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Introduction
This site discusses the history of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad's branch lines to Baldwin Dock and into the town of Ticonderoga, New York.  These branch lines, named the Baldwin Branch and Ticonderoga branch, served the steamboat and paper mill industries in and around the Ticonderoga area beginning in the late 1800s until the later part of the twentieth century.  Although the freight industry died out by 1980, steamboat travel, as a voluntary tourist excursion method rather than a necessary mode of travel, continues today. 

The Project
The first version of this project was originally developed for and published by the Bridge Line Historical Society (BLHS), of which I am a member, in its October 1999 publication of the "Bulletin", the historical society's monthly newsletter.  I have been a member of this organization for many years.  The Bridge Line Historical Society is a fantastic organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  If you are interested in the history of the Delaware and Hudson railroad, membership in this organization is a must.

Research
Hungry for information, I initially searched and searched for a written detailed article or publication on the Ticonderoga Branch of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  Frankly, I was surprised that no information really existed to any great extent.  My mother and other relatives provided brief information tidbits from their memories regarding the railroad's history which only made me want to know more.  I also ran across brief bits and casual references to this small branch line in some written forms before any of the books so readily available today were on the market.  

I finally decided to research the information myself, write an article, and submit it to the Bridge Line Historical Society for publication.  I was born and raised in Ticonderoga and loved watching the railroad activity in town, and so, was probably as qualified as anyone else to write an article from my memories and research.  This kicked off a lengthy research process beginning with newspaper and book investigations, Library of Congress research, map research, interviews, and acquisition of Ticonderoga memorabilia materials in addition to those I already owned.  Added to this were my many fond, childhood memories of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad and it's influence on Ticonderoga and on me.  The research continues and the project is never really done.

Ticonderogians!!
Share your Ticonderoga railroad memories and stories with our Facebook page.  Select the Facebook link on the right to go to the Ticonderoga Branch Facebook page.  Every story counts.  Don't let historic memories become lost.  Preserve them here!

Coverage Area
Although this site is titled the Ticonderoga Branch of the Delaware and Hudson, it actually covers all rail activity along the Delaware and Hudson (D&H) mainline at or near Fort Ticonderoga (north to Addison Junction and Larrabee's Point ferry and south to the Dresden area), the Baldwin Branch to Baldwin Dock, and the Ticonderoga Branch of the railroad to the paper mills and upper falls and the village of Ticonderoga.

Blue Flag
This research effort has grown considerably since the article's original appearance in the Bridge Line Historical Society newsletter and first web page publication.   In the railroad business, BLUE FLAG procedures are established to protect railroad workers when they are called on to inspect, test or service railroad rolling equipment.  Likewise, blue flag areas may appear on this site and indicate areas of work still under research or not yet complete.  The primary goal is to publish as much information as possible rather than wait for a given research effort to complete (which could take a year or more).  In many cases, research in a specific area leads to new research tasks or topics.

What's in a Name
Ticonderoga Branch
The name Ticonderoga, or as the Algonquin and Iroquois Indians called it – Chinandroga, loosely means “the place between two lakes.”  I use the name “Ticonderoga Branch”, but this examination really involves more than just what is referred to as the Ticonderoga Branch.  Jim Shaughnessy refers to the railroad branch as the Baldwin Branch in his book.  The line is also referred to as the Baldwin Branch in much of the Delaware and Hudson literature.  

A passenger train led by Delaware and Hudson locomotive #559, a Class D-3 4-6-0 double cab, sits at Fort Ticonderoga station (Montcalm Landing) just south of the entrance to the Baldwin Branch. Date is unknown.  The engine was scrapped on March 1949.  (postcard photo; M Wright collection)

An 1891 map of Ticonderoga refers to this portion of the Delaware and Hudson line as the Lake George Branch as do many of the Sanborn Map & Publishing Company's fire insurance maps.  An 1891 Delaware & Hudson Railroad system timetable identifies the Lake George Branch as that line leading from Delano Junction (located 99.89 miles north of Albany) to Baldwin.  The Lake George Branch terminology was used for years, but was renamed the Baldwin Branch between 1900 and 1906.  This more than likely occurred when the Caldwell Branch was renamed the Lake George Branch.

Most early Ticonderoga Sentinel newspaper articles published during the construction in 1873 and 1874 as well as subsequent articles refer to the line as the Lake George road or the Lake Champlain and Lake George railroad or line.  These were certainly not official railroad company names, but surely reflect how locals referenced the new line at its inception.

A page from an early 1880s book of Delaware and Hudson Canal Company station and siding names seen here on the left clearly denotes the short line into Ticonderoga as the Lake George Branch.  The Upper Falls line is also denoted as Weeds.  I remember my mother and Aunt often referring to "Weed's Hill" and "Weedville

.".  Weedville is the area around the Stewart's Ice Cream store and old telephone office.

This 1880 D&H Canal Company book shows some of the unique naming conventions for the local Ticonderoga area.  (M Wright collection)

The small branch that split from the Baldwin Branch (Lake George Branch) 1.48 miles from Fort Ticonderoga and traveled into the Village of Ticonderoga is correctly referred to as the Ticonderoga Branch by the Delaware and Hudson.  This is confirmed by Delaware and Hudson literature such as timetables, official lists, and other documentation.  This line was originally owned by the Ticonderoga Railroad Company.  

The Baldwin Branch, or Lake George road, was constructed in 1874 between Baldwin's Landing (Baldwin Dock) on Lake George, known as Coates' Landing, and Montcalm Landing on Lake Champlain, known at that time as Port Marshall.  It opened for rail service on May 1, 1875.  

The first steamship "Ticonderoga" traveled along beautiful Lake George carrying passengers from the Fort William Henry Hotel south to the railroad dock at Baldwin near the Village of Ticonderoga from 1884 until it burned in 1901. The ship was christened by Miss Cora Baldwin, daughter of Capt. William G. Baldwin.  The second "Ticonderoga", pictured here, ran along Lake Champlain.  (US Library of Congress photo)

Stage Line
The Baldwin Branch was built upon and followed the old Baldwin stage route that was used for years to link Lake Champlain with Baldwin dock.  Up until 1874, those stagecoach connections between steamboats on Lake George and Lake Champlain were made under the guidance of William J. Baldwin.  The Baldwin stages carried 20-35 passengers making the five-mile trip in about 35 minutes or about twice the time required by the railroad.  

The end of construction on the Baldwin Branch also ended the old Baldwin stage route although a smaller stage line continued from the railroad station at Addison Junction (Fort Ticonderoga) to the Central House, later the Burleigh House, in the lower village of Ticonderoga until the early 1920's.

A Delaware and Hudson Class G-5 4-4-0 double cab Camelback (#444) at Montcalm Landing near the Fort Ticonderoga station. Date unknown, but the Alco engine was scrapped in October 1929. (postcard photo; M. Wright collection)

Lake George
Lake George was originally named the Andia-ta-roc-te, by local Native Americans.  Samuel de Champlain, the first European visitor to the area, noted the lake in his journal on July 3, 1609, but he did not name it.  Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit missionary, was actually the first European to view the lake.  He named it Lac du Saint-Sacrement (Lake of the Blessed Sacrament) in 1646.  Jogues further named its exit stream, La Chute meaning "the fall."  Upon the British victory over France in the French and Indian War (North American theater of the Seven Years War), William Johnson, who led British colonial forces to occupy the area during the war, renamed the lake as Lake George for King George II.

Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain, or lac Champlain in French, was named for the French explorer, Samuel de Champlain who explored the region in 1609.  Native American names for the lake vary.  The Iroquois name for the lake, Caniaderi Guarunte (meaning mouth or door of the country); the Algonquin Abenaki name, Petonbowk (meaning the lake in between).  There were others.

The Ticonderoga Creek
The Ticonderoga Creek (now known as the La Chute River with terms used interchangeably) was formed during the final stages of the last ice age with the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier some 12,000 years ago.  The waters of the newly formed Lake George spilled between Mount Defiance and Cook's Mountain.  The La Chute River flows north and east through the village from Lake George to Lake Champlain by way of a series of waterfalls.  

Lake George and Lake Champlain served as a highway for native people, who carried their canoes along a portage between the lakes.  French and British troops and traders found the pathway at Ticonderoga, which had served these Native Americans for thousands of years. 

In 1839, William J. McAlpine examined the water power beginning at the upper falls outlet of Lake George.  In his examination, the reported water power at the head of the upper falls was 429 cubic feet per second.  The was presumed to have been before Lake George was controlled by a dam at the outlet.  McAlpine's survey reported the fall as follows:  From the lake to the foot of the upper falls; 102.39 feet; thence to Trout Brook inlet, 26.27 feet; thence to water surface in the bay communicating with Lake Champlain, 91.43 feet; making a total of 220.09 feet. The valley was open and perfectly accessible throughout the length of the falls. The water was very clear and soft, therefore well suited to use in paper manufacturing.  

Descending from the lake, the water privileges in 1882 were, in order, as follows: 

1) At the outlet was a power owned by George C. Weed and leased by the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company. The fall was 18 feet. On the right bank was a small saw mill with 50 horse-power of wheels, and a new paper mill. On the left bank was a dry pulp mill using 150 horse-power;

2) Fall of 18 feet also owned and operated by the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company.

3) Immediately below the second privilege was a low rude dam, approximately two feet high, which diverted a portion of the water of the stream into a race on the right bank.  The race was continued by an open wooden flume six or seven feet wide and 300 feet long.  Water passed on a heavy incline through an iron tube down to the Lake George Manufacturing Company's cotton mill.  The tube was 5 feet in diameter, 3/16 of an inch thick, and approximately 240 feet long.  The company owned about 75 feet of fall and half the flow of the creek.  The head actually utilized was 68 feet, under which two Swain turbines of 400 aggregate horse-power were run, two wheels acting upon a vertical shaft.  Only 175 or 200 horse-power was in active use. The company employed 150 people, ran 10,000 spindles and 252 looms, and manufactured fine sheetings, producing 55,000 yards per week.  The other half of the privilege could be improved.  It was owned by the American Graphite Company, which also had works at the lower falls.

The Town of Ticonderoga
Ticonderoga, comprising an area of approximately 88 square miles, was settled in1775 and is located within the southeastern corner of the Adirondack Mountains, 100 miles north of Albany, NY, and 150 miles south of Montreal in Quebec, Canada.  The name "Adirondack" is an Iroquois Indian name meaning "tree eaters" or "wood eaters" and was used to demean the Iroquois' sworn enemies, the Algonquin Indians.  New York State Routes 22 and 74 access the community.  The Adirondack Northway, I-87 or Interstate 87, is accessed from Ticonderoga via New York State Route 8 and 9N. 

The Town of Ticonderoga was formed from the old Town of Crown Point, New York on March 20, 1804.  It's population has remained somewhat constant for decades ranging from 2,669 in 1850 to 5,149 according to the 1990 census and 5,167 in 2000.  The town celebrated its 200th birthday in 1964.  The book, "Ticonderoga, Patches and Patterns From Its Past," proves an excellent history of Ticonderoga.

Although many are familiar with the famous yellow pencils bearing the "Ticonderoga" name, these pencils were never actually made in Ticonderoga.  The graphite for these pencils was mined in the local area and refined at the American Graphite Company mill in Ticonderoga.  However, the pencils themselves were never produced in the town to bear their name.

Ticonderoga Village vs. Town of Ticonderoga
The Village of Ticonderoga and Town of Ticonderoga were two distinct governmental entities.  The hamlet of Ticonderoga was incorporated as a village within the Town of Ticonderoga on May 18, 1889.  Dissolution petitions were presented to the Village in 1991.  The vote to dissolve the village passed in March 1992 approving disincorporation and the Village of Ticonderoga officially dissolved at midnight on December 31, 1993.  This ended 104 years of an independent Village of Ticonderoga.

The Town of Ticonderoga assumed control of most of the Village equipment, functions, as well as 17 employees on January 1, 1994.  The Village Department of Public Works crew was merged into the town crew.

The Fire of 1875
A considerable amount of early Ticonderoga village history no longer exists today due to a major fire.  This includes early railroad records which were unfortunately lost at a time when the Baldwin Branch was under major construction.  This great fire struck the village of Ticonderoga in the early morning of March 31, 1875 just before the town celebrated the centennial of Ethan Allen's capture of the Fort during the Revolution.  The fire was discovered around 3 a.m. in the store of Payne, Gilligan and Company.  Water had not yet been connected to the village water mains so "bucket brigades" became the only fire fighting capability.

The fire quickly spread to the Exchange Building (the old Atchinson Block, now a municipal parking lot).  Chemicals from two drug stores within the building added to the fire and flames jumped to the residence of T. A. Riley, which housed a millinery shop.  The fire then spread to the Post Office followed by the Frank Porter home where the fire stopped on its eastern path of destruction.

The fire jumped to the northwest side of the intersection across from the Exchange Building.  The building housing the John McCormick clothing store, Jonas Loeb dry goods store, and R. Crammond's law office next saw flames come from the roof.  Fire swept in other directions quickly destroying small buildings to the north on both sides of the street.  These buildings included businesses as well as homes.

The Central House and Old Red Store then caught on fire.  Baker's tenement house to the south and the block containing the Central House was quickly consumed by fire.  The fire to the south was stopped with the destruction of the tenement house and on the west with the destruction of the Clark home.  When the fire was over, approximately 30 businesses and personal homes were lost.

Street Names
The Ticonderoga Branch history often refers to town street names.  It's important to note, however, that Ticonderoga changed its street names in 1933 following the sesquicentennial of the American Revolution.  At that time, town leaders made dramatic changes to street names to emphasize the town's history.  Exchange Street became Montcalm Street, Main Street became Champlain Avenue, and The Portage regained its historic name just to mention a few.  Therefore, at times the old and new versions of the street appear within this work with its old or new name in parentheses. 

Ticonderoga town leaders first proposed the street name changes in mid to late July 1933.  A public meeting was held in early August to obtain public opinion to the street name change proposal.  Some of the originally proposed names changed slightly between the first meeting and the final board approval.  The Village Board met a week later approving the final name changes.  See the complete street name change in the table on the right. 

In 1937 the Post Office also renumbered streets in Ticonderoga using the 100-to-a-block system.  This was accomplished in order to eliminate the hit and miss numbering system used previous to this date, facilitate delivery service, and simplify for strangers, the difficult problem of locating a specific address which had been a challenge before this change.. 

The system was initially designed for Montcalm Street, east and west; Champlain Avenue, north and south; Lake George Avenue, north and south; Amherst Avenue; and The Portage. 

Other Transportation - Fort Ticonderoga Ferry
The Fort Ticonderoga - Larrabee's Point Ferry Company was organized at a meeting of Ticonderoga and Shoreham business men on Monday afternoon, February 17, 1913.  The company was incorporated with a capital of $10,000, a large part of which was subscribed.  Directors were elected at the meeting for the first year.  These were Charles Cunningham of Larrabee's Point, Winslow Clark of Shoreham, W. W. Richards, W. G. Wallace, Frank H. Peck, Isaac Ledger and Frederick Ives. John Ryan, a Whitehall boat builder, present at the meeting, submitted an estimate for the cost of a wooden hul1 boat.  The Marvel Shipbuilding Company of Newburg provided a quote for a steel hull boat, which was much more expensive.  The type of boat to be used, however, would be determined by the amount of money derived from the sale of stock. 

Early Rail History
A little background history may be in order to explain how the railroad eventually came to the Ticonderoga area.  New York and Vermont railroad interests competed heavily to establish and control rail service north through the Champlain Valley.  The Whitehall & Plattsburgh Railroad planned to link Whitehall and Plattsburgh, naturally, by a railroad along the western border of Lake Champlain from Whitehall to Port Henry and then on to the Ausable River near Ausable Forks, eventually reaching Plattsburgh.  In 1861, the Whitehall & Plattsburg Railroad Company incorporated and began surveys for a rail line between Port Henry and Ticonderoga. 

Rails to Ticonderoga
Ausable River to Plattsburgh
A section of the line along the Ausable River to Plattsburgh was completed in 1869 and then leased to the Montreal & Plattsburgh Railroad Company.  Due to the intervention of the Civil War, actual construction to Ticonderoga did not begin until February 20, 1869 when a start was made in the town of Crown Point.  The impetus for the renewal of construction came from backing received from state aid plus local subscriptions from various towns along the lakeshore.  

Addison Junction to Whitehall
By 1870, the Whitehall & Plattsburgh Railroad Company had built a section from Addison Junction near Fort Ticonderoga to Port Henry.  This section crossed over Bulwagga Bay at Port Henry using a timber trestle.  By 1872, trains were operating between Fort Ticonderoga and Port Henry.  This 16 miles of track was a small and virtually useless section that really didn’t go anywhere.  It's only real redemption was through some iron ore rail traffic from the mountains west of Crown Point and Port Henry.  Failure of the New York legislature to provide additional support brought the project to a standstill. 

Vermont Interests Control Line
In 1871 control of the Montreal & Plattsburg Railroad Company was leased to the Rutland Railroad Company, which then assigned its leases to the Vermont Central and the Vermont & Canada Railroad Companies.  This gave Vermont interests control on the west side of Lake Champlain.  Those interests had every intention of preventing completion of through rail service on that side of the lake. 

The Central Vermont Railroad, which leased the railway for seventeen years, opened a station at Fort Ticonderoga.  Iron ore and dairy products became the major freight commodities.  Passengers and tourists had their choice of making the trip either way between Fort Ticonderoga to Plattsburg, or Hotel Champlain, by rail or by steam with interchangeable tickets . 

Delaware & Hudson Enters Competition
Vermont interests began seeing stiff competition in the form of a Mr. Smith M. Weed of Plattsburgh.  He was a strong proponent of construction of a through rail route along the west shore of Lake Champlain.  Weed, a highly respected attorney was also a State Assemblyman and was influential with state and national officials.  In early 1872, he met with officers and managers of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company (the previous name of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad) in New York.  Weed explained the potential benefits of a through rail system along the west shore of Lake Champlain.  He was apparently very convincing as officials signed the previously coordinated incorporation papers.  The company incorporated on March 16, 1872 to begin construction from Whitehall, a point already reached by the Delaware and Hudson's lease of the Rensselaer & Saratoga. 

Delaware & Hudson Gains Control
In 1873, the Delaware & Hudson purchased the control and leaseholds of the Whitehall & Plattsburg and the Montreal & Plattsburgh Railroad from the Vermont interests.  These holdings were merged into the New York & Canada Railroad Company and approved by the New York State Legislature on April 15, 1873.  It had become apparent to the Vermont interests that the well financed Delaware and Hudson intended to complete a through line even if it was forced to construct portions of the line parallel to existing tracks. 

The Whitehall & Plattsburgh, Montreal & Plattsburgh, and the New York & Canada were merged and consolidated into a second New York & Canada Railroad Company under a February 25, 1873 agreement.  

The opening of this line on the west side of Lake Champlain seriously cut into the steamer traffic.  This resulted in a shortening of the steam ship route with the southern terminus changed from Whitehall to Montcalm Landing in 1875.  When the line was completed in 1876, the northern steam line terminus was changed from Rouses Point to Plattsburgh.  Total steamer mileage changed from 125 miles to 81 miles.

Construction and Improvement
The railroad finally constructed 39 miles of track from Whitehall to Fort Ticonderoga as well as made changes to the existing line to Port Henry at Bulwagga Bay.  The company relocated approximately five miles of the line when ice on Lake Champlain destroyed the timber trestle across Bulwagga Bay on April 18, 1874.

