks. Prospect, NY: Prospect Books, 1980
Traffic problems concerned the town leaders at their meeting of June 1, 1948. A stoplight had been suggested for the middle of town, but it was pointed out that this was a question of the amount of traffic.
The Central Adirondack Association sent a strong plea on March 13, 1952 to the State Public Works Commission. Improvement of Route 28 from Eagle Bay to North River as the only artery through the Central Adirondacks was requested. "Since the highway serves a resort area, it is heavily traveled and its condition is of vital importance to residents, it was pointed out."
"Some repairs have been made each year, making the road passable, but only passable" the communication pointed out. "It is a narrow, bumpy, slippery, and dangerous road in its entirety."
"The Association also requests State Highways crews to renew their efforts to eliminate ragweed along the highway. The area fell down considerably in its standing as a ragweed-free area and a concerted campaign will be conducted this summer to eradicate the weed and regain out standing as a hayfever relief area."
In 1958, the county board of Supervisors complained about the 22-mile section between North River and Blue Mountain Lake. "Heavily traveled by tourists, this highway is in extremely poor condition and dangerous for users, and should be completely replaced" the communication to the New York State Department of Public Works stated.
Finally, beginning in 1962, the major project of a brand new highway was undertaken from North River through Indian Lake Village. The age-old maples that for years lined the eastern section of the main street fell in the summer of 1962 before this march of progress.
The modern community of Indian Lake bears marked physical relationship in 1965 to its past. The majority of its present-day business establishments at town center, harking back to the days of undependable street drainage, are raised well above street level. Its permanent population has remained relatively static over the past thirty years.
There are two hotels within the village. The remodeled Farrell Hotel with bar and hall is in 1965 under the proprietorship of Frank and Marie Sevarie Farrell. An attractive feature is the bar itself, removed intact from the old Nassau Inn at Princeton, N.J, complete with the inscribed pewter mugs of many former undergraduates of the Ivy League college. A second conversation piece is the slab of tree that, when cut by local lumberman, was found to contain a horseshoe and silk stocking embedded in its center.
In 1965 the second hotel is operated by Mrs. Martin Harr.
Ste. Marie’s store remains in the same location it has occupied for almost ninety years. The Grand Union now occupies the store formerly run by H.A. Palmatier. Its manager is Kenneth Fish. Eastward down the main street, Mrs. Ruth Hunt Spring manages the modern grocery left by her husband, Gilbert Spring, at his death in August 1962.
In 1965 the hardware store is now under the proprietorship of Richard Seacord. On the southeast corner where the original Commercial Hotel once stood is the news store and gift shop.
The motion picture theatre, where nightly movies are shown in summer and weekend movies throughout the remainder of the year, is operated by Phil Baroudi of North Creek. Nearby is the lunchroom of Joseph Sullivan. The Montgomery & Armstrong Garage remains a landmark next to the Farrell Hotel. Harold Baldwin’s Service Station is next door. Other business interests extend outward from the town center and along the lake road.
New names have come to mingle with the old, yet the names of the preponderance of the original settlers remain.
Source: Aber, Ted, and King, Stella, The History of Hamilton County. Lake Pleasant, NY: Great Wilderness Books, 1965 and Aber, Ted, Adirondack Folks. Prospect, NY: Prospect Books, 1980
Photographs courtesy The Indian Lake Town Museum, Indian Lake, NY 12842
Web design by: Benjamin D. Hutchins
2002 The Indian Lake Central School District