By this point in time, only one train was running on the Addison Railroad, leaving Ticonderoga at 8:45 in the morning and arriving at Leicester Junction at 10:15.  The return train left Leicester Junction at 6:00 in the evening, arriving in Ticonderoga at 7:30.

The New York & Canada Railroad Company commenced track laying on section 22 of their new line on Tuesday, June 9, 1874.  Interestingly enough, the entire line between Ticonderoga and Whitehall was not laid with with American steel, but French steel rails of the best quality.  The first rails were set down near the tunnel under the Fort Ticonderoga battle grounds and the work was pressed forward with rapidity.  It was hoped the first train would pass between Ticonderoga and Whitehall by September 1st, however, on September 19, as the fall foliage began to show it colors, the new line was still being laid with rails and the greater part ballasted.  The remainder was scheduled for completion within a few days whereupon officials stated the line would be ready for passenger trains to begin running from Port Henry to Albany possibly by early November.  

The 39 3/4-mile line from Whitehall to Port Henry opened on November 30, 1874 and included a new 24-mile section from Whitehall to Addison Junction.  By December, the reported aggregate cost of the New York & Canada rail line from Whitehall to Port Henry was listed as $1,800,000. The total cost of the road to date was as shown in the table on the right.

Only one known accident was documented during the tunnel construction according to the records researched when on July 23, 1873, a large powder explosion occurred.  One man was killed instantly with three seriously injured.  

Table 2 Whitehall - Port Henry Costs

Grading and masonry	$2,022,468.58
Bridging	$   184,117.31
Superstructure	$   344,998.15
Land and land damages	$   109,756.47
Telegraph	$          630.70
Engineering, etc.	$   113,869.10
Contingent	$     83,964.15
Total	$3,792,214.46
Paid for Whitehall & Plattsburgh RR	$  415,000.00
Paid for Montreal & Canada Road	$  528,500.00
Total cost to date	$3,792,214.47
Estimated cost	$5,000.000.00

Fort Ticonderoga Tunnel
Construction of the railroad required a tunnel under the grounds of historic Fort Ticonderoga.  The 440-foot long tunnel, blasted out of hard, limestone rock forty feet under the battleground of Fort Ticonderoga where Abercrombie was defeated, was three-quarters of a mile from the steamboat landing (Montcalm Landing) and a mile and a half from the village of Ticonderoga.  

Work Begins
Work first commenced on the head of the tunnel on March 26, 1873 using steam drills. The machinery eventually proved too large and cumbersome for the size of the header and slow progress was made.  The railroad eventually abandoned the steam machinery on June 4 and substituted hand drills.  After the switch, work steadily progressed with an average headway of 48 feet per month.  The greatest progress was made in the month of January, 1874, when workers accomplished a headway of 64 feet. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel
Foreman E. A. Dingle laid his electric wire and set the explosive charge that would open the tunnel on February 14, 1874.  He set the charge such that the discharge would be certain.  With everything prepared, railroad officials were notified of the coming blast and they, with others, sheltered themselves under a car.  The wires were then connected to the battery.  

At 11 o'clock in the morning, a heavy charge of nitro-glycerin and giant powder was ignited.  Following a few moments of awful suspense, a terrific explosion left no doubt in the minds of those present as to the result.  A general scramble was made for a ladder and  the crew discovered a large, 5 by 8 foot opening.  The removal of this rock barrier revealed daylight - the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  It required approximately another two months of labor to complete the work.

Inspection and Additional Tunnel Work
In April, 1874, President Dixon and Chief Engineer Wentz of the New York & Canada Railroad came to Ticonderoga to inspect the work on the tunnel section as well as to look over the route of the new projected Lake George Railroad (Baldwin Branch).  Night and day shifts of laborers were employed at the tunnel and work was pushed forward so that it would be ready for track-layers by May 10. 

On April 18, 1874, Mr. Seymour, the engineer in charge of sections 20, 21, and 22, stated that the grading at the north end of the tunnel section was completed and ready for track.  The finished work included a long pile trestle across the mouth of "Ti Creek" and the tunnel under the hill near Fort Ticonderoga.  

A connecting "Y" was formed with the Whitehall & Plattsburgh Railroad by running a curve from a point just north of the tunnel and connecting with the old road at a short distance north of the depot.  

The tunnel was nearly ready for lath and plaster work on April 25, 1874.  A large force of men began the work the following week according to Mr. I. B. Potter and other railroad engineers working the project.  By May 16th, however, the work stopped after repeated discouraging failures in an attempt to finish the tunnel ceiling.  The rock arching was described as "springy" in many places and the constant leakage made the adhesion of the plaster impossible.  The work on the plaster wall was cutoff at the height of 13 feet while a new plan was formulated for the upper section of the tunnel.  

A Canadian Pacific Railroad train on the former Delaware & Hudson line exiting the south end of the tunnel in 2011. (Mark Wright photo)

Railroad engineers received a proposition from Gammon & Co., New York agents for the Ingersall isinglass ceiling, which they claimed would solve the problems.  Gammon stated the advantages of the system ensured a dry and thoroughly waterproof interior, which threw off offensive engine smoke, and kept a brilliant and cheerful appearance...certainly important in any tunnel, I guess.

The First Engine in the Tunnel
A railroad engine passed through the tunnel at Fort Ticonderoga for the first time during the week of June 20, 1874.  The tunnel performed well until June 5, 1882 when an extensive landslide occurred on the south end of the tunnel.  It required 75 men to clear the earth and rock from the tracks, which closed north and southbound rail traffic for a day.  

The Addison Railroad and the Drawbridge
A drawbridge, also known as "The Great Eastern Drawbridge" by the locals, was constructed by the Addison Railroad in 1871 across Lake Champlain from Willow Point just north of Fort Ticonderoga to connect with Larrabee's Point on the Vermont shore and the Addison Railroad (leased to the Rutland Railroad in 1870) line from Leicester Junction, Vermont.  The trestle portion was 1800 feet long and required 800 piles.  Each pile was 80 feet long.  The floating bridge was 300 feet long, 30 feet wide and weighed about 300 tons.  The draw of the bridge was turned about one hinged side using a 12 HP engine that pulled a chain laid on the lake bottom.  The floating bridge portion then swung aside to let boat and steamship traffic through. 

This portion of what would become the Delaware & Hudson mainline at Addison Junction was known as Pell's Siding.  There was one passing track located to the west of the main line and another short spur to the west of that.  A short track to the east of the main served the station at Addison Junction.  There was also a wye curving towards the east from the north and southbound directions along the main line leading to the drawbridge. 

Despite the frequent travel between Fort Ticonderoga and Leicester Junction over the Addison Branch following the opening of the drawbridge over Lake Champlain, there was only one train daily in each direction by January of 1918.   The train left Ticonderoga at 10:10 a.m. and returned at 7:00 p.m.

Drawbridge Problems
By February of 1872, this line was in operation with cars running regularly between Addison Junction, as the rail station on the west shore was known, and Rutland.  This small section of railroad across Lake Champlain was the scene of many accidents due to poor construction techniques; a result of work done too hastily.  Construction and maintenance problems were soon resolved.

However, the problems with the floating drawbridge on the Addison Railroad continued.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on April 16, 1903 that a gang of men were engaged in repairing the drawbridge.  A Mr. Martin was reported as the foreman.  

An accident at the drawbridge on Wednesday, May 29, 1907 necessitated the removal of passengers over the bridge by hand car.  On another occasion, on the night of March 20, 1918, the drawbridge actually sank when a leak enabled water to rush into the float.  Two freight cars were on the bridge when it fell into the water, one loaded with wood.  Both cars overturned by the tilting of the float as incoming water rushed from one side to the other. 

The Rutland Railroad dispatched a crew of 40 or 50 men to work on the drawbridge. They did not succeed in raising the float to the surface and so it was unclear whether it required a replacement.  The railroad estimated it would take a month or more to resume traffic.  The 300 foot pontoon boat was eventually just thrown open to permit Lake navigation.

Bridge Project Revived
The project of a bridge on the trestle from Addison Junction to the Vermont shore was revived by the Ticonderoga Business Men's Association on Wednesday, September 23, 1908.  At a meeting of the executive committee of the association, the matter was thoroughly discussed and resulted in the formation of a committee of two, T. E. Warren and I. Rothschild who were appointed to wait upon the railroad officials and learn whether the company's original proposition to build the bridge still held.  The original proposition called for the railroad company to build the bridge and the towns of Ticonderoga and Shoreham to build the approaches.  The railroad would charge a toll.  Ticonderoga was ready to do its part, but Shoreham, through the opposition of its merchants, refused to build an approach on that side of the lake and, consequently, the deal fell through.  Ticonderoga, in a proposition of this kind, which meant many dollars brought to the village of Ticonderoga as well as a convenient method for crossing the lake may have been afforded in the construction of both approaches.  The project met with the approval of and would have been supported by the entire town.   With the association now reviving the project, the only thing needed to carry it through, providing the railroad would do its part, was energy on the part of the business men and the cooperation of the people of the town.  Nothing ever happened.

Bridge Project Revived Again
Around August 19, 1918 the Rutland Railroad made an application to the Secretary of War to replace the 300 foot pontoon boat with a movable truss bridge that would provide a clear opening of 124 feet to allow the passage of lake traffic.  The proposal to alter the bridge revived a previous idea of building a driveway over the railroad bridge.  The driveway proposal was nearly secured a few years earlier, and was all but assured until Shoreham refused to pay for the building of an approach to the bridge on the Vermont side. 

A hearing was held on August 25, 1920 to discuss the issue.  Captain Burroughs, representing the War Department, presided on the application to replace the pontoon bridge with a movable truss bridge.  The railroad's proposal was opposed by the Champlain Transportation Company and Lake Champlain towing companies who stated that 124 feet did not give sufficient clearance for the safe passage of boats. 

The driveway issue was also discussed with Senator Mortimer Yale Ferris (New York State 3rd District), T. E. Warren, F. B. Wickes, W. G. Wallace, Albert Weed, and E. J. Vincent, all of Ticonderoga, and C. H. Cunningham of Shoreham presented arguments in its favor.  If the Commission granted the construction of a truss bridge, the group from Ticonderoga and Shoreham simply wanted it designed and constructed in such a manner as to provide for the eventual building of a roadway upon it.  The municipalities would pay any associated costs related to attaching a roadway to either side of the railroad bridge.  The group cited the economic and military benefits of such a roadway. The driveway issue never materialized and the troubles with the drawbridge situation continued.

Abandonment
By July 27, 1922, the Rutland Railroad Company, the Addison Railroad Company, and the Delaware and Hudson Railroad filed a joint petition with the Interstate Commerce Commission seeking authority to abandon the part of the Addison Branch from Leicester Junction, Vermont to Fort Ticonderoga.  

During a hearing on October 13, 1922, the railroads stated that the drawbridge was allegedly unsafe and therefore train operations were discontinued for two or three years.  The draw boat's replacement cost ($75,000 - $100,000) far outweighed the revenue received over the branch. 

The Ticonderoga and Shoreham interests were naturally hesitant about completely abandoning the connection and stressed the necessity for some kind of connection, other than by boat, between Vermont and New York at the Larrabee's point location.  F. B. Wickes asked that the case for the abandonment have a condition that authority would be given to other individuals, corporations, or municipalities to take it over and use it in any way they saw fit in maintaining the connection.  This brought out an interesting and little known fact that the franchise was owned by the Delaware and Hudson. 

Further concerns regarding the line's abandonment surfaced when the communities of Shoreham, Orwell, and Whiting began to fear that this abandonment was the first step to abandoning the entire Addison branch railroad.  Representatives from the three Vermont towns sought to enlist the support of Ticonderoga in their fight against the Rutland Railroad Company.  The four towns met in Ticonderoga on November 21, 1922 to discuss strategy.  All of this was to no avail for on May 23, 1923, the Interstate Commerce Commission permitted the abandonment by the Rutland Railroad and the Addison Railroad of the Lake Champlain crossing via the drawbridge. 

Area businessmen would have to put some effort forward to raise the required amount of capital stock.  This seemed like a pretty certain fact at the time suggesting that construction would begin at once assuming the correct amount of capital was raised.  The news story stated that the charter for the Lake Champlain and Lake George road was already obtained.  The directors of what was now charted as the Lake Champlain and Lake George Railroad Company met with the other railroad directors on November 29, 1883 in Rutland.  The directors announced that the railroad would be "speedily accomplished" if the citizens of Ticonderoga took hold of the matter with a determination to succeed.  The report documented in the November 30 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel went on to say,

"No one can doubt but that it is of vital importance to the growth and prosperity of our village that this road be built.  It rests with the people of Ticonderoga to say when this project will be carried out.  They ought and will be expected to subscribe liberally to the enterprise, but no more will be asked of them than they of right ought to do.  Let us all take hold together and by another summer, we can have a station in our village and we will name it 'Ticonderoga'."

A meeting was held of the Lake Champlain & Lake George Railroad in the office of John C. Fenton on Monday, December 31, 1883.  The December 7 edition reported the results of the meeting held on the prior week.  All parties were unanimous in their acceptance of the railroad project and committees were secured to obtain the right-of-way immediately.

The directors of the Lake Champlain & Lake George Railroad held a meeting in John C. Fenton's office in Ticonderoga on Tuesday, July 22, 1884 at 8 pm.  The subject was to determine a more definite survey of the railroad.  The August 8 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that attendees included D. C. Bascom, C. H. DeLano, W. W. D. Jeffers, William Hooper, Jonas Loeb, R. N. Patterson, and William E. Calkins.  The directors voted to appropriate the sum of approximately $190 for the survey.  C. H. DeLano was appointed a commissioner to confer with other parties who might be interested in working on the survey.  The cursory survey to date was not satisfactory enough for outside contractors to begin placing bids.  Mr. Arnold had made bids on the project, but he was local and knew by observation and survey what he could accomplish on the project.  

The story closed with, "Speed on the work, gentlemen, and let us have railroad facilities between the village and Addison Junction."

While the issue of extending a line into Ticonderoga was ongoing, the Ticonderoga Sentinel printed an article in February 20, 1885 edition of "Local Notes" stating that the Addison Junction station, used by villagers to connect with the main line of the Delaware & Hudson, was in need of serious repair if not rebuilding.  The article stated,

"Some are wondering if the D. and H. people intend doing anything by way of improving, or rather, rebuilding the depot at Addison Junction.  The one there at present is simply a disgrace to the town, being without accommodations of the most ordinary character.  There is no waiting room for women who must sit with a bunch of men, inhale and swallow air heavily laden with the fumes of tobacco, or stand outside, which if it were possible at this season of the year, is certainly injudicious.  It is no excuse for the D. & H. people to say that they only rent the depot from the Vermont Central.  The travel and business got from Ticonderoga is of sufficient importance to merit at least a respectable stopping place.

What opinion must that traveler have of our town who judges of the thrift and enterprise of its people by taking his criterion the condition of the shed which at present answers the purpose of a depot?

Let us have a station worth of our socially growing town, and let it be built this season for our own convenience and the accommodation of our summer visitors."

No rail line was ever extended from Addison Junction into the town of Ticonderoga.  Ticonderoga would have to wait just a few more short years for the Delaware and Hudson to split a line from the Baldwin Branch into the village...and this would not be the last time that another rail line into Addison Junction would be proposed.

Even before the rails were laid into the village of Ticonderoga itself, businessmen benefited from the main line rail connection connecting the Ticonderoga area with towns to the north and south.  One gentleman merchant from Ticonderoga was reported to have taken the evening train at 9:20 pm from Montcalm Landing and making the use of a sleeping car, awoke in New York City the following morning at 7:00 a.m.  Well rested, he had breakfast and then proceeded to conduct his business, purchasing $1,000 worth of goods.  He left for home at 6:00 pm that evening, arrived at Montcalm Landing near Ticonderoga, and finally home at 3:20 a.m. the following morning. 

Ticonderoga's Electric Railway Project
Although the Addison railway extension project never materialized, electric railway lines became very popular during the early 1900s, opening up another potential railroad for Ticonderoga.  The Ticonderoga board of trade held a meeting on Thursday evening, July 7, 1904 to discuss the project of building an electric railway from Addison Junction to Baldwin and Hague and how it would be possible to interest some outside capital.  The matter was placed in the hands of a committee of two and money was voted to pay the expenses of a promoter and engineer to come to Ticonderoga for the purpose of making a preliminary survey of the route. 

The Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad
On July 13, 1904, the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced that the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company presented an application to the Town of Ticonderoga Village Trustees and Ticonderoga Highway Commissioner, L. A. Lewis, for permission to build and construct an electric railroad upon and across the highway from lands of Pell Estate to lands of George H. Huber about 30 feet East of the Delaware and Hudson Company tracks at Addison Junction, also across Porter Highway near the barns of John McCaughin; through and along Main Street from division line of the Village and Town of Ticonderoga to Bridge Street; then along and through Bridge Street to a point at or near the main entrance to lumber yard of Smith Lumber Company in said Highways; from intersections of Bridge Street and Lake George Avenue along Lake George Avenue in a northerly direction to division line of the town and village of Ticonderoga.  This notice announced that a public hearing on the application would be given at the Hose House in Ticonderoga on July 28. This meeting was postponed to August 10, 1904.

Representatives from the office of the state railroad commissioner arrived in Ticonderoga on the morning of August 17, 1904 to go over the route of the proposed electric road preparatory to acting upon the approbation for a charter.  The franchise drawn was presented at the August 10 hearing, and the meeting was adjourned to August 18, 1904 to give Mr. Holmes an opportunity to examine the document.

Incorporation
The Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company incorporated on July 5, 1905 with the secretary of state to operate an electric road from Addison Junction to the limits of the village of Ticonderoga. The company was capitalized at $50,000 and planned to construct a network of electric lines.  The network would connect the Rutland division of the New York Central Railroad at Addison Junction; proceed through the village of Ticonderoga, and to the International Mineral Company mines; continue to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, maintaining a system of electric street railways in the village of Ticonderoga; continue from Ticonderoga to Lake George with a spur running to Fort Ticonderoga; then from Ticonderoga to Schroon Lake and Lake Placid; from Schroon Lake to Lake George at Hague and to the Lake George post office at the southern end of the lake.  The network also planned for a line from Elizabethtown to Lake Placid.

The officers of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railway Company were Northrup Raymond Holmes of Troy, NY (President); Altus B. Atkins, former Essex Country sheriff (1st Vice President); J. Rothchilds (2nd Vice President); W. W. Richards, cashier of the National Bank of Ticonderoga  (Treasurer); Frank T. Locke, President of Ticonderoga Machine Company (Secretary); Mortimer V. Drake (Auditor); and Frank B. Gridley, Assistant City Engineer of Troy, NY (Chief Engineer).

During the previous week, the Delaware and Hudson Company laid four tracks across the highway at Addison Junction, making a total of five tracks.  Many of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad directors and others interested in the trolley line assumed these were laid for the purpose of obstructing the building of the new proposed trolley road.  Delaware & Hudson Railroad officials, however, stated that the laying of these tracks had been contemplated for a long time because there was not enough sidetrack at the Junction to meet the demands of the heavy freight traffic.

Petition for an Electric Railroad
The Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company filed an application for a certificate under section 59 of the Railroad Law with the State Board of Railroad Commissioners on July 27, 1905.  In the application, the company proposed to build a "street surface railroad from a point at or near the center line of the Rutland Railroad Company's track at Addison Junction in the town of Ticonderoga, Essex county, to and through the village of Ticonderoga to a point at or near the entrance of the lumber yard of Smith Lumber Company, a distance of about five miles."

Public hearings regarding the application were held on September 5, October 11, and November 9.  Holmes, Bryan & Holmes appeared for the applicant.  F. T. Locks, H. J. Belden and other also appeared in favor of the application.  K. E. Carr and W. F. Rathbone appeared for the Delaware and Hudson Company, in opposition to the application.  As the application was first proposed, the applicant's railroad would cross the Delaware and Hudson's steam railroad at six points, one of which was the main line.  At the November 9 hearing, the Terminal Railroad offered evidence showing that by a change of route, its railroad could avoid all but two of the crossings and that one of the two could be an under-crossing of the Baldwin branch, the other a crossing at grade of a siding.  However, the applicant did not take the steps to change its route under the statute (section 13, Railroad Law).

The Board, in it's determination of December 13, 1905 stated if the certificate was granted, it appeared that the railroad would be extended to Lake George.  I also appeared that the proposed railroad would carry freight.  After considering the evidence, the Board determined that public convenience and a necessity required the construction of the applicant's railroad.  Also, the six proposed crossings of the Delaware and Hudson Company's railroad (sidings and main lines) were objectionable features if the route was not changed.  The population intended to be served by the proposed railroad was between five and six thousand, and evidence was presented regarding the expected summer tourist travel.  However, both these populations were currently served by the Delaware and Hudson Company's railroad.  Witnesses testified that in their opinion the proposed railroad was a necessity, but the details of the testimony were not at all convincing.  Although no one disputed that the railroad could or would carry some freight and passengers if constructed, the Board did not believe from the evidence that sufficient freight and passengers would be carried to justify the certifying that public convenience and a necessity required the construction of the proposed railroad.  Therefore, the Board refused the application for the certificate.  The Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad appealed the decision.

Railroad gets a Franchise
At a hearing held on Friday, August 18, 1905, the Ticonderoga Village trustees finally granted a franchise to the promoters of the proposed electric road. The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that all was now plain sailing for the company.  Likewise, a franchise was obtained from the village at an adjourned meeting held Saturday evening, August 19.  At this point, no hearing had been held before the state railroad commissioners, but no one anticipated anything detrimental to the project would develop because a representative of the commissioners went over the route the previous week and, it was everybody's understanding that this would result in a favorable report.

Engineer Gridley and assistants arrived from Troy on August 23 and were engaged in making a survey of a route to Addison Junction through the Old Fort grounds and over the Delaware and Hudson tunnel.  It was feasible that this route would be used in order to avoid crossing the railroad tracks at the Junction and in some respects it was more desirable, although more costly, than the direct route, as originally planned.  The company was issuing stock certificates to subscribers during the week of August 20, 1905.  The project had every indication of being successfully completed and a brief resume of its history from the time of its inception was believed to have been of interest to the public.

Credit for getting the project rolling was given to M. V. Drake, who, a year earlier, talked with a classmate, James Wright, of North Hartland, Vermont concerning Ticonderoga's need of such a road.  After graduation, Mr. Wright entered the law office of Holmes, Bryan & Holmes, of Troy, and the matter was again brought up in correspondence between him and Mr. Drake.  Mr. Wright finally interested the law firm in the enterprise and correspondence relating to the road followed between the firm and the Ticonderoga board of trade, Mr. Drake having turned the matter over to that body.  Upon the board agreeing to pay the expenses of a preliminary survey, F. B. Gridley, a Troy engineer, and N. R. Holmes came to Ticonderoga and went over the proposed route, which they pronounced as perfectly feasible.  Subsequently, at a meeting of the board of trade a prospectus was presented and the people of Ticonderoga were asked to raise $40,000 to further the project.  Inasmuch of the raising of that amount was out of the the question the demand was so undefined that a reasonable sum in town the Troy people would go on with the matter.  By strenuous work, A. B. Atkins and F. T. Locke succeeded in getting subscriptions in the amount of $6,000 with a promise of $7,000 from the International Mineral Company on condition that a branch be run to the company's mine.

The matter of obtaining franchises from the town and village of Ticonderoga was taken up and hearings for both cases were set for July 28, 1905.  At these hearings, no franchise had been drawn by counsel for the village and town.  An adjournment was taken to August 5.  On this date a franchise modeled after those given by Sandy Hill, Glens Falls and Fort Edward was offered but which Mr. Holmes absolutely refused to accept on account of the restrictions, which, he asserted would make it impossible to float the company's bonds.  He was asked, and consented, to draw up a franchise to suit himself and an adjournment was taken to August 10 to permit him to prepare it.  This document was presented on that date and another adjournment was taken to August 18 to give the board time to consider it.  Counsel for the board made some additions and modifications, which were discussed Friday evening and which with one or two exceptions were rejected by Mr. Holmes for the company.  The meeting adjourned until Saturday, when the franchise was granted.  The franchise granted by the village was practically the same as that drawn up by Mr. Holmes, with the principal exception that the Village board prohibited the company from tearing up more than 1,000 lineal feet of street at one time during construction.  The other conditions of the franchise conformed with the state law governing roads of this kind.  The placing of switches and poles would be under the direction of the village board.

Progress and News
The Warrensburg News reported on August 17, 1905 that construction was expected to begin within 60 days.    Applications were pending for local franchises and the railroad petitioned the state board of railroad commissioners for a certificate of necessity, the preliminary requisite to the construction of the road.  A permanent survey was completed for this portion of the route and within thirty days, a corps of engineers under Chief Engineer Gridley, of Troy, was expected to begin the route to Schroon village, twenty miles from the line as it then existed. From Schroon village it was intended to make a survey through the Schroon valley to Lake Placid.  Plans also included the construction a line from Westport by the way of Elizabethtown to connect with the main line from Ticonderoga to Lake Placid.  The survey was also going to be made from Schroon Lake along the northern side of the lake to Warrensburg where connections would be made with the Hudson Valley Railroad company and the Delaware & Hudson company.  The line would also be extended so as to connect with Paul Smith's railroad at Lake Clear.

The line in Ticonderoga would employ an ordinary trolley system.  Forest preserve laws at the time did not allow steam or third rail systems in the woods therefore, any motive power would have to consist of electric locomotives using four 200-horse power motors.  Long distance surface electric locomotives and standard passenger and freight cars would ensure the same accommodations as provided on steam roads.  A line of boats would also be placed on Lake George and Lake Champlain and would be constructed for speed and comfort.  It was believed that the line would prove one of the most picturesque in the United States and that it would be a dividend paying investment given the optimistic outlook for freight and passengers.

The power to operate the lines was planned to be provided by the erection of storage dams and the development of the various powers in the vicinity of Ticonderoga.  Up to that time, the facilities for reaching the Adirondack regions was by the primitive stage coach and it was expected that the travel and the summer tourists trade would double within the next few years.  At Fort Ticonderoga it was expected that a National park would be developed from the 600 acres then lying on the promontory.  During the previous week, officers of the company were driving over the various proposed lines and expressed their opinion that the entire line would soon be under construction.

Public Hearing - September 5, 1905
A hearing in the matter of the application of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal railroad for a charter was held before the State Railroad commissioner in Albany on Tuesday afternoon, September 5, 1905.  Mr. Rathbone, an Albany lawyer, appeared at the hearing in the interests of the Delaware and Hudson Company and objected to the charter on the grounds that the proposed railroad was not a public necessity because Ticonderoga already had a steam road that could take care of all of the traffic.  An adjournment to Oct. 11 was granted on request of Mr. Rathbone.  The promoters of the electric road stated that the objections raised would not prevent their attempt to complete the enterprise.

Public Hearing - October 11, 1905
The hearing, adjourned on September 5, 1905, continued on October 11 in Albany.  The session opened promptly at 10 o'clock.  About forty Ticonderoga businessmen attended to testify to the necessity and need of an electric railway through the village.  Mr. Holmes, of the firm of Holmes, Bryan & Holmes, presented the case for the Ticonderoga people. L. W. Carr appeared for the Delaware and Hudson Company.  After several witnesses were sworn, Mr. Carr stated that it was evident that the people of Ticonderoga wanted the electric railroad and did not care to discuss the exorbitant charges made by the Delaware and Hudson.  After some discussion between the Railroad Commissioners and the attorneys, Mr. Carr for the D. & H., stated that they would object to the electric railroad crossing the D. & H. tracks at grade.  After some discussion, the meeting was adjourned yet again until Nov 9th.  Among those who made the trip were W. J. Smith, J. A. Mason, L. R. Mead, M. V. Drake, G. B. Bascom, William O'Connell, George McKeil, H. J. Belden, L. A. Lewis, John B. Williams, F. B. Wickes, Felix Liberty, Charles Liberty, A, H. Weed, George O. Cook, A. B. Adkins, C. B. Pease, James McCabe, R. P. Mead, Robert Hanna, W. F. Jones, C. A. Stevens, S. Ostrander, E. T. Downs, Zeb Martin, C. B. King, Frank T. Locke, Henry Holmes and James Slosson.

Public Hearing - November 19, 1905
The matter of grade crossings was discussed at the November 19, 1905 hearing.  Data, the results of surveys made by Delaware and Hudson engineers and by Mr. Gridley for the electric road company, was presented before the commissioners.  The electric road, as mapped through the Old Fort grounds passed over the Delaware and Hudson tunnel and then around to Addison Junction, and as an obstruction in this direction, L. E. Carr, who appeared for the Delaware and Hudson, set forth the claim that his company owned the land over the tunnel through to the surface.  He added that the Delaware and Hudson intended to blast away the rock covering and change the tunnel into an open cut.  

The question of whether the driveway through the Old Fort grounds and over the tunnel was a public or private road was also brought up and discussed at length.  Mr. Carr claimed that it was a private road, owned by the Pell estate.  The Ticonderoga men present knew nothing about the matter and were unable to controvert the assertion though James A. Slason testified that he had seen the town highway commissioner working on the road.  Ed Lee also testified he was not sure it was a public road.  A. H. Wood testified that the road through the fort grounds was worked as a town road when he was highway commissioner.  Many others in town claimed the road was a public highway.

Railroad Commission Denies Application
Excitement turned to indignation as Ticonderoga businessmen learned that the decision handed down by the State Railroad Commission on Monday, December 18, 1905 rejected the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company's application for permission to build an electric road.  As previously suggested during the hearings, the commission rejected the application on the grounds that the proposed road was not a necessity and that therefore would not have sufficient passenger and freight traffic to make it profitable.  Residents were more amazed because from the first they had accepted the granting of the application as a foregone conclusion.  Businessmen almost without exception subscribed liberally towards the enterprise and several appeared before the commission to urge favorable action.  The evidence that they gave before the commission, and the fact that they were willing to put their hard cash into the project, was in their minds sufficient proof of the necessity of the road, and, it should have been granted.  Everyone thought that the businessmen of Ticonderoga understood local conditions better than the commission, whose members may never have even been within the town limits.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that in ace of these facts, the reasons given in rejecting the application was beyond explanation.

A meeting of the directors of the company was called for December 22, 1905 in Ticonderoga.  N. R. Holmes of Troy who had been promoting the extension was present. In a letter to F. T. Locke, secretary of the company, Mr. Holmes said the decision was entirely contrary to the views expressed by the Board at the hearings and the decision found facts that were not before the Board.  Holmes was confident that the decision would be appealed with a result in the favor of the electric railroad.

The text of the decision stated, 

The Railroad Appeals
As reported on December 28, 1905, the businessmen of Ticonderoga decided not to accept the State Railroad Board's decision to reject their application and would take their case to the courts.  This was a unanimous decision of the board members - N. R. Holmes, W. W. Richards, A. H. Weed, F. B. Wickes, F. T. Locke, and A. B. Atkins.

The directors of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company sought a certificate of the rail line from the state board of railroad commissioners stating that the construction of the line was a public convenience and necessity.  The Delaware and Hudson Railroad opposed the petitioner's application.  The commissioners therefore refused the certificate.  The directors therefore appealed the decision.  The case was argued before P. J. Parker, J. Smith, and J. J. Cochrane.  Bryan Holmes argued for the petitioner, the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company while Lewis E. Carr argued for the respondent, the Delaware and Hudson Company.

The record indicated that the petitioner made a strong case for a certificate of necessity and convenience of a trolley road upon the proposed route.  It was stated as a fraction over four miles in length and the construction cost was estimated around $60,000, financed by the citizens of Ticonderoga.  These citizens were listed as substantially unanimous in their testimony that the trolley system was indeed desirable and necessary.  These witness conclusions seemed sustained by the facts sworn to in detail.  In addition, one of the commissioners, in the course of the proceeding, made a statement that the necessity of the road was conceded.  This statement regarding the necessity of the road was conceded and the statement was not challenged by the Delaware and Hudson Railroad's counsel.  The judges stated that under the circumstances, they were of the opinion that the certificate should not have been refused because of a doubt in the minds of the commissioners whether the road would be a paying one.

However, the certificate requested by the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad was one which the commission had no power to grant.  The court stated that, under section 59 of the railroad law, the commission was limited to a certificate of the necessity of the road proposed in the petitioning road's articles of association.  The route for which Union Terminal finally asked varied from that proposed in the articles of association, especially in its eastern terminus.  Without the power to grant the certificate on condition that the petitioner changed the route from that proposed in the articles of association to that finally requested.

On November 14, 1906, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division (Third Department) issued a decision from an appeal from the State Board of Railroad Commissioners.

Holmes Proposes Steamers
In August of 1906, N. R. Holmes, who was prominently identified with the construction of the proposed Ticonderoga electric railway, announced an outline of plans for a new line of steamers on Lake Champlain to compete with those operated by the Champlain Transportation Company.  The proposed independent freight steamers were to operate between Plattsburg and Burlington and even Whitehall.  The goal, of course, was to find the money necessary to carry out the project.  This new endeavor was proposed to begin the following spring. It had been years since passengers steamers were run to Whitehall on account of the narrow channel between Whitehall and Ticonderoga, specifically, the dangerous turn at "the bow" just north of Whitehall.  The plan, however, called for this obstacle to be improved by dredging, and essentially enlarging the Champlain canal.

The project of putting this new steamer line was really an outgrowth from the electric railway being built between Whitehall and Granville as well as the proposed Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad.  The new steamer line would connect with both electric lines.  Work on the Whitehall-Granville road, nine miles of which were constructed two years previously, began the week before with plans to rapidly complete the project.

The action brought for a review by the State Railroad commissioners in denying the application of the Ticonderoga Terminal Railway Company was scheduled to be presented to the Appellate division of the Supreme court at the September term.  This case came before the Supreme court in May, when, through a writ of certiorari, all of the evidence taken before the board was brought before the court. However, Lewis E, Carr, counsel for the Delaware and Hudson, appeared before the court and raised the objection that this evidence should be brought before the court not by certiorari, but by being certified by the commissioners to the Supreme court direct.  The court sustained this objection and dismissed the writ without costs.  The promoters of the road had strong hopes that the decision of the commissioners would be reversed when the case was argued the following month.

In the meantime, attorney N. R. Holmes arrived in Ticonderoga during the week of September 10, 1906.  The electric railroad case was set for argument in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court September 28.  Originally, arguments in the case were to have been heard September 12, but Lewis E. Carr, counsel for the Delaware and Hudson did not have his brief ready and the court granted an adjournment. Holmes was rather confident at this point that the court decision would be favorable to his side of the case.

Electric Road Decision Becomes a Victory
Despite previous disappointment when the State Railroad Commission refused the application for the electric railroad charter and a subsequent appeal where the original decision was sustained, things appeared to have changed by November 29, 1906.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that Ticonderogians were surprised and pleased to learn that the decision, which at first report seemed to be a defeat, turned out to be an apparent victory.  According to the decision, which was unanimous and which was printed in the newspaper in full, the application, though still lost, was lost simply through a technicality.  The court held that the necessity for the road was fully established by the testimony of the witnesses at the hearing before the railroad commissioners, as was conceded by one the commissioners, and the application for a certificate, had it been properly drawn, should have been granted.  The court stated that as presented, however, the commissioners had no power to grant the application. In short, the newspaper reported, the application was defeated by an error in the application.  This error was due to the route of the road at its eastern extremity after having been changed after the application for charter had been drawn.  The railroad as originally surveyed, was to cross the Delaware and Hudson tracks near the Addison Junction station.  This necessitated a grade crossing and to obviate this objection, a new survey was made, crossing the tracks over the Addison Junction tunnel.  The counsel for the railroad, however, failed to note the route change in the application.

The Company is Dissolved
A notice for a special meeting of the the directors and stockholders of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad Company was posted an on December 4, 1906 and printed in the December 6, 1906 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  The meeting was held on December 26, 1906 at the Weed Opera House in Ticonderoga occurred at 11 a.m.  During the meeting, the directors of the railroad company decided to make another application to the state board of railroad commissioners for permission to construct the railroad line.  To do this and avoid a delay of a year, as the law required in the case of the same company making an application that has been once rejected, it was necessary to dissolve the old corporation and organize anew under another and make a new survey.  The group decided to pursue this and to push the matter with all possible speed.

N. R. Holmes briefly outlined the current status of the project and announced it was necessary to dissolve the current corporation and organize a new company.  Therefore the group decided to dissolve the existing corporation, give the money currently on deposit at the First National Bank back to stock holders, and organize a new railroad corporation for the restated purpose of building and operating an electric railroad along the road of the amended route of the old corporation.  The meeting was well attended with 19 of the stockholders and other persons not financially interested and organized with the unanimous selection of F. T. Locke as chairman and the appointment of R. V. Smith as secretary.

A. B. Adkins, one of the solicitors of stock subscriptions for the company, stated that original subscriptions to the amount of $5000 were on deposit at the bank.  W. W. Richards, cashier, however, had allowed interest on the deposit and the sum so derived together with one hundred dollars subscribed each by himself and Holmes, Locke, and Gridley had been devoted to paying incidental expenses.  Holmes made no charges for his services.  Following protracted discussions by Holmes and Adkins, a discussion was held regarding the disposition of the franchise and rights of the company in its dissolution and the forming of a new company to go with the road.  There had been considerable trouble and expense in securing the franchise so the group wanted to avoid this in forming any new corporation.  Therefore, W. W. Richards moved that the directors be empowered to transfer the franchises.  The motion was opposed by Robert Dornburgh on the ground that it opened the way to the franchises, the value of which he pointed out falling into objectionable hands and he offered as an amendment that the directors be empowered to transfer the franchises only upon a two-thirds vote of the stock of the company at a meeting called for that purpose.  Richards accepted the amendment and the group unanimously adopted it.

Holmes offered a resolution, which had been tabled to give precedence to the motion to give the above power to the director.  This was presented and carried unanimously.  This resolution stated, 

"It appearing by the decision of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court that the railroad company (Ticonderoga Union Terminal) has been unable to secure a certificate under section 59 of the Railroad Law, it becomes necessary to dissolve the corporation in that it cannot lawfully proceed with the purpose of its incorporation:  Be it resolved that the directors of the said corporation are hereby authorized, empowered and directed to make an application to the Supreme Court for the dissolution of the said corporation and the payment of the cash assets of said company to the stockholders."  

As soon as the court granted the permission, those stockholders who wished to withdraw would be paid back their money.  There were four stockholders present at the meeting who wanted their money returned.  A motion was offered and carried that the chairman appoint a committee of five to investigate the route of a new road to be applied for by a new company and the organization of such a company.  The chairman appointed W. W. Richards, H. J. Belden, L. R. Mead, M. V. Drake, and A. H. Weed as committee members.

This committee was charged to interview the stockholders present at the meeting and learn their views on the matter of reorganization and whether they would leave their money on deposit.  The committee also investigated a new route and reported that they had been over the ground and that they had decided that the original route with a few minor changes was the most feasible.

The subject of the dissolution of the Ticonderoga Union Terminal Railroad came before Justice Van Kirk at a special term of the Supreme Court at Sandy Hill on Saturday, April 13, 1907.  N. R. Holmes again appeared for the company and stated the company was in excellent condition, with no outstanding debt. Justice Van Kirk then granted the order to dissolve the company.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that the dissolution of the company did not necessarily mean that the bottom had fallen out of the project.

A stockholders meeting was held after the court decision was rendered and it was voted to dissolve the company and form a new one as a number of people had already decided to buy stock in any new company organized.  The amount originally subscribed in the corporation was $5,000.  Withdrawals amounted to about $2,000, however, it was expected that this amount of money could be easily raised in the event that a new company was organized, which was still the plan at this point in 1907.  No further news of a new corporation was published and it appeared that the project ended here. 

Securing a Right of Way
The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on March 26, 1908 that during the previous week, two men who represented the Tahawus Iron Ore company, owners of the great iron ore deposits in Newcomb, which were expected to be developed, appeared in the Streetroad section of Ticonderoga and secured the names of property owners whose lands were crossed by the survey for a railroad to the mines made the previous summer.  At this point, it appeared that Ticonderoga was under consideration as the eastern terminal of the railroad.  The route of this survey led from Lake Champlain through Streetroad past the old Vineyard mine and along Eagle and Paradox lakes to Severance.  From Severance it would run northerly to Carson's and from there through Blue Ridge to the mines.   A party of surveyors was also at work between Schroon Falls and Carson's.

Those in Blue Ridge thought that they were sure to have a railroad through their community.  It was reported that one of their townsmen intended to put in a bid for grading a certain section.  It was also reported that F. C. Rolles of Saratoga Springs was boarding at the Hotel Carson with his force of helpers surveying land for the proposed railroad.  News from Severance on April 2, 1908 reported workers were surveying the route for the railroad.

Surveys Begin
By April 9, a preliminary survey of another route for the railroad to the Newcomb iron mines was under way.  This route led from the mines through the Schroon River and then to the lake shore through the village of Moriah Center.  If this route was adopted, it would connect with the Delaware & Hudson a short distance south of Port Henry.

The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on April 16, 1908 that two surveys were completed.  The people in Minerva were sure that that railroad to the Newcomb mines was going through their town and in Schroon, North Hudson, Ticonderoga, and Moriah, the people were just as certain that the road was coming their way.  In truth, the engineers employed in surveying the routes didn't even know which one would be selected.  No decision was planed until engineers completed surveys of all possible routes.  However, the surveys of two routes, those by way of North Creek and Ticonderoga, were completed leaving two additional surveys for completion.  These two remaining surveys involved routes terminating at Port Henry and near Crown Point.  The engineering force was at work on the Port Henry route at that point in time.  The engineer and his men were in the employ of the Tahawus Iron Ore Company and not the Delaware and Hudson, as many people seemed to think.

Ticonderoga as the Terminus
By April 23, it looked like Ticonderoga, specifically Addison Junction, would be the eastern terminal of the railroad to mines in Newcomb.  Those in Ticonderoga naturally showed some elation over this news.  A representative of the company arrived in town on April 23, 1908 to interview those persons whose lands were crossed by the survey and to get prices for the right of way.  The representative stated that the choice of route was actually between Ticonderoga and North Creek with the chances favorable to the former.  From the iron mines, if the Ticonderoga route was used, the road would pass through Schroon River and Streetroad and end at or near Addison Junction, where connections could be made with the Delaware & Hudson and Rutland railroads. 

The statement that the Ticonderoga route would be selected was strengthened by the fact that the railroad company, which was now identified as the Champlain and Sanford Railroad company, was incorporated with the secretary of state to operate a steam or electric line 58 miles long from Addison Junction to Sanford Hill at the mines, on the east shore of Lake Sanford in Essex county.  The capital was reported as $400,000 and the directors were Charles M. Hyatt, Andrew Thompson, James Mae, N. Thompson, Guy T. Hills, David A. Thompson, Lew R. Parker, Andrew B. Jones, Sydney T. Jones, and McNaughton Miller.

In a small note in the April 30, 1908 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel, the paper stated that it understood the route of the railroad was chosen.  It was to go from Addison Junction up through the Schroon River and Blue Ridge and as far as the Sand Pond hotel where it would then head north the Upper Iron Works.  However, plans changed.  A railroad to Schroon Lake was still a certainty.  A party of surveyors were at work surveying a route from Riverside to Schroon Lake, then north through the Schroon valley to Newcomb.  D. A. Thompson of Albany, son of a Delaware and Hudson official, who was lecturing in Ondawa on April 29, 1908, commented on the new route of the proposed railroad stating that it would be 38 miles nearer and over a better grade than by way of Ticonderoga or Crown Point as formerly planned.  Mr. Thompson also spoke of the benefits that Schroon would derive from an enterprise of this kind.  A petition was circulated for the purpose of getting all the taxable inhabitants, who were in favor of the proposed railroad, to sign.  At this point, approximately two hundred had already signed.

Objections to a Railroad
With Ticonderoga now apparently out of the running for a second railroad, the prospect of the successful completion of the road was itself, now in jeopardy in May 1908.  Cottagers and owners of property along the shores of Eagle, or Chilson, lake began objecting to the threatened railroad invasion. The route of the railroad to the Newcomb mines, as given in the company's applications for a certificate of incorporation, brought the route along the south shore of the lake.

Supervisor John Carson of North Hudson and three members of the corps of engineers who were making the survey for the railroad to the Newcomb mines were in Ticonderoga on Saturday, May 9, 1908.  One of the party stated that in running the road to Ticonderoga an effort would be made to avoid Eagle, or Chilson lake on account of the many fine cottages that dotted the shore and which would be injured as summer residences by the railroad.  It was possible that the railroad could be accomplished by finding another route through by Johnson pond. 

A concerned citizen, Peter Flint, Chairman of the Committee on Fisheries, Eagle (Chilson) Lake Property Owners' Associate sent a very lengthy and detailed letter to the Ticonderoga Sentinel on May 4, 1908 and which was then published in the May 21, 1908 edition of the paper.  In his letter, Flint expressed surprise regarding the railroad venture from Ticonderoga westward passing the south shore of Eagle Lake (formerly called Long Pond or Chilson Lake) eight miles west of the village and requested the promoters and directors to select a more proper, natural and convenient route.

Flint commented on the beauty of Eagle Lake and how the Eagle Lake Improvement company had ten years earlier begun to offer its south shore lots for purchase.  Many city people had since erected their permanent summer homes in the area.  In addition, the Eagle Lake hotel catered to tourists with accommodations for 100 guests, large barns, and a livery.  Flint claimed the spring used by the local community would lie in the railroad's road bed denying everyone of their supply of pure, healthful drinking. water.  Also of concern was the increased fire danger from the passing locomotives.  This was a serious problem during this time and many forest fires were directly linked to steam locomotive railroads.  Flint claimed the railroad was expected to wipe out a number of smaller lodges and cottages lying between the shore and Eagle Cliff where the rails would pass.  The route would destroy a new store erected to furnish supplies to guests and located near the shore by the roadside.

According to Flint, there was no space for homes on the south shore of Eagle Lake if the railroad was put through due to the situation of the land.  Either the homes or the railroad could remain and the homes were there first.  He did venture a proposal, however.  Flint suggested the railroad leave Lake Champlain at Crown Point following the once well laid out lines of the Crown Point, Ironville, and Hammondville railroad, once actively operated for a number of years to bring ore from the Hammondville mines to the furnaces at Lake Champlain.  The furnaces were removed, but the rails remained and were unused, but fenced.  The grades and culverts were still in good condition.  If entrance from Ticonderoga was necessary, a good route, according to Flint, was down the level valley of Putt's Creek from Chilson to Ironville.   

Flint surmised that perhaps these suggestions had not yet been considered, but either way he stated that the people of Eagle Lake and Ticonderoga did not want a railroad along either shore of their beautiful lake with a bunch of "foreigners shooting every living thing in sight" as well as the usual following of the tramp.  Despite his plea, surveyors were still working a week later on May 28, 1908.

A New Route
On June 11, 1908 the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced that the route for the Champlain & Sanford Railroad company, recently incorporated with the secretary of state to build a railroad from Addison Junction to the iron ore mine at Sanford Lake, Newcomb, gave notice that the route would be changed to make an extension of the road to Riverside on the Adirondack branch of the Delaware and Hudson.  Under this route the railroad would run from the mines to Schroon River and then turning south would pass the north end of Schroon Lake, Schroon Lake village, south along the shore of the lake to Pottersville, then to Riverside.  This is not what those in Ticonderoga wanted.  Rights of way along this route were already purchased according to the article.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel was unable to get in touch with company officials to learn whether or not the Addison Junction route was actually dropped.  

The company was incorporated with at least $1,000 stock for every mile of railroad to be built, having a reported subscribed capital stock of $600,000.  The charter of the company was for 999 years and gave permission for the operation of either a steam or electric road, but it was understood that steam as to be used as a motive power.  Work was planned to begin on the road in the very near future although this was not further defined.  It was now rumored that the Delaware and Hudson company would build the railroad to the mines and that this had something to do with the change in route, with the Riverside terminus, which although longer, was less expensive to build on account of less rock excavation required.  If the railroad used Addison Junction as a terminus, connections could have been made with the Rutland Railroad as well as the Delaware and Hudson.  Shipments could also be made by canal.  None of this would have been in the best interest of the Delaware and Hudson, however, and it looked as though they now may be in charge.

Although the decision in route was apparently made, the June 25, 1908 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel had a short article in Local Notes stating that no official decision was yet made.  This article stated that a railroad official indicated that engineers were still conducting surveys and there was still a chance that Ticonderoga could get the railroad.  Even by July 11, 1908, there was still no official decision from the railroad regarding the route..

Public Service Commission Hearing
Judge Richard L. Hand of Elizabethtown appeared before the upstate Public Service Commission on Tuesday, July 14, 1908 representing the proposed Champlain and Sanford Railroad company.  The railroad sought permission for the construction of 57 miles of railroad, the terminal points listed as Sanford Hill, in Essex county and Riverside in Warren county, in order to make a junction with the Delaware and Hudson railroad and in order to develop what would hopefully be the greatest iron ore region in the world (Tahawus).

The purpose of the hearing was to allow the promoters of the railroad to show the necessity for the proposition.   Hand pointed out that rich iron ore deposits were known to exist in the vicinity of Lake Sanford as early as 1825.  At that time, an effort was made to develop the mineral wealth, but the death of the prime mover of the scheme interfered with that goal.  Assuming that the ore existed, Judge Hand showed that the deposit was removed from all transportation facilities by at least fifty miles.   He claimed the railroad was necessary to bring the ore to market, and incidentally urged that such an agency would serve as a protection against forest fires by speedily bringing aid and that it would serve as a constant patrol.  In addition, he claimed the region was rich in scenic beauty, and that a railroad would give the needed impetus for a development which was now impeded and that it would aid places that were widely known as summer resorts and which were dependent upon bus service for the arrival of numerous patrons.  Hand apparently knew all the right language.  If this proposition was approved, then Ticonderoga was definitely out of the running as the Lake Champlain terminal.

William P. Rudd, representing the New York Central railroad, was one of three appearing in opposition.  Rudd said that he had no specific objections, however, and was merely objecting in order to become versed in the matter.  Ellis J. Staley, representing the State Forest, Fish and Game Commission, claimed that the state would resist any invasion of its rights and that a steam railroad would be objected to on the ground that forest fires were frequent.  Rudd disagreed with Hand, who used the railroad as a preventor rather than an abettor of forest fires. 

George N. Ostander of Glens Falls, representing Finch, Pruyn & Company, also objected to a steam line.  He asserted that his clients owned 30,000 acres of land along the route of the proposed road.  Other than this he, too was in favor of the proposition.

Judge Hand then called Wallace T. Foote, Jr., of Port Henry, the principal shareholder of the iron ore land, to testify.  Mr. Foote, long identified with the iron industry, provided sensational testimony.  He asserted that an investigation of one-tenth of the tract, which extended for three miles along Lake Sanford and had a breadth of one mile, showed that there were 225,000,000 tons of rich ore waiting for a market.  He pointed out that the region could produce more ore than any in the world and that the cost of operation would be less than that of others.

Foote said 1,000 tons of the ore was tested and, as a result, Bethlehem Steel Company had placed an order for 6,000,000 tons in the event the railroad was granted permission to construct the railroad to transport it.  Bethlehem needed 200,000 tons for twenty years.  Foote also demonstrated how the furnaces of the Burden Company in Troy; the furnaces on Breaker Island, between Albany and Troy; the furnaces at Poughkeepsie and several near New York would again be put into operation if this railroad could bring ore to these facilities.  Foote showed how foreign competition could be driven out because of a superior quality ore and a considerable reduction in the price of the product.  

After Mr. Foote left the stand he told reporters that work on the railroad would begin in the near future if permission was granted.  Those who appeared in opposition only did so as a means of precaution and expressed the hope that the necessary franchise would be granted.  All agreed that unsurpassed opportunities for the development of the greatest iron ore region in the world were at hand.

Petitions to the Public Service Commission
On July 23, 1908, the Warrensburg News reported, and the the Ticonderoga Sentinel confirmed on July 30, 1908 that the Champlain and Sanford Railroad, through its president, J. Thompson, advised the Public Service Commission that it agreed with the order of the commission granting a certificate of convenience and necessity if the certificate contained a provision requiring the electrical operation of the proposed railroad.  The company, however, reserved the right in the event of unforeseen  and insurmountable obstacles arising to electrical operation, to again bring the matter before the commission for further consideration regarding the motive power.

On Friday, August 14, 1908, the Public Service Commission granted authority to the Champlain & Sanford Railroad company to build the proposed road from the Tahawus mines in Newcomb to connect with the Delaware & Hudson at Riverside.  It was proposed that the railroad would operate by electricity to guard against forest fires.  Construction work was expected to begin before the snow fell.  The Tahawus Iron Ore Company would operate the mine after purchasing a majority of the stock of the McIntyre Iron company.  With this authorization, it seemed certain that Ticonderoga was out of consideration as the Lake Champlain terminus via Addison Junction.  However, the twists and turns in this venture were not quite complete.

Surveyors were at work at the iron company at Tahawus by late November, 1908.  At this point they were surveying a route from North Creek to Newcomb by way of Olmstedville and Minerva.  The November 26, 1908 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel also reported that a rumor in that section of the line stated the route would finally be decided soon.  It is uncertain why the route was still unknown if the Public Service Commission had already approved the certificate of convenience.

By February 4, 1909, six months after the Public Service Commission hearing, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that the route still was not decided.  Whether Ticonderoga would be the terminal point seemed to depend upon who would build the railroad.  If the Delaware and Hudson constructed the railroad, then the terminus was definitely expected to be Riverside.  If the iron ore company constructed the railroad, then it was thought that Ticonderoga would still be favored as the terminus.

Terminus Selected
On February 25, 1909, it was reported in the Ticonderoga Sentinel that the Delaware and Hudson would not build the railroad and that the terminal would be Addison Junction near Ticonderoga.  The railroad would be constructed using private capital.  It was believed that the superior railroad and water connections led to the selection of Ticonderoga as the terminus.  The railroad route, as surveyed, would now pass to the north of Ticonderoga ending near Addison Junction.  Construction was expected to begin in the Spring.  Rights of way and options were reportedly already secured along the entire route.  The main goal of those in Ticonderoga at this point was to induce the railroad company to move the route closer to the village.  A public meeting was held in Weeds' Opera House on Friday, February 26 at eight o'clock to discuss the railroad.  A railroad company representative was expected to attend.

A large number of men attended the meeting to discuss the Tahawus railroad issue and to meet the railroad representative, but were greatly disappointed when the official failed to appear.  A notion was offered and unanimously carried that President T. B Warren of the Business Men's Association to appoint a committee to appear before the Public Service commission for the purpose of securing a change in the route of the railroad from Riverside, the terminal first selected, to Ticonderoga and, in short, to look after the town's interest in the matter.  Ticonderoga was taking no chances in another change in the Lake Champlain terminal point.  The motion was carried and the meeting adjourned.

On Wednesday evening, March 3, 1909, President Warren called the executive committee of the Business Men's Association together and appointed the committee provided for in the motion carried at the previous public meeting.  His selection included Supervisor Bullen, Dr. Clemons, Frank Moses, H. D. Hoffnagle, Albert Weed, G. W Johnson, Arthur DeLano, E. M. Wheeler, and F. B. Wickes.  It was believed this was a representative body of men eminently qualified to deal with the issue.  The committee's duties included assisting the railroad company in securing a franchise and charter; to convince the company to run the railroad in the immediate vicinity of the village of Ticonderoga; and to represent the town's business interests.

Revised Petition to the Public Service Commission
In May 1909, the Champlain and Sanford Railroad filed another application with the Public Service Commission giving the railroad the option to use either electrically powered or oil burning locomotives.  It was reported that the application included this as a new option and was filed through the president of the company, Andrew Thompson.  This was indeed a change in the original order provision which only included electrical power.   However, the application contained other changes.

The railroad company also asked for permission to change the route of the railroad to connect with the Delaware and Hudson near Addison Junction.  No actual construction work had yet occurred on the railroad and nothing was expected to start until the next year.  Thompson recited in his petition that the railroad proposed to abandon the previously authorized route from its southernmost point at Riverside to a point about three and a half miles north of Schroon Lake.  Instead, the new petition called for the line to run southerly to a point about two miles south of Schroon Lake; then take a generally easterly route along or near the northern side of Paradox Lake to the hamlet of Hammondville; continue to and across Penfield pond by viaduct at its narrowest point; then easterly and southerly to the hamlet of Streetroad; southerly to a point on Lake Champlain about one mile north of Addison Junction; and finally south to an intersection at Addison Junction with the main line of the Delaware and Hudson railroad.

The Forest Fish and Game Department presented opposition to the railroad's new proposal in the application during a Public Service Commission hearing on Tuesday, May 18, 1909.  The department also objected to the location of the railroad in a section of state land known as the Paradox tract.  The railroad company explained that a change of route in Warren county was contemplated to avoid grades and to make connection with the Delaware and Hudson and Rutland Railroads at Addison Junction on Lake Champlain.  The hearing was adjourned until May 26.  

The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on May 27, 1909 that the Supreme Court at Ballston granted an order permitting the Champlain and Sanford Railroad Company to construct its railroad upon, across and along the certain portions of the highways of the towns of Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Schroon, and North Hudson in Essex County.

On June 10, 1909, it was reported that the Public Service Commission, Second District, granted the Champlain and Sanford's application for a change of motive power.  Under the terms of the new order, the railroad could operate by either electrical power or oil burning locomotives.  The Commission also granted the railroad permission and approval to change its route so that no part of it would be in the county of Warren and all of it within the county of Essex.  The route was as described in the revised application.

The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported a surveying corps of eight Champlain and Sanford Railroad men were in the Exchange Hotel in mid-December 1909.  The group was making additional surveys of the railroad route through Ticonderoga.  The next week, around the end of December, the men were working in the Weedville section on a run through the village.  The line came from Streetroad, passed the spar mine, passed Prospect Street near Frank Denton's residence, then turned to the left passing through the Weed and Burleigh lots, then finally towards Addison Junction.  The workmen working the line stated that this route was merely a spur running to the village from the main line.  The men remained in the area for approximately two weeks conducting their survey.   Options for rights of way through property in the town were renewed from time to time.  The railroad company's plans were still being kept very much in the dark.  Work on one of the proposed routes was expected to begin in the Spring.

Land Purchased for Terminal
After a lengthy period of no commitment by the railroad, the Champlain and Sanford Railroad Company closed a deal with Frederick Ives of Ticonderoga during the first week of March, 1910 for the purchase of 63 acres of his farmland.  The land, located on the shore of Lake Champlain just north of Addison Junction was to be the terminal point for the railroad.  Finally, it appeared the citizens of Ticonderoga had definitive proof and commitment from the railroad that Ticonderoga would be the terminal point for the iron ore railroad from Newcomb.  This was very gratifying news for those in Ticonderoga.

Track work continued to make progress.  By December 8, 1910, a crew of surveyors was at work near Streetroad.

Lake Placid Outlet Rumor
The January 25, 1912 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that some doubt was cast over a statement made in a article dealing with prospecting work going on in the Tahawus iron ore mine.  The article stated that the largest iron ore deposit in the world had been found by Witherbee and Sherman Company engineers at Tahawus and that Lake Placid could be the outlet for the great ore property.

A meeting of railroad men and stockholders of the Witherbee, Sherman company was held at Port Henry the previous week to discuss the building of a railroad to the vein, a project that had been one of the objects of the company for several years.  This recent find was expected to hasten a railroad project. The Lake Placid railroad route, according to those who favored it, would lay along the old trail to McIntyre through Indian Pass.

The route considered for some time by the company and the railroad men was the one with its outlet at the southern end of Lake Champlain. This route was 30 miles long, while that from Lake Placid to McIntyre was half the distance.  However, the grades over the Lake Placid route were much heavier.  The Witherbee and, Sherman company had a force of engineers at work in the McIntyre district ever since it took the property of the McIntyre Iron company.  Meanwhile, residents of Schroon Lake were pleased to learn that the project of building the Champlain and Sanford railroad had not been abandoned.  Condemnation proceedings on a portion of Finch, Pruyn and company's land held in December 1911, resulted in favor of the railroad company.  It was expected that the work of acquiring the balance of right of way would soon be completed.

Railroad Gets Time Extension
The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on March 28, 1912 that the Assembly passed the Parker Bill extending for three years the time within which the Lake Champlain and Sanford Company must begin and complete the construction of the railroad and expend ten percent of its capital.

Railroad Project Update
Prospects of this railroad were quiet in the newspapers for more than a year until August 28, 1913 when the Ticonderoga Sentinel published an article stating that a last a definite move toward the development of iron ore deposits had been started.  A large force of men were reportedly at work building a concentrating mill.  Upon completion of this facility, the work of mining and milling the ore would commence.  The mill was expected to be in operation by the fall of 1913 with the concentrates hauled to North Creek, the nearest railroad point for shipment.  Interestingly enough, the article continued to state that a railroad would eventually be constructed to the mines with the other terminal in Ticonderoga.

The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on January 22, 1914 that work of building the railroad to the Tahawus iron works into the town of Newcomb was progressing.  A traction engine was drawing freight from North Creek to the Lower Works.  On one haul during a single day, it brought eleven tons on two sleighs coupled to the engine.  Six sleighs would be used later.  When the railroad was completed, plans called for using five engines to take ore out and bring back freight.

A party of state Department of Highways engineers began work at Eagle Lake on October 29, 1914 laying out a new route for a short stretch of the proposed Schroon Lake-Ticonderoga state road.  The proposed Tahawus railroad, as surveyed, would cross the road several times near Eagle Lake therefore the engineers began laying out a new route to eliminate these crossings.  This news appeared that at least the highway officials believed that there was a prospect of the railroad being constructed.

Railroad Gets Time Extension - Again
In March 1915, Senator Emerson introduced a bill extending for three years the time within which the Champlain & Sanford Railroad company could begin construction of its railroad and expend ten per cent of the amount of its capital and the time within which the company could finish the railroad and put it in operation.  All surveys were completed at this point.  Rumors were that construction of the railroad from Newcomb to the Ives farm in Ticonderoga and development of the mines were to begin during the summer of 1915, but these rumors seemed to have no foundation.  By early April 1915, the Assembly passed all the bills introduced by Senator Kenyon including extending the time for starting construction of the Champlain & Sanford railroad, but this rail line with a terminus at Ticonderoga never materialized.

The Railroad and the Paper Mill
Construction of the railroad in 1874 drastically altered the La Chute's outlet.  A causeway confined the river's flow into a narrow channel.  This hastened the formation of a marsh in the broad estuary where the La Chute River meets Lake Champlain.  The Ticonderoga Creek became a natural source of power for many early industrial businesses.  It falls 230 feet on its three-mile course as it drains the waters of Lake George into Lake Champlain, a half mile further down stream, over a series of six waterfalls, a drop equal to the height of Niagara Falls.  This waterpower has driven mills since French soldiers originally built a sawmill on the river in 1755. 

By the late 19th Century, the sawmills and textile factories gave way to pulp and papers mills that dominated the river banks for nearly a century.  The Hiram & Thomas Treadway woolen mill, constructed in 1834, profited from the early 19th century sheep farming boom (Marinos, imported from Spain, known for their long-staple wool which spun up into very fine yarn), but faded away to the next generation of industry at this location.  

This industry was Eber Richards & Son.  Eber Richards was born in Schroon Lake on May 6, 1836.  He worked in his father's firm, O. Richards & Son, where they dealt with the manufacture and sale of lumber until 1873.  From 1873 to 1882, Eber Richards operated saw mills and conducted his lumbering business alone.  

In 1882 Eber disposed of all his lumber interests and became partners with N. W. Wait of N. W. Wait & Son Company.  This endeavor was engaged in the manufacture of paper at Bakers' Falls, New York.  In 1883, N. W. Wait retired, and from that year until 1892 Eber continued the business with J. W. Wait, under the firm name of Wait and Richards.  

In 1892 Eber disposed of his paper mills, and from 1893-1905 engaged in the manufacture of wood pulp at Ticonderoga with his son Frederick Barnard Richards.  Eber and Frederick reconfigured the old Treadway Woolen Mill into a pulp mill in 1894.  This was the fourth pulp manufacturer to locate on the La Chute and went into business the same year as the Essex County Pulp Mill just upstream from this location.  In April, they installed three grinders in the basement and two pulp machines located on the first floor.  The facility employed 10 men and operated for several years.  Eber retired from business for good in 1905.  Frederick went to work for the Standard Textile Company of Glens Falls.  Eber died five years later on February 23, 1910.

Ticonderoga Pulp Company
Clayton Harris DeLano, born on February 8, 1836 in Ticonderoga, was educated as a lawyer, but returned to Ticonderoga to work in farming in 1872.  He organized the firm of DeLano and Ives in 1871 to engage in the lumber business in Ticonderoga for four years.   In 1876, he merged this company into the Lake Champlain Manufacturing Company where he served as the president and general manager, maintaining a third interest in the company until its dissolution in 1880.  He was involved in many local business interests - president of the Essex County Pulp & Paper Company and the Ticonderoga Railway Company; a director in the Light and Power Company and Ticonderoga Machine Company. 

 DeLano formed the Ticonderoga Pulp Company in 1877 with a small ground wood mill at the lowest of the natural waterfalls on the Ticonderoga Creek.  He became its manager and treasurer, eventually becoming its president and general manager three years later.  This mill produced soda pulp and fine paper.  In 1878 or 1879, DeLano called a meeting to explain a proposition to organize a stock company to manufacture wood pulp.     

According to the Ticonderoga Sentinel, a gentlemen present at the meeting related that after the plans were submitted, and the stock book open for subscriptions, no one moved for several minutes or offered to subscribe until Thomas DeLano, Clayton's uncle, arose and said,

"Gentlemen, I have a thousand dollars saved and I am going to sign for that amount of stock.  I believe the mill will be a good thing for the town and I hope it will be for me, but if it fails, I have the farm left, and I guess that will support me." 

After Thomas DeLano signed, the others followed and the meeting closed with the stock all taken.  Thomas was elected president of the company and held that office until the company was reorganized as the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company.  The company began producing pulp on May 1, 1879 and  C. H. DeLano moved to the lower falls near the paper company at that time.

By 1900, there were five pulp and paper mills in the Ticonderoga area.  The major customer for the railroad on the Ticonderoga Branch during my childhood was definitely the local International Paper Company paper mill.  

Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company
The company prospered.  The original ground wood mill was completely destroyed by fire around 1880, three years after its construction.  C. H. DeLano continued with his papermaking efforts when he interested some of his Vermont and New York friends to invest in his pulp business.  His new effort involved an expenditure of over $100,000 in the manufacturing of pulp and paper.  

Organizing the Company
On March 16, 1882, the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company was organized at the Burleigh House and plans were approved for the company's new paper mills.  The March 24, 1882 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced the directors of the company as M. C. Rice, Cyrus Jennings, T. L. Hammond, William Cooper, J. T. Outterson, C. H. DeLano, C. E. Bush, and A. B. Waldo.  DeLano was listed as president of the board with Bush as secretary and treasurer.  

The charter of the company covered the manufacture of ground and chemical wood pulp, and news and book paper.  The goal was for a daily capacity of eleven tons of wood pulp and six tons of news and book paper.  Two years later, the No. 1 Paper Machine, installed at a cost of $20,000, began production.  The year 1882 was identified as a prosperous one for the company according to the March 3 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.

The company filed articles of association with the office of the Secretary of State on Tuesday, April 11, 1882, with a capital of $80,000 listed.  Ground breaking for the factory's foundation occurred on April 13, 1882.  During the excavation in May, interestingly enough, workers found several rare coins, cannon balls, musket balls, and other items.   

Construction
By May 12,1882, the 4-foot thick foundations walls were nearly completed.  They were constructed of solid masonry, laid in cement, varying in height from a few inches to eight feet.  The entire foundation rested upon solid rock. 

The first story was planned for 16 feet high, made of stone.  Thirty men were at work on the walls and the office was nearly complete and ready for occupancy.  The office was open for business by June 9.  By May 26, one thousand perches of stone and 300,000 bricks were required to complete the foundation and the walls.  Excavation for the boiler house was in progress.  

Holland and Ariel took the job and by October 13, 1882, had nearly reached the proposed height of 126 feet.  The stack was 14 feet square at the base, circular in form, and tapering to approximately eight feet in diameter.  Its 40-inch thick walls contained a 6-foot diameter flue running its entire length.  On the south side of the smokestack, approximately halfway up was imbedded a block of marble with "1882" chiseled.

The wheel of the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company was started for the first time on Tuesday, October 31, 1882.  All the machinery was in place and the mill was nearly ready for production.  By November, the mill consisted of three buildings; the chemical mill, reclaimer and liquor house, and boiler house.

The chemical mill was constructed of stone and brick with the dimensions of 70 x 136 feet and two and a half stories tall with a cupola on the top for ventilation purposes.  It contained the two 20-ton digesters or cooking boilers.  It had a slate roof bearing the name of the company.  The first story was constructed of stone while the second story was brick.  There were several wood and iron tanks, some of which were 16 feet deep and 13 feet in diameter, as well as a 72" Fourdenier or paper machine from which the paper was run out in dry rolls.

The reclaimer and liquor house were of wood construction with the dimensions of 50 x 102 feet and the same height as the chemical mill.  This facility contained six large upright furnaces and several large tanks and filters for making and mixing the liquors used in reducing the wood to pulp.  Two of the ingredients of the liquor were lime and soda ash.

The boiler house, 30 x 50 feet, contained the smoke stack that rose to a final height of 126 1/2 feet.  It also had two 40-horsepower boilers which supplied the steam for cooking purposes and for heating the buildings.  A 30-inch Stearn's turbine wheel under a 32-foot head of water supplied the motive power for driving the machinery.

Four foot pieces of wood were split and then pulled from the hands of an operator by a wheel with spike-like teeth.  It was then chipped, actually hacked to pieces.  The chips were taken to a loft by an endless chain with buckets about one foot apart and from a platform, were emptied into the two upright cooking boilers.  The wood was then cooked under high pressure by the chemicals, or liquors.  The cooking process continued from four to six hours.  The pulp, after leaving the boilers, was drained and passed from vat to vat until it attained the whiteness of bleached cotton.  From the vats, the pulp passed through a series of rollers similar to a modern paper machine and came off in rolls ready for shipment at the other end of the machine.  Six hundred cords of poplar, pine, basswood, and birch was required annually to supply the mills.  Another 2,500 cords of cheaper wood was used for fuel along with 2,000 tons of coal.  The company also had a mechanical or ground wood pulp mill producing 8 tons of dry pulp every day.

Water pipes were connected to the mill off the off the principal main off East Exchange Street by November 17, 1882.  The steam whistle of the company operated for the first time on Friday, November 17 and the machinery of the mill was tested in preparation for commencing operations.

Relocation of Exchange Street
Earlier in 1882, numerous individuals presented a petition to the commissioner of highways asking for a change in the location of the highway leading to Putnam that passed the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company, or East Exchange Street, today East Montcalm Street.  The petitioners stated it was necessary to move the road away from the mill and to get rid of the mud and rocky roadbed known as grist mill hill.  The estimated cost of the construction was $800.  A March 1883 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel stated that the commissioner called out a jury and twelve jurors were impaneled to rule on whether the proposed change in location of the highway was to be made.  The jury replied favorably after making the required examination and it was therefore decided to relocate the road on higher ground, obviating an ugly curve and following "the line of the old patent" and between the lots of several individuals who would materially benefit.   The paper mill assumed the risk and C. H. DeLano contracted the construction to Mr. A. Lee of Ticonderoga.  The road was eventually modified and graded in June 1882, giving it a higher elevation, for a distance of about 500 feet, in order to remove the sharp pitch of grist mill hill.  Work continued on the grading effort and general road improvement into August until the hill entirely disappeared.  The work was completed by October 5, 1883.

Morning Fire
On February 9, 1883, the mill suffered a morning fire in the mechanical mill.  The alcohol mill of it's competitor, the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company nearly suffered the same fate a few days earlier.  The fire was caused by overheating of the stove, filled with hard, dry wood.  The floor then caught fire and was well underway before it was discovered and extinguished.  Discovering the fire quickly saved the village from a catastrophic fire that could have easily consumed other structures.

Additional Mill Expansion - 1884
The Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company's plans for an additional mill was announced in 1884 when the Ticonderoga Sentinel stated ground breaking occurred on Monday, April 14.  Mr. D. M. Arnold surveyed the site and laid out the work.   Architects for the project were D. H. and A. B. Tower.  Mr. Alex Lee did all the excavating,  brick, and stone work.

The new mill joined the present mill structure to the West and consisted of three separate departments in one 3-room building measuring 206 feet in length and varying in width from 36 to 80 feet.  It was a one-story structure with a basement.  The east room immediately joining the present structure was 40' x 80' and served as the engine room.  The second room measured 36' x 122' and was used entirely for the wet pulp machine.  The third room measured 40' x 44' and was the finishing department.  The attics were used for storing rags and other materials.  The entire structure was made of wood except for the basement, which was constructed of stone and brick.

Clayton DeLano expected to have the new mill running by October, offering employment to approximately 30 persons, mostly skilled laborers.  The company also moved their office building to the side street opposite the machine room.  A new storehouse was also constructed measuring 108' x 32'.  O. W. Adkins did the slate work on the roof of the storehouse.  This was completed by June 1884.  By May 9, progress was being made on the foundation.

Trustees of the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company approved plans for the company's new mill on March 28, 1891.  Mrs. Martha Pinchin sold her property on the Island in April 1891 to the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company for the sum of $3000 and work was reportedly begun on the foundation of the new "Island Mill" by April 9, 1891. The Island mill was built specifically for the manufacture of high grade paper.

Brick laying began on what would become the Island Mill in April 1891.  Lynch Brothers of Holyoke, Massachusetts was awarded the brick work contract.  

Beginning in August, the brick work on the second story of the rear wing of the mill was completed and masons were at work on the second story facing Main Street.  Late August of 1891 brought news that the mill would install a large clock in the tower.  This would become a symbol of the Ticonderoga mill for years to come until its untimely destruction decades later when the mill installed the number 7 paper machine..  

The Number 3 Paper Machine was installed upon this original construction.  The No. 4 Paper Machine was added and put into service in 1896.  By 1900, the Ticonderoga Mills employed approximately 100 men and produce 10 tons of book and writing paper every day.

Mill Improvements
The February 25, 1897 issue of The Paper Mill and Wood Pulp News reported on a visit to the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company by the magazine's writer where he noted a number of improvements to the facility since his last visit.  The paper mill spent approximately $250,000 over the previous year in building and rebuilding the plant, increasing the water power, and adding new and improved machinery. The mill, originally constructed as a two machine mill, had only run as a one machine mill until about six months earlier.

The magazine writer visited the mill on a very snowy winter day.  It had been snowing for more than 24 hours and the magazine writer caught Clayton DeLano coming out of his office as he prepared to go over to the new Island Mill.  DeLano was all suited up in his high top rubber boots, thick overcoat, and slouch hat.  The writer explained how he was in the process of detailing the recent improvements in Ticonderoga's old and new mills.  With that, the writer and DeLano made off for the Island Mill.

The Island Mill was constructed in the shape of an "L" with the short arm along the main street containing an ornamental tower constructed in the angle.  The part of the mill on the street was devoted to the preparation of the stock, with the basement story containing a water wheel.  Two very large storerooms were located between the beater room and machine room.  The machine room's main story contained five 1,000 lb beating engines and two Jordan engines.  The main story measured 140 feet in length by 40 feet in width.

The tour with DeLano began in the machine room.  The machine room occupied the largest part of the arm of the "L" with dimensions of 60 feet wide and 160 feet long.  A row of windows on either side of the machine room made it light and airy.  The roof was supported with iron trusses. The machine room's main story contained five 1,000 lb beating engines and two Jordan engines.  The machine room now contained two machines, one of which had been running ever since the mill was constructed.  The second machine was a new 127-inch Fourdrinier machine with a 60 foot wire and 29 dryers built by Pusey & Jones Company of Wilmington, DE.  DeLano identified this as "the finest machine I ever saw."  The machine room floors were laid in cement with conduits at the base of each machine to remove all water and condensed steam.  The machine's driving train was located in the basement of the mill, which was built upon a solid rock foundation with a cement floor and heavy stone arches upon which the machines rested.  The driving train rested on granite piers and ran without vibration.  The older machine was a 102-inch machine with 50-foot wire and 16 dryers running 300 feet a minute.  There was an overhead trolley and track for handling the couch and press rolls.  The new machine had no trolley or track because the couch and press rolls were raised and lowered differently.

The drainers were located at one end of the basement and held all the pulp and the steam engines that drove the two machines.  Also located there was another steam engine that worked in connection with the water wheels to drive all the other parts of the mill when they were short of water power.   

The tour continued in the finishing room where the magazine writer noted considerable changes since his last visit, almost to the point of not recognizing it.  Because the mill was now more of a book mill than a newspaper mill, it required more space.  The extra amount of machinery and the different kind of machinery, by virtue of it now being a two machine room instead of a one machine room, made the surroundings very different.  

The finishing room measured 130 feet long by 50 feet wide.  It was nicely fitted and arranged with all new super-calendars, paper cutters, and everything necessary for a complete book mill.  The writer stated the Island Mill was a most superb book mill in every respect. 

The Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company constructed a new three story brick structure with heavy iron beams, 260 feet long by 40 feet wide.  This became the new storehouse and was built for the purpose to enable the company to store all their rags, sulphite pulp, and manufactured paper.  It also allowed the company to purchase raw material in larger quantities.  

For six months of the year, the company experienced a low freight rate by canal boats until the canal froze and the mill could not avoid the railroad freight rates.  By building this storehouse, the company was able to purchase its clay, alum, coal, sulphite, pulp, and other necessary materials to last through the winter.  

The storehouse was conveniently located right by the side of the canal where the railroad freight cars ran along the side of the doors.  When a shipment of machinery arrived, the mill used the trolley track running through the building to the cars or canal boats, and could hoist the machinery and carry it through the storehouse to any part of the paper mill.

Another improvement included the rebuilt and improved soda pulp mill, making it a practically new chemical fiber mill.  The mill eliminated their four old digesters and set up five new welded digesters.  The mill increased their capacity of soda pulp from 15 tons to 25 tons a day.

Lower mill improvements included new machinery and additions.  Beating capacity increased by adding three new 1,000 pound engines, making a total of 9 engines.  

The company also added ten additional feet of floor space to the finishing room of the old mill; improved their Fourdrinier machines by lengthening them and adding four new dryers to each of them, increasing their production of book paper in the old mill.  When the two mills were running full time, they could easily produce 25 tons in the old mill making 50 tons of book and cheap writing papers.  The rag room had a force of women assorting and cutting rags.  These were then dumped in chutes into the rotaries in the floor below.  

The mill increased their water power by 50% through the construction of a new dam.  This enabled the company to operate the lower mill more than three quarters of the time in a year without the use of steam engines.

In finishing up the tour, Clayton DeLano stated that the company was doing a very good business, running the mill full time and having a difficult time filling orders.  DeLano said they would have turned down orders if they had not had stock on hand for the regular and popular sizes of different grades of paper.  At this time, the officers of the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company were listed as Clayton H. DeLano (president); C. S. Merrill (vice-president); and C. E. Bush (secretary and treasurer).  The directors were Clayton H. DeLano, C. S. Merrill, W. G. Dewey, R. W. Clapp, Warren Curtis, H. G. Burleigh, J. T. Outterson, C. E. Bush, and W. W. D. Jeffers.

Mill Housing
A number of homes in Ticonderoga date back to the early paper mill industry, constructed for mill managers and workers.  The Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company bought land, which is today known as the Lake George Avenue Historic District, from the Essex County Pulp and Paper Company in 1905.  That company purchased the five-acre site from Clayton Delano in 1893.  It was believed that Essex purchased the property for worker housing or offices rather than for a mill because it was located across the street from the Delano Residence. These twelve Lake George Avenue homes, located a short distance south of the intersection of Lake George Avenue and Montcalm Street, were constructed between 1919 and 1921 under the direction of local builder, William A. Gale, and still overlook the La Chute River.  Gale was considered to be the foremost contractor in the area and is noted for having constructed Ticonderoga's first hospital.

The Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company also constructed ten homes along Amherst Avenue, two blocks east of the Lake George Avenue homes, between 1921 and 1923.  Local builder, William A. Gale, also supervised the construction of these homes which were then rented to mill management.  

International Paper Company purchased both of these mill housing districts in 1925 when the company acquired the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company.  International Paper sold all of these homes to their tenants in the 1940s. 

Arlington Hotel
The Arlington Hotel started out as the Hall House and was located on the east side of North Main Street.  Sanborn fire insurance maps in 1912 show the hotel as the Arlington, sitting between two large livery stables.  

The Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company purchased the Arlington Hotel from M. J. and W. L. Hayes during the 1911 strike, sometime around August 17, 1911.  After this purchase, the hotel then came under the management of J. A. Davis.  The paper company used the hotel as a boarding house for non-resident papermakers as well as a club house.  

A fire broke out in the second floor during around 9 p.m. on Friday, August 11 from an unknown cause in a room over the kitchen.  The Ticonderoga fire department was called to the scene, but the blaze was easily extinguished before they arrived.   The hotel closed on Wednesday, May 1, 1912.  

The Arlington Hotel became the Ticonderoga Inn in its later life.

Mill Moves Road
The Ticonderoga town board voted at a meeting on Saturday, September 20, 1913, to permit the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company to swing the highway along the south side of the lower mill a short distance eastward to a point near the embankment.  Only that portion of the highway between the railroad crossing and the village line was affected by the change.  The change allowed the mill to put in a wood conveyor where the road was located.

A petition to change the route of the highway was the chief subject for discussion by the village trustees during their November 5, 1913 evening meeting.  It was surmised that because the paper company built a splendid road along the "dugway" when that road was changed, the petition to change the road would be granted.  Public sentiment, also seemed to be almost wholly in favor of the proposition.

The petition was presented to the village trustees and the issue set for discussion at two o'clock on Tuesday, February 17, 1914.  A notice of the hearing with full details of the changes requested appeared in the February 5 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  

There was no opposition to the proposition at the February 17 meeting.  No one appeared in opposition and waivers of interested property owners having been obtained, the assent of the trustees the change was obtained.  The Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company would bear the expense of changing the roadway.  The paper company would also do the work.  This meant that the new roadway would be better than the old one.

Men and teams were at work by November 19, 1914 changing the location of the roadway near the Arnold place on East Exchange street in accordance with permits granted by the town and village boards.  The crew began the work to eliminate the turn at the paper mill office by swinging the road to the south and along the bank near the railroad track.

Lake George Pulp & Paper Company
The water privilege at the outlet from Lake George flowing into the Ticonderoga Creek was owned by George C. Weed and leased to the Lake George Pulp and Paper Company.  This company announced on April 21, 1882 that they would increase their business by branching out and adding another paper mill as soon as the water in the Ticonderoga Creek allowed.  The company announced it was nearly ready to begin building their new mill at the upper falls at the site of the old George C. Weed saw mill.  Reports on July 14, 1882 stated the timbers were being cut and contracted for and the work of laying foundations would begin at once.  The main building was four stories high, the top floor, which was called the rag room, was where the rags were received in 100-pound bales, assorted, and thrown into the rotary boiler.  They were then saturated with a strong solution of lime and chemicals by which the colors were withdrawn and the bleaching process began.  From this boiler, the rags underwent further processing and grinding.  On the building's third story, the rags were washed and mixed with wood pulp.  This mixture was forced through a screen, which removed all foreign and refuse material.

The introduction of the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company made a total of two paper mills in Ticonderoga.  Previous to this effort, the company already had two pulp mills (wet and dry), which were already turning out quantities of pulp.

Adjoining and connected to the main building was the paper machine house (125' x 35'), which was a story and a half in height.  Inside was a paper machine manufactured by the Boston Machine Company.  This 84-inch Fourdrinier had 10 dryers and cost the company $15,000.  The pulp started at the west end of the machine and placed upon a shaking apron to distribute the soft, watery pulp evenly over the surface.  In passing though the machine, part of the moisture in the pulp was removed.  The pulp was then transferred to a blanket which covered it while it passed through the first two sets of rollers.  It passed over a second set of blankets, then to the steam dryers, and over other rollers and dryers until its final destination on a cylindrical reel in the form of paper.

The Lake George (Baldwin) Branch of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad passed within a few feet of the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company, which was convenient for receiving material and shipping the pulp and paper produced there.

By August 25, the mill began receiving machinery, one piece weighing 20 tons, and the millwrights were busy doing their part of the work.  In September, the mill was employing a large number of mechanics, laborers, miner, and teamsters who were preparing the site and framing huge timbers.  

A large amount of rock was removed to make room for the main building.  The large cooking boilers, weighing in at nearly 20 tons each, arrived at the Lake George branch station in Ticonderoga around March 1.  The boilers were 7-feet in diameter and 22-feet in length with a capacity of 850 cubic feet each.  The foundation was completed by October 6 and required 600 yards of stone.

The machinery for the Lake George mill was on the ground on November 3, 1882 and was ready to be placed into position.  It was now a race to see which mill, Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper at the lower falls or Lake George Pulp & Paper located at the upper falls would make the first paper in Ticonderoga.

On January 5, 1883, the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company was within days of beginning operations.  This, however, did not occur and on February 2, 1883 it was reported that the mill was "nearly completed" and paper making was expected as early as February 10.  Water in the Ticonderoga Creek was low at the time due to several months of drought.  It was hoped that a fair sized winter thaw would allow the mill to run at full capacity.  At the same time, the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company was reported, "settling down to business" and expected four to five tons of pulp within a few days.  It's paper machine was in working order.  By February 16, this mill was up and running and producing excellent pulp, but was still not up to full capacity.  There was no indication that the mill was yet producing paper although the wood yards had about 1,200 cords of wood stored for the mills.  The mill ran day and night with employees changing shifts at 6 a.m. and 6 pm.  The steam whistle announced the shift changes and could be heard from miles around.

On Friday, March 2, 1883, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company made paper for the first time on Tuesday, February 28.  It was originally ready for business a week previously and expected to make paper that day, but was unable to do so due to some unavoidable hindrance.  Records for its competitor, the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company, stating when that facility made its first paper were unclear so who knows who really made the first paper in Ticonderoga.  The important fact was that two fine paper mills were producing and shipping excellent quality paper to many customers.

An 1885 document, Report on the Water-Power of Lake George Outlet, stated that the company's mill manufactured  dry pulp and news paper.  The capacity of the dry pulp mill was 600 tons per year while the capacity of the paper mill was 4 tons per day.  Another ground wood pulp mill had a capacity of 2 tons per day.

International Paper Company obtained the upper mills of the Lake George Paper Company in 1898 from a local group of Ticonderoga businessmen.  There were three small paper machines at the mill which produced newsprint.  Upper mill operations (Mill #14) did not survive the depression.  Everything was demolished in 1929 except the warehouse and power generation station.

The Lake George Pulp & Paper Company supplied such newspapers as the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, New Haven Register, and New Haven Journal.

International Paper Company
The Riordon Pulp & Paper Company, Ltd of Montreal, Canada purchased a majority of the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company stock on November 21, 1916.  This change of ownership, as announced in the November 29, 1916 issue of Paper, was unexpected and 

"...if the negotiations resulting in the transfer were conducted for any length of time, then it was also accomplished with unusual secrecy and freedom from public rumor."

When control of the majority of the stock passed to the new owner, the old company officers promptly tendered their resignations.  These officers and directors included: C. E. Bush, treasurer and general manager; T. S. Cooledge, vice-president; W. S. Wilcox, secretary; W. Dewey, W. W. Jeffers, C. H. DeLano, and Gustav Pagenstecher.  

Dr. C. S. Merrill, Allen Curtis and Thomas E. Warren continued on the board.  At a joint meeting, directors were appointed to fill the new vacancies including Charles Riordon, president; Carl Riordon, vice-president and managing director; F. B. Whittet, secretary and treasurer; George E. Challes, T. J. Stevenson, and Lawrence Macfarlane.  Warren continued in the management, assuring the company's quality and service.  The new connection with Riordon assured the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company a complete supply of raw materials, the same as used for several years past and which was best suited for the special grades of paper which the company produced.

International Paper Company bought out Riordon Sales of Canada in 1919, which included a large interest in the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company.  International Paper Company then acquired a controlling interest in Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company in 1925.  Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company became International Paper Company's Mill #38.  The original name, Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company, was retained until June, 1930, when International Paper formally assumed management control.  Possibly the most famous order ever filled by the Ticonderoga Mill was for 70 freight carloads of paper shipped by the Delaware and Hudson for the first edition of "Gone With the Wind." 

When International Paper acquired the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper in 1925, the mill had the No.1 and No.2 paper making machines in the lower mill and the No.3 and No.4 machines in the Island Mill.  The No.3 and No.4 paper machines manufactured book and writing papers initially from soda and chemical pulp which included rags.

Upper Falls Mill Closes
The Upper Falls mill was closed on February 1, 1927 for a considerable period of time.  Before its closure, the plant was utilized for the manufacture of newsprint and catalogue paper.  The plant was equipped with three high-speed paper machines which assured the production of newsprint in large quantities.  The mill then resumed operations a short time later after a thorough overhauling of equipment and necessary alterations to the machinery which would permit the production of high grade paper.  

By December of 1929, the price of newsprint was $60 per ton, the highest price in some time, and there was a consistent market for the product.  Other International Paper Company newsprint plants throughout the eastern United States were working to capacity, and the company assumed similar favorable conditions would prevail at the upper falls plant when it re-opened.  On December 19, 1929, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that the Upper Falls plant, which had again suspended operations three weeks earlier, would resume work almost at once to manufacture the expensive and high grade paper.

Upper Falls Improvements
The International Paper Company began building a new dam at the upper falls among other improvements around the mill in October 1903 .  D. H. Cowles of Glens Falls was the contractor to replace the older dam, half of which was built about forty years earlier with and the other half about twenty years later.  A corps of engineers outside of those connected with the company was employed to establish the height of the dam.  They fixed it at the lowest point of the previous one.  The spillway was made one-third longer and the sluice gate twice as large as the old one.  By making these arrangements, the lake could be quickly drained to a proper level in times of high water.  An extra heavy iron tube and steel penstock were installed to replace the old ones and a new water wheel was added, which, with the new arrangements, gave more power with the same amount of water.

The D mill, which was one of the original pulp mills in town was expected to be torn down and replaced with a new one to increase the pulp production.  About twenty-five hands were at work on the improvements during the week of October 3, 1903.  A larger force was expected to be be employed at a later date.

International Paper produced book and writing papers made from soda pulp and rags.  The paper mill continued to produce soda pulp for high grade book papers for sale to other mills until 1940.  In 1940, a new papermaking technology made it possible to manufacture bleached and unbleached pulps from hardwoods.  The Ticonderoga mill shifted from the soda process to the semi-kraft process, allowing for the production of more profitable grades of offset, text, and other fine papers. 

No. 5 and No. 6 Paper Machines
International Paper Company added two more paper machines when the No. 5 and No. 6 machines were transferred from the Fort Edward mill during 1944 and 1945.  These were sent to the lower mill.  The four machines in the lower mill were then converted from printing papers to carbonizing during the 1940's enabling a total tonnage of approximately 30 tons per day.  The No.4 machine was rebuilt in 1954 in order for the mill to concentrate on business paper production.  About this same time the mill undertook a construction project to complete a 4-stage bleach plant, digester, recovery, and wood yard extension.  The No.3 paper machine was then rebuilt in 1957.  These four lower mill paper machines were phased out in 1966 when the Androscoggin Mill started the operation of its No.2 machine, thereby meeting International Paper's carbonizing requirements.

New Bleach Plant
In the papermaking process, the bleach plant whitens the pulp for paper production.  International Paper Company erected their bleach plant in 1955.  This tile and glass block building was located in the lower mill and stood over eighty feet high.  The name of the company and company logo graced the top side of the building facing Tower Avenue.  During the evening hours, the company name and logo glowed to the surrounding community. 

In July 1965, the mill installed a 10-ton washer cylinder through into the top floor of the building by lifting the washer using a crane and inserting it in an opening in the wall onto the operating floor.

New Lime Kiln
In October 1960 the mill added a new lime kiln to the lower mill.  Lime mud (calcium carbonate) was a byproduct from the digesters.  It was cooked in the kiln to form pure lime.  

The kiln had a total length of 250 feet and was shipped to Ticonderoga in three sections requiring eight railroad flat cars.  The three sections were lifted from the rail cars and set on roller supports, lined up, and welded together.  

The new kiln had a building housing the firing end and a feed end.  All controls and instrumentation were installed in this building.  The feed end building housed the induce draft fan, slurry feeder, mud thickener, and screw conveyor.  This equipment controlled the feed of the lime mud into the kiln.  

The kiln had the capacity to support a 250 ton per day Kraft pulp mill. 

New Finishing Room
Another mill addition came in 1963-64 with the new finishing room whose ground breaking occurred on April 1, 1963 by the Walsh Construction Company of New York City.  This was a $1,850,000 improvement program to increase the finishing room facilities.  The program involved the construction of a 100,000-square foot addition to the new Island Mill.  It included expanded railroad loading facilities to include railroad sidings for loading 12 cars at at time.  The railroad tracks entered the facility along the Island Mill spur.  It also included a truck trailer dock that had the capability to handle up to eight trailers at once.  The new addition permitted the mill to continue its overnight service to the New York metropolitan area on a larger scale to meet its increasing demands for the shipment of sheets of its commercial printing and business papers.  

The new building was located on the west end of the No.7 Machine Room.  The current finishing room building connected to the eastern end of the new finishing room.  The old machine shop was removed to make way for the new building.  The southerly stream bed was diverted to the northern side of the island in order to make room for the new railroad siding.  Also removed was the original mill water tower.  The converting plant was housed on the top floor of the building with the cutter room and merchant finishing facilities on the main floor.  The ground floor stored the necessary supplies needed for converting and finishing operations.

By late December 1963, all facilities of the old converting operations were relocated to the 3rd floor of the new finishing room in an around the clock, three-day move.  The schedule for the transfer of tools and equipment was planned so it would not interfere with the mill's normal work week.  The move began at seven o'clock Saturday morning, December 14, and ended on schedule 72 hours later.  

The finishing room project was completed in January 1964. 

New Sulphuric Acid Storage
The mill replaced its sulphuric acid storage tank in 1964.  The new tank, measuring 32' x 9', was manufactured in the welding shop and transported on a low boy trailer to the tank farm for installation.  The new tank stored 116 tons of acid used for the paper bleaching process.

Mill Adds Pilot Plant
International Paper began introduced additional methods to reduce stream pollutants.  In March 1967, International Paper Company completed its construction of the pilot effluent treatment plant in the lower mill.  The building measured 35' x 45' and was 37' in height.  It was located in the lower mill where the effluents from all mill outlets were pumped in measured amounts for testing purposes.  The plan began operation in April 1967.  The system consisted of pumps located at all mill discharge points.  The pumps were controlled so as to deliver a mixture of effluents to the Pilot Plant in the same ratio that they were flowing into the stream.  The plant treated a small portion of the actual effluent flow.

Black Liquor System
The mill installed a black liquor oxidation system in 1967.  A. H. Lundberg Inc. built the system which was used to oxidize black liquor by bubbling air through slotted trays containing the black liquor.  Black liquor contained the impurities removed from wood during the cooking process, unused chemicals, and chemicals that could be recovered for reuse.  The system, when properly operated, could greatly reduce the quantities of odorous hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, but it could not completely eliminate the odor so many Ticonderoga residents lived with each day mainly because the human nose could easily detect minute quantities of these gases.  The plant began operation around June 1, 1967.

The No. 8 Paper Machine
A No.8 paper machine was planned during the mid-1960's due to a favorable sales forecast of the share of the fine paper market.  It became apparent to company officials, however, that the village of Ticonderoga was not adequate to support the necessary layouts to sustain the machine's requirements.  Air and water quality requirements and the increased water usage would help determine that a Ticonderoga site was impossible.  

In 1965, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ordered International Paper to construct treatment systems for its plant in Ticonderoga.  Considerable deliberation ensued regarding the inability to build the No.8 paper machine in Ticonderoga and the Conservation Department's orders.  The company instead opted to build a new, more modern facility on the shore of Lake Champlain approximately 10 miles north of the site in downtown Ticonderoga.  The new mill would draw its water supply directly from Lake Champlain. 

The Mill Moves
The demolition of the historic lower mill actually began in June 1966.  By the end of September, the four paper machines and most of the auxiliary equipment was removed.  Buildings came down slowly as debris was removed..  Service lines to the pulp mill and steam plant had to be maintained as the mill was still in operation.

Construction of the new mill, International Paper Company Mill #10, started in the late 1960's.  In December 1969, a portion of the finishing room began operation.  In December 1970, the original mill in the village of Ticonderoga closed and the new International Paper mill opened its operations at its new location outside of the village limits.  This marked the first time in 200 years that no industrial activity occurred on the La Chute River.  The new paper mill was built at a cost of $71 million and was dedicated in October 1971.

The new No.8 paper machine began operation in January 1971.  The No.7 paper machine in the old mill (Mill #38) was shut down during the first week of December 1979 for dismantling.  It was reassembled, moved to the new mill (Mill #10) and began operations in June 1971. Although the new plant would continue as a customer of the Delaware and Hudson railroad, the paper company no longer required rail services in Ticonderoga.

On April 9, 1974, the Times of Ti reported that Standard Machine and Equipment Company of Uniontown, PA began preparing to remove Mill #38 from the village.  The mill's old time office, located at the base of Champlain Avenue served as the demolition company's main office.  The upstairs section over the International Paper Company's administration business office served as the IP headquarters.

After a meeting held on Wednesday, April 4, 1974 between village building inspector, Floyd Scott, and members of the Village Board, International Paper representatives were given a demolition permit allowing work to begin immediately.

When I was younger, the mill (#38) was located in its original location in the village of Ticonderoga.  There were days when you literally didn’t want to breathe in downtown Ticonderoga because of the horrible sulfur smell.  I have such vivid memories of that smell.   They actually bring back many fond memories of childhood.  Today...I miss it...but only a little. 

The Mills & Dams
A dam has existed at the outlet of Lake George since 1808.  Its principal purpose was to store water in order to provide power for industrial use.  Saw mills and grist mills use the water power in its early days.  Paper mills have been located along the Ticonderoga Creek since 1878 and depended on the dam for water for the manufacturing process as well as water power.  

International Paper Company was composed of six separate mills and/or dams some of which were more industrial than others.  The company published a general location map of all mills at Ticonderoga in June 1926.  These included Mill "A," Mill "B," Mill "C," Mill "D," Mill "E" or Island Mill, and Mill "F" or Lower Mill.  Each dam or mill got its name from its position relative to the outlet of Lake George.  Dam/Mill "A" was the first dam down from the outlet.  Dam/Mill "B" was the second down from the outlet, and so on.

"A" Mill Dam
The "A" Mill was located at the outlet of Lake George and the beginning of the La Chute River near the first waterfall (34' drop) and dam at Bridge Street (now Alexandria Avenue).  This was also known as the Lake George Mill.  A wooden dam was constructed on the rock crest of the outlet around 1800 which ran saw mills and the later pulp and paper mills.  Approximately a century later, Alexander Lee built a stone masonry dam with 10-inch wooden flashboards.  These were used to raise the level of Lake George high enough to provide a flow of 200 cubic feet per second for up to 140 days.

In it's first half-mile, the La Chute River falls 99 feet from the outlet of Lake George.  The traffic between Lake George and Lake Champlain along with this wealth of water power combined to make Alexandria, the earliest settlement in Ticonderoga.  By 1810, the hamlet had two forges, a tannery, and several saw mills. 

The "A" mill was shut down due to a lack of orders and demolished in October 1898.  However, during the spring of 1903 International Paper began work on the "A" dam replacing the older dam on the same site.  It was constructed of stone masonry and was laid on the rock crest of a natural waterfall in the outlet.  The spillway of the dam was about 80 feet long and was about seven feet maximum height above the natural original rock.  It was equipped with a gate and penstock leading to the water wheel that formerly provided hydroelectric power, and four waste or flood gates to control the discharge of water.  Approximately one-half of the old dam was constructed 40 years earlier with the other half twenty years after that. 

"B" Mill Dam
The "B" Mill was located near Mill "A", but slightly northwest of it along the La Chute River and past the base of the first waterfall (68-foot drop).  This was the location of the second dam and powered forges, graphite, and saw mills decades before any organized paper making activities.  It was also the starting point for the penstock supplying the "C" mill in 1893.  The Lake George Manufacturing Company constructed a cotton mill below the upper falls in 1872 hoping to capitalize on the textile industry.  The five-story mill ran 60,000 spindles, but was empty by 1884.  The Glens Falls Pulp Company built a new brick and stone mill at this location in 1891.  By 1893, all of the pulp companies in this location merged into the Lake George Paper Company.  This was the first time in history that the entire upper falls was under the ownership of a single company.  In 1896 a new 252 foot dam was constructed in three sections.  This 20 foot high dam directed water into a 10 foot diameter penstock for the Glens Falls Paper Company's "C" mill just down the river.

The level of Lake George has been controlled from the outlet at this location for more than 100 years.  In 1987, the  LaChute Hydro Company, a subsidiary of Enel North America, Inc., began construction on its Upper and Lower Hydroelectric Projects along the LaChute River.  The upper project was located at the "B" mill location while the lower Project was located at the lower falls or "F" mill.  Both commenced operations in 1989.  The upper facility continues to control the level of Lake George in accordance with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  The upper and lower hydroelectric projects, the only hydropower facilities on Lake George, generate enough clean electricity to power over 4,000 New York households as well as provide water for the lower falls and stimulate local fish populations.

In 1971, the mill in this area was shut down when the new mill was constructed.  There had been a dam at this site in one form or another since the 1750's.  The existing masonry dam was built in 1903.  By 1974, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation began a state dam project in this area.  Demolition of the old paper mill buildings was well underway.  A. P. Reale and Sons of Ticonderoga had a $37,640 contract with the state to complete the demolition.  The center of the original masonry dam which regulated the Lake George water level was reconstructed.  Three new gates were installed, each capable of handling 300 cubic feet of water.

"C" Mill Dam
The "C" Mill was located north of Mill "B" on Lord Howe Street  and a short distance south of the outlet of Trout Brook.  It was the former site of a ground wood mill of the Lake George mill system.  This was the location of the third dam (23-foot drop) along the river.  The site required a broad dam high enough to make its power-generating "head" worthwhile while strong enough to hold back a lot of water.

The "C" mill, originally of the Glens Falls Pulp Company, and better known as the old cotton mill, was destroyed by fire on Friday morning, July 31, 1891.  Although the fire was discovered quickly, the entire building was consumed in flames quickly most likely due to the fact that the windows were all open and the Georgia pine floors were saturated with oil from its time as a cotton factory.  The floors were also covered with fine dust from pulp, which helped spur the blaze.

A portion of the building destroyed was used by the company as a machine shop.  Destroyed inside were personal tools, a triple compound engine, and various articles of clothing and jewelry.  The fire was supposedly caused by the heating of a journal or the friction of a belt.

The Glens Falls Pulp Company began reconstruction to replace the burned facility in late August of 1891.  The new mill was of the same capacity and located at the same site.  By October 1st, approximately 70 hands were employed in the construction at the bottom of the upper falls.  The 40' x 40' machine shop was completed and part of the machinery was in position.  Crews had completed the 180' x 55' foundation for the pulp mill and were working on the brick work.  The company would locate the 20' x 20' office between the pulp mill and machine shop.  The mill itself had a gravel roof.

International Paper Company would later acquire the property as it did all paper making in the area.  The company installed an electric turbine in the east end of the dam.  A penstock carrying water from the upper dam supplemented the force of water coming over the 21-foot dam.  The dam supplied water for International Paper Company's #4C generator.

The original "C" dam created a significant amount of retained water which earned the name, Lord Howe Lake as Lord Howe road ran along side it.  This was once one of the sites advertised for winter sports in Ticonderoga.  The dam was lowered in the 1970's.  

When International Paper Company built a new mill on the shore of Lake Champlain in the 1970s, the turbine house was dismantled and the dam lowered to decrease the pond depth.  The lake, or possibly more correctly, the pond, returned to its present size as witnessed today.  Today, earthen berms on either side of the river indicate the original height of the dam and give an idea of the size of the pond, or lake, it created.  Only the lower regulator remains of the double regulated Kaplan turbine that once produced electricity.  It sat in a vertical, cylindrical casing connected by a short pipe to the intake in the dam.

In 1987, LaChute Hydro, a subsidiary of Enel North America, Inc., constructed its upper generating station here known as the Upper LaChute Hydroelectric Project.  It was powered by a buried penstock running from the "A" dam.

"D" Mill Dam
The "D" mill was one of Ticonderoga's original pulp mills and   the location of the fourth dam (18-foot drop).  It was located a short distance northwest of the the railroad line into Ticonderoga and the Island Mill along Lake George Avenue. 

The Delaware and Hudson spur running from the upper falls to the Island Mill passed right behind the rack house shown on the right. There was also a short storage track at this location. 

In 1906, a huge 12-foot penstock built by Glogstron and North of Fair Haven, VT carried water from the "D" mill alongside the river, under the bridge, and above ground into the Island Mill.

"E" Mill Dam (Island Mill Dam)
The Island Mill was located north of West Exchange Street and was also the location of the fifth dam (47-foot drop), and Richard's Island dam.  It needed a great deal of water to operate a new electrical power plant and power pulp operations.  The dam here was fitted a concrete intake gate surmounted with a gatehouse.  The dam fed a double flume running into the mill.

Clogstron and North of Fair Haven, Vermont constructed a large penstock here in 1906.  This brought water from the "C" dam to the lower mill area increasing the volume of available water as well as the height of the water stack.  Sand filters purified the water driving the hydro-electric generators and supplied water for pulp vats and paper machines. 

The creek that formed the island disappeared many years ago through the use of penstocks.  The entire LaChute river has narrowed from its former self into what is visible today.  The original configuration of streets and streams within Ticonderoga was much more complicated in its earlier history.  Spencer Creek, a name lost on many, but the oldest or more history-minded individuals today, at one time split from the LaChute river just before the Montcalm Street (Exchange Street) bridge until again rejoining the river where Champlain Avenue (Main Street) crossed the river (Frazier Bridge).  By 1906, Spencer Creek had disappeared, replaced by a penstock described above.

"F" Mill Dam (Lower Mill Dam)
The Lower Mill was located in Ticonderoga and bounded by the intersection of East Exchange Street and Tower Avenue.  This was also the location of the last waterfall and dam, "F" mill dam (30-foot drop), along the Ticonderoga Creek, certainly the most famous and picturesque of the waterfalls in present day Ticonderoga.  The first industrialization of this area began with the construction of a French saw mill in 1756.  Samuel Deall used this mill to grind grain before the American Revolution.  

Before 1880, three major manufacturers competed for water at the lower falls.  They constructed a wing dam to divide the river.  A three foot weir (low head, overflow type dam) controlled the flow which then passed by a masonry wall that extended 75 feet into the waterfall.  The Ticonderoga Pulp Company received two thirds of the flow.  American Graphite Company and Horicon Iron Works shared the remainder.  

The Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company built their lower mill in 1883.  In 1898, a Victor wheel was installed and generated 565-horsepower.  Outlets for the penstock feeding the 39' wheel are still visible next to the modern hydroelectric plant, which now sits at the base of the waterfall.

International Paper Company turned over the dam that controlled the water level of Lake George to the State of New York on April 5, 1974.  Title to the 70-year old dam and 7.04 acres of contiguous land that provided access to it was accepted on behalf of the State by Commissioner of Environmental Conservation James L. Beggane.  IP also contributed $150,000 as a fund to redesign and reconstruct the dam.

The projected dam redesign involved the removal of the penstock, rebuilding the dam straight across the outlet, and replacing the wooden manually operated flood gates.

Today, the LaChute Hydro Company operates the Lower LaChute Hydroelectric Project from this location.  The lower LaChute plant functions as a "run-of-river" hydropower facility meaning that it only uses the natural flow of the river without any water storage.  The naturally flowing water is released by the Upper LaChute Hydroelectric Project near the old "B" mill and dam.  

In 2007, LaChute Hydro completed an equipment upgrade which increased the annual electricity generation by over five percent.  Despite these changes along the river, the natural beauty of the lower or "Centennial" falls near Bicentennial Park has been preserved.

Dorn's Transportation
Dorn's Transportation was based in Albany, NY and did considerable business in Ticonderoga and many times their vehicles could be seen in the Ticonderoga rail yard and International Paper Company lots.

In March, 1981 Walter Dorn, then Chief Executive Officer and principal stockholder of Dorn's Transportation, Inc. agreed on behalf of himself and the minority shareholders to sell Dorn's Transportation to Oneida Motor Freight, Inc. Oneida received the stock of Dorn's Transportation on September 17, 1981.  The sale was completed in 1985.

Crews began dismantling of one of the most visible symbols of International Paper in the village of Ticonderoga with the removal of the large silver ball shaped water tower in October 1974.  A huge logo of International Paper Company graced the side of the ball portion of the water tower.  Construction workers with Security Tank and Tower Company out of Henderson, Kentucky dismantled the 150 foot tower in two days.  

It was a unique process involving the removal of the top in one section.  Unfortunately the crew failed to locate a crane that could handle 12 tons and had to settle for a 150 foot boom crane that was capable of 8 tons.  This necessitated cutting the silver ball in half.  Two men had to climb to the top of the tower from the inside and climb out on a rope ladder in order to cut the ball down the sides.  

The contacted company actually purchased the tank and transported it back to Kentucky on railroad cars where it was reconditioned and sold.  Security Tank also removed the penstock from the "A" mill all the way down to the former filter plant.  The company had already sold 200 feet of the 9-foot diameter pipe by October 1, 1974. 

On December 23, 1974, International Paper Company called together representatives of the community of Ticonderoga to formally announce they were deeding over 100 acres of land to the village of Ticonderoga.  The meeting took place at the Holiday Inn in Lake George.   

According to the transfer, the land encompassed all IP Company property east of Tower Avenue.  The land bordered both sides of the Ticonderoga Creek and included access to the scenic lower falls.  This would become part of the communities Bicentennial Park.  The former lower mill area was graded with the pulp and power group of the complex already leveled and in the process of being cleaned up and removed.  The No.7 machine was a skeleton, but the finishing and storage area in the Island Mill was still generally intact.  The company also donated the building once housing the main mill office (1888 building) to the village.  This was used as the Heritage Museum.

By 1977, most of the former International Paper Company mill and Joseph E. Dixon Crucible Company's American Graphite lands, both once booming and vibrant industries, was radically changed to more community minded uses.  A little league field was now sitting at the location of the old graphite company.  The previous field was taken when the village's water pollution abatement plant was constructed on that site.

The Baldwin Branch
The junction of the Baldwin branch and the mainline of the Delaware and Hudson was 99.89 miles north of Albany at the eastern base of Mount Defiance (also known as Sugar Hill or Rattlesnake Hill) 0.39 miles north of the Lake Champlain Transportation Company’s dock (also referred to as Fort Ticonderoga by the railroad due to its proximity to the "great stone fortress" with the same name) at the mouth of the Ticonderoga Creek.  This junction was under the jurisdiction of the Ticonderoga station (D&H station number 45) located on the Ticonderoga Branch in the Town of Ticonderoga.  This junction was also located shortly before the 439’ tunnel under the roadway leading to historic Fort Ticonderoga (Fort Ticonderoga is also known by its French name - Fort Carillon.  It was long thought that the fort was named this because the rapids nearby sounded like the musical peal of bells.  It is argued, however, that the name actually came from the name of a French trader based there). 

"...here is no properly dedicated highway at that point, though one has existed as far as memory can go back."  

The property was used for many years as a highway before the railroad was built.  However, The Delaware and Hudson claimed the land from the rock ledge (easily visible today) just north of the station, as part of its right-of-way. 

The State Highway Department, State Senator, local Assemblyman, and supervisors met with Delaware and Hudson president Loree in August 1921 at Montcalm Landing to resolve the issue.  The issue was finally resolved and after several delays due to work and weather problems, construction began on the road on April 10, 1922.  Most of the construction was completed by early August 1923 except for the construction of guard rails and ditch work. 

Constructing the Baldwin Branch
The Baldwin Branch of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, or the "Lake George Road", as it was known in the newspapers at the time, opened on May 24, 1875.  This rail line connecting Montcalm Landing near Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain to the rail terminus at Baldwin Dock on Lake George passed through the outskirts of Ticonderoga.  This would somewhat complete Ticonderoga's rail connection to points north and south, but did not immediately bring tracks directly into the village of Ticonderoga itself.

The Railroad's Inception
News of the branch line's inception appeared on June 6, 1874, when the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced that the Lake George Road was permanently located and work would begin at once.  The expectations at that time were for trains to begin running by the close of the traveling season, which was usually around August or September depending upon the weather and tourist travel.  The article announced the line as an estimated 4 miles, running from the dock at Port Marshall (Montcalm Landing) to the new dock at Coates' Landing (Baldwin).

Work Begins
The work of actually building the new Baldwin branch to Lake George began on Thursday, June 11, 1874 on that portion of the line running through W. G. Baldwin's land.  Gangs of laborers were sent to work at short intervals along the route with plans to increase the force as fast as men could be spared from the New York & Canada railroad, which was just nearing completion.  

By June 29, the force on the Lake George road was increased with four large railroad gangs who were busy at work with still more help soon to be employed.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel announced a noticeable advancement in the construction of the line and new rail gangs increased again during the month of July.

Coe Young, General Superintendent, Mr. Henry, Auditor, and Chief Engineer Wentz arrived in Ticonderoga on September 16, 1874 for an inspection of the railroad work.  General Diven and Assistant Engineer Seymour accompanied them.  It was during this same time that General Diven announced the closing of his business with the Delaware and Hudson.  The wages of the laborers were reduced and many workers discharged.  It was announced that the line to the lake would not be completed before the end of the season as it was decided to run to the old landing at Cook's the following spring.  By this point, the branch line, 2500 feet in length, had been built from the Lake George road (Baldwin Road) to the gravel bed on W. G. Baldwin's farm near the horse trotting track at the base of Cook's mountain (Ticonderoga was once known for the raising of excellent racing horses).  An engine was scheduled to go over the road on Saturday, September 19th.

Other Rail Activity
This was not the only railroad activity going on in the area.  On September 29, 1874, it was also reported that the work of driving piles across the bay for the branch railroad from the Addison Railroad to Burleigh's dock was being pushed forward rapidly.  By October, this trestle-work branch railroad across the mouth east of the creek was nearly completed and was soon in condition for running rail cars.  This effort was expected to increase the coal trade of H. G. Burleigh and Brothers who sold coal to Montreal dealers and to the Lake Champlain trade.  The new line would expand their product to Vermont dealers.  

Other Happenings
By May of 1879, the Burleigh's erected a large storehouse on their dock at Addison Junction for use as a central point for their large coal trade and other articles that passed through the Champlain Canal.  They added an office with a telegraph and had assets on the Vermont side, at Larrabee's Point in the form of additional coal docks.

On Saturday, October 10, 1874, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that the stages stopped running on their old route between Lake Champlain and Lake George.  As the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on October 17th: 

"Our citizens cannot but look upon their departure from the line without a feeling of regret.  For a number of years they have regularly appeared with the opening of the traveling season till they have become traveling landmarks, so to speak.  The rattle of their ponderous wheels, the sharp crack of the driver's whips have been heard and looked for with pleasure and interest.  The forms and faces of the gentlemanly drivers have become as familiar as the coaches themselves and they too will be missed.  The traveling public will miss the worthy proprietor of the line, will miss the genial face, the lectures and the story of the 'Union Tree' and more perhaps the gentlemanly and bland call for 'your tickets gentlemen'."

Branch Opens
The Baldwin Branch opened on May 24, 1875.   Although opened, the new branch line was not really ready for passenger train service as reported a week later in the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  The Delaware and Hudson Railroad was also still in the process of constructing a new passenger station on the Lake George terminus of the line.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel announced the station would become known as "Baldwin."  For a few short days, stages resumed their old position on the road transporting passengers between the two lakes.  

The first train over the new railroad line occurred on Monday, May 31, 1875 and consisted of an elegant coach and baggage car drawn by the steam locomotive "Plattsburgh."  Regular trains began running during the first week of June.  Trains made two trips a day between Lake Champlain and Lake George.  

William G. Baldwin, the former supplier of stages between Lake Champlain and Lake George prior to the railroad line's emergence, became the first Superintendent of the Baldwin Branch or Lake George road.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel said he was known far and wide as the, "genial, gentlemanly and model stage owner."

Although the line to the Lake George Baldwin station was open, there still was no passenger service yet into the actual village of Ticonderoga.

To meet travel demands, two boats per day ran through Lake George.  The first boat left Ticonderoga for Caldwell (Lake George) at 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 pm, returning at 11:00 a.m. and 8:30 pm respectively to connect with the Lake Champlain steamers.

Montcalm Landing
In 1873 work began on a new steamship and railroad dock just below Port Marshall near the foot of Mount Defiance.  The lake here was deep and narrow and protected by the hills on all sides forming a first-class harbor.  

Before completion of the dock, Lake Champlain steamers landed at Fort Ticonderoga Landing just below the old fortress.  It was hoped the new dock at the mouth of the Ticonderoga Creek would become the finest on Lake Champlain in arrangement and throughout construction.  Ticonderoga was expected to be the head of navigation for the large steamers and the new dock was constructed with that view in mind using all the latest improvements and experiences associated with modern dock architecture, at least for that time period.

Name Changes
This dock facility at Port Marshall, as it was referred to at the start of the project, had some interesting name changes during its history.  It is most commonly known as Montcalm Landing to older residents and historians and Fort Ticonderoga to current residents.  Early timetables (1875-1876) printed in the newspaper did not reference the station because through trains did not stop there.  The nearest station listed was Addison Junction.  

By 1877, the name Fort Ticonderoga appeared in the timetables printed in the September 28 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel (the previous week's paper of August 31 and those before it did not list Fort Ticonderoga, only Addison Junction), but eventually disappeared altogether in the paper.  The explanation given in the March 28, 1879 issue stated that the paper meant to publish it, but was so overcrowded and so had neither the space, nor the time to publish it.  Besides, the paper stated, 

"Neither do we care to publish it for the D. & H. C. Co. are not inclined to favor members of the press as do other roads throughout the United States."  

The April 20, 1911 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel provided the first indication of an official name change by the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  In that edition, the Sentinel stated that it had it on good authority that the railroad proposed to change the name of the Fort Ticonderoga station to Montcalm Landing and that the new name would appear in the railroad's time tables that coming fall.  The then current station name of Fort Ticonderoga identified it with the village, an identification that would be lost with the proposed change.  Many believed this change would result in confusion to travelers and be antagonistic to the business interests of the village.   It was suggested that the Business Men's association address the matter.  As the newspaper stated, 

"If the name of the station has got to be changed let it be some name that will identify it with the village to which it owes its existence, such as Ticonderoga Junction, for instance."  

A local illustrated the feeling of those in Ticonderoga regarding the proposed name change. When told of the proposed change he stated, 

"If they change Fort Ticonderoga to Montcalm's Landing, why not call the Village Lord Howe's Grave?"

A Business Men's Association meeting was held on Thursday afternoon, May 4, 1911 in the Hook & Ladder room.  During the meeting, one of the topics discussed was the proposed station name change.  Objections to the proposed change were emphatically manifested.   C. L. Ross, I. Rothschild and I. Ledger were appointed a committee to communicate with the railroad remonstrating against the change and suggesting that the station be named Ticonderoga Junction.  

The Rutland Railroad Company would also be asked to change the name of its Addison Junction station, then called Ticonderoga by the company, to Fort Ticonderoga in order that it would correspond with the name of the Delaware and Hudson station, which would appear in the next time tables as Fort Ticonderoga.  

The fact that the Rutland Railroad Company was to construct what would practically be a new bridge at Addison Junction made this an opportune time to revive the old project of having a driveway in connection with the bridge. C. A. Stevens, A. G. Adkins and I. C. Newton were appointed a committee to take the matter up with the railroad company in an endeavor to secure this greatly desired means of passage across the lake.  The same committee would also endeavor to remedy ferry conditions at Addison Junction.

By May 18, 1911, the Delaware & Hudson company replied to W. G. Wallace, secretary of the Business Men's Association.  In a letter, the company declined to reconsider their decision to give the name of Montcalm's Landing to the Fort Ticonderoga station.  The railroad held  that the name they chose was better  than Ticonderoga Junction, as suggested by the association.  The committee refused to be deterred in their efforts to secure a name for the station that would more closely identify it with the village of Ticonderoga.

The September 7, 1911 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced that after October 1, 1911, the name of the station at Fort Ticonderoga, the junction of the branch line to Ticonderoga village at the the main line, and also the Lake Champlain Transportation Company terminal, would change to Montcalm Landing.  Addison junction, two miles north, would change to Fort Ticonderoga.  In announcing the change of names, the railroad company stated,

"The restoration of historic old Fort Ticonderoga, undertaken by public spirited individuals, has made it advisable for the accommodation of visitors to this historic spot to make the above changes, inasmuch as the destroyed ruins can be reached to best advantage from the present Addison Junction station, which on the date named will, as stated, become Fort Ticonderoga.  The name adopted for the Landing where the interchange of passengers between the Champlain Transportation Company and the Delaware & Hudson takes place namely, Montcalm's Landing, commemorates the landing of the French at this spot in 1757."

On October 5, 1911, the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced the station name change to its customers.  The Delaware and Hudson Railroad changed its timetables on October 1.  

The name changed again from Montcalm Landing to Fort Ticonderoga in February 1933 timetables and has remained that way to this day.

Montcalm Landing Dock Construction
The construction contractor was Mr. L. Witney of Keeseville, New York, but the immediate supervision of the work was under Mr. E. S. Adsit of Burlington, Vermont.

This new facility was located 425 feet from shore, 525 feet overall.  The dock was a huge 100’ x 300’ with a footing composed of 1500 pine piles forty feet in length.  Twenty-seven of those were driven into the lakebed.  The piles were capped with heavy, hewed pine timber running crosswise and five feet apart.  

On the lake side of the dock was 2500 yards of crushed stone filled in among the piles.  The front was faced with hewed timber and the entire structure was floored with 3” plank.  There were 57 fender piles of white oak thoroughly balanced and bolted making the structure look giant-like in length.  

The structure included a row of 17 white oak stubbing posts.  Ten tons of bolts were used in its construction.  Two 27’ wide and 1550’ long bow-shaped trestle approaches connected the dock with the shore employing 850 piles.  Double track rails were laid upon the trestle and trains were run out upon the dock and through the main building.

A public trestle roadway 425’ long and 16’ wide extended from the shore to the dock.  It was constructed upon piles, floored with 3-inch pine with a safety railing on the sides.  There is an excellent photo of Montcalm Landing on page 145 of Jim Shaughnessy's book "Delaware & Hudson".

The dock was under the charge of Mr. E. A. Northup until early July of 1876 when he was promoted to freight cashier at Saratoga.  The Ticonderoga Sentinel indicated that he was well liked.

As the dock at Montcalm Landing was completed in September of 1874 and the rails continued on the Baldwin Branch, there was a feeling of excitement in Ticonderoga.   

An excerpt from the September 12, 1874 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel explained it all.

"She is waking up. For years the old place has indulged in a little of the "Rip van Winkle" and seemed perfectly happy dozing away, oblivious to everybody and everything...with the first sound of the coming railroad, with the first thud of the shovel and pick that turned the clay for the iron roadway, a change in Ticonderoga was noticeable. She began to wake up and look about saying to herself, "the Rip van Winkle days are past." With the promise of a railroad the impetus was given to manufacturing, machinery was set in motion and spindles began to make music. Real estate that three years ago could have been bought for a song, now is refused at fancy prices. New streets have been laid out and new residences have come into existence, we can almost say, by the hundreds. Schools and churches have received attention. The former is in a flourishing condition with able teachers and a growing attendance. The latter too is marching on, able men occupy the pulpit and another spire points heavenward, under which congregations will soon pass.

All this waking up is due to the railroad; the nearer the rails come, the more life and activity was noticeable. Doubtless by the time this article is in print the iron horse will have found its way up over the hills..."

This dock at Port Marshall was overhauled and greatly improved in March 1882 according to the March 31 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  It did not specify any of the details other than stating, 

"...it will be put in excellent condition."

Steamboat Schedules
The steamboat steamboat schedules for the 1876 time period included:

The "Vermont" (Capt. Rushlow);  Left for Burlington on arrival of the noon train from the south, returning at 9 p.m.

The "Minne-Ha-Ha" (Capt. Russell); Left Baldwin for Caldwell at 2 p.m.

The "Ganouski" (Capt. Hulett); Left Baldwin for Caldwell at 4:15 p.m.

The "Eddy" made it's last trip on Saturday, July 15, 1876.  It made several trips during the travel season for many years and with encouraging financial success.  Upon completion of the railroad, however, the patronage dropped until, during the 1876 season, it failed to pay its expenses.

Changes Through Time
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company began running a special train at the end of September, 1876.  This service continued until the close of navigation for the season.  The train ran from Baldwin to Fort Ticonderoga, connecting the Lake George and Lake Champlain steamers.  The train arrived at Saratoga at 3 p.m. and stopped only at Whitehall at 1:40 p.m. and Fort Edward at 2:30 p.m.

The Lake George Branch began re-grading the line in May 1882 to prepare for the approaching business season.  Rail regular train service began running on Monday, May 29 at which time the Vermont began running on Lake Champlain and the Horicon began running on Lake George.  Beginning with this season, all mail cars were furnished with an ax, saw, and hatchet by order of the US Government for the use of agents in the event of an accident.  New timetables took effect on June 19.  All summer coaches on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. were thoroughly overhauled, newly refinished, reupholstered and placed into service on the line.  A fire ax was added in each car.

By July 23, 1891, the Lake George mail, usually carried by a team of horses from Ticonderoga to Baldwin, was carried by the Baldwin branch trains.

Rail Siding & Facilities
A passing siding existed at Montcalm Landing from milepost 98.97 to milepost 100.05.  This was known as Defiance Siding in 1928.  By April of 1940, the siding name had simply changed to MD Siding according to employee timetables.  The siding had a maximum capacity of 65 cars. 

Delaware and Hudson Railroad information from 1969 denoted that the siding was bracketed by LC Cabin and TI Cabin on the south and north ends respectively.  Michael Kudish confirms this in his book, "Railroads of the Adirondacks".  There were numerous spur tracks and crossovers at Defiance siding.

Timetables from 1928 show a watering facility and two stock pens at milepost 99.35.  The railroad trestle over the water was removed around 1928 according to railroad track schematics.

The Fort View House
The Lake Champlain steamers “Champlain,” “Adirondack,” and “Vermont” used Montcalm Landing to drop off and pick up passengers. 

Near this location was the Fort View House also known as Wicker's Hotel.  The building was a hotel in earlier years.  More recently, the Fort View House became a local watering hole and restaurant.  Today, it's known as Ye Old Fort View Inn and is still located near the rail siding on State Route 22. 

The Fort View provides a nice view of the railroad tracks (if you're a rail fan) and Fort Ticonderoga just across the water.  My wife and I stop here for lunch whenever we visit the Ticonderoga area. 

Attempts to Discontinue Fort Ti Station
On January 16, 1933 the Delaware and Hudson Railroad filed a petition with the Public Service Commission under section 54 Railroad Law, seeking to discontinue its Fort Ticonderoga station under case number 7701.  A public hearing was held in the village of Whitehall on Thursday, January 26 at 11:30 a.m. 

The Public Service Commission approved the request in February 1933, but required the railroad to continue handling carload freight at the station under the supervision of the agent in Ticonderoga.  The Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce adopted the resolution and asked the Delaware and Hudson to apply the name "Fort Ticonderoga" to the station then known as Montcalm Landing. 

The Delaware and Hudson announced in May 1939 that railroad service to Fort Ticonderoga would not be curtailed as anticipated once the new railroad schedules were issued.  The Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce was disturbed over information they received to the effect that a new trains scheduled by the railroad would not make stops at the Fort Ticonderoga station.  E. T. Gillooley, Delaware and Hudson general passenger agent stated that the railroad would maintain service to Ticonderoga in the same degree as previous years although changes in the schedules were made and a new train added. 

New timetables, effective April 30, 1939, noted the schedules were the same as the Spring timetable of the previous year.  Changes made in the schedules of trains 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 included only adjustments to account for the change to Daylight Savings Time.  The new schedule, effective June 25th, introduced a new train, number 39, would operate from New York City to Plattsburg arriving at Fort Ticonderoga at 2:10 p.m.  Southbound train number 34, the Laurentian, would have a conditional stop at Fort Ticonderoga arriving at 1:53 p.m. to discharge passengers from Montreal. 

Embarrassing Fort Ti Station
By 1939, the Fort Ticonderoga station had become an antiquated building and an eyesore.  Towns people felt the look of the station created an unfair and unfavorable impression upon passengers aboard trains stopping at the station.  At this time, the station appeared as a simple wooden structure serving as "the junction for a backwoods hamlet rather than a modern, bustling community which is Ticonderoga" as reported in the editorial section of the April 20, 1939 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  The Transportation Committee of the Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Elliot Spalding, Joshua Lowe, and Stephen J. Potter, recommended that the railroad complete important alterations and improvements to the station.  

The Delaware and Hudson finally consented to the Transportation Committee's recommendations.  On April 12 1939, the Transportation Committee happily reported that the Delaware and Hudson began making improvements.  Committee member Eliot Spalding reported that a Mr. Burch of the railroad had informed the town that a force of men had begun work on the station canopy.  

Upon completion of these remedial changes in June, the canopy was extended 50 feet to the north and 50 feet to the south. 

Montcalm Landing to Ticonderoga
The branch line split from the mainline just north of Montcalm Landing. It proceeded southwesterly, crossing Route 22 and headed towards the outskirts of the main Village of Ticonderoga in the direction of Baldwin Dock and the nearby Rogers Rock Hotel.

Ticonderoga Feldspar Company
The first business serviced by the railroad on the Baldwin Branch after departing the main line was the Ticonderoga Quarry, a small feldspar mining business operated by the Ticonderoga Feldspar Company, Incorporated.  Mr. Fred Provoncha, a Ticonderoga native and expert on local history and geology, was the first source of this information.  A Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines report entitled, "The Condensation of Gasoline from Natural Gas" by George A. Burrell and others printed by the U.S. Government in 1915 provided additional information.  Other sources included the Ticonderoga Sentinel and a second Interior Department document entitled, "Economic Geology of the Feldspar Deposits of the United States" by Edson S. Baston, published in 1910.

M. Y. Ferris, former superintendent of the International Mineral Company, while prospecting on the Wilson property about a mile from Ticonderoga, located this large deposit of feldspar.  Ferris was instrumental in organizing the Ticonderoga Feldspar Company, Incorporated, in which E. T. Downs and several other parties had an interest. The May 23, 1907 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported at the time that the proposition looked exceptional and it was hoped that this new business would provide another thriving industry for the town.  The extensive and high quality deposit was free from mica and could be worked at a comparatively small cost.  The purity of the feldspar permitted its use for pottery purposes, however, the surface spar was converted into roofing material.  It was rumored that Alex King leased land for the erection of the mill and that a tram car would lead from the mine to the mill. Upon the deposit's discovery, machinery for a mill was built and shipped to the site. The railroad also constructed a spur from the branch line to the mill. 

The Ticonderoga Sentinel identified the location of the deposit to be on the branch line of the Delaware and Hudson railroad into the village.  Mr. Provoncha also identified the location of the mine at approximately 30 feet after the the branch line railroad tracks crossed what is now Route 22.  The Bureau of Mines report stated the Ticonderoga Quarry was located one mile southeast of Ticonderoga on the south side of the railroad between Ticonderoga and Montcalm Landing.  All sources seemed to be in agreement and  Mr. Provoncha confirmed these sources as the location of the Ticonderoga Feldspar Company.

The mine was situated in a small glen facing northeast and was reported as having very abrupt walls and a single opening on an eastern hillside.  The face was about 60 feet in height and and 30 feet wide.  The mine was worked to a depth of 20 feet in 1910.  The company's small mill at the mine was equipped with a Blake crusher and a vibratory screen.   The "Economic Geology" report indicated that at the time of the author's visit in April 1909, the quarry had not been operated for many years.  Because the dike was so completely charged with medium coarse-grained pegmatite with massive intrusions of calcitite and large amounts of finely crystallized hornblende, the mine report stated that the production of pure feldspar would be very expensive if not quite impossible.

Barrett Manufacturing Company
Although not right on the branch line, The Barrett Manufacturing Company also operated a pegmatite mine in the area and hauled its material to the railroad in Ticonderoga.  The quarry and mill of this company was located one and three quarter miles northwest of the railroad at Ticonderoga.  Mr. Provoncha states this was near today's Ticonderoga golf course.  The quarry was an open pit near the eastern base of a hill and was about 300 feet long from the northeast to the southwest and a 150 feet in average width.  It's maximum depth was approximately 35 feet with an average depth of 20 feet.

The rock here was typical granite-pegmatite with some gray quartz intergrown with other minerals.  The most abundant feldspar was pearl-gray potash feldspar (microline).  About one fourth as abundant as the gray microline was a light green soda-lime feldspar (oligoclase), similar to that found in the Crown Point Feldspar Company quarry whose remnants are seen today as the tall cement spar silos along the road from Ticonderoga to Crown Point and parallel to the mainline of the Delaware and Hudson railroad.  Graphite granite was abundant and and biotite, the principal iron-bearing mineral, was scattered irregularly and abundantly through the rock.  Black tourmaline was also occasionally found in the quarry.

Excavation at the quarry was accomplished by using steam drills.  The pegmatite was then hauled by tram cars to the mill, a few yards distant.  There it was placed into storage bins and eventually to a Blake crusher to 20-inch crushing coils and to Jeffery vibrating screens.  These screened the material to various desired sizes.  All of the product was used in the manufacture of ready roofing material, poultry grit, facings for cement blocks, and other products.  None of the material was pottery grade.  The crushed and sized product was hauled by wagon the one and three quarter miles to the railroad at Ticonderoga.

Scrap Dealer
The tracks proceeded to cross Cossey Street.  Shortly after crossing Cossey Street, but before Defiance Street, the railroad served what I believe was a scrap dealer although I continue to research further details.  This could have been Adolph Disken as Disken did operate a scrap yard in that area when I was a kid.  I once tried to get that business to donate some aluminum during an aluminum can collection drive when I was in 5th grade at Saint Mary's Catholic School in Ticonderoga.  A short spur servicing this business split from the main line running southwest for an unspecified distance.  This spur existed as late as 1960 although it is unknown if it was actually in service up to that point.

Monroe Wholesale
The main line continued in a southwest direction crossing Defiance Street and The Portage (South Main Street).  Between Defiance Street and The Portage, the railroad serviced a spray painting and woodworking business later to become the Frank Fish Wholesale Groceries business.  Frank Fish, born in Dresden, NY August 31, 1871, sold groceries and coal, both of which the Delaware and Hudson Railroad delivered to his business.  Fish owned large red barns to store the coal as well as a huge house directly behind the wholesale business.  

E. J. Monroe was president and director of this wholesale distributor of plumbing and heating equipment business.  He owned additional branch stores in West Rutland, Vermont and Plattsburg, New York.  These businesses operated under the official name, Monroe Wholesale, Inc. 

The wholesale building had a loading track on the east side of main track and parallel to it that made for easy loading and unloading through a large freight door.  Approaching from the northeast, a switch was located just before Defiance Street with a second switch just past the track's crossing on The Portage.  Delivery and pickup was possible by pulling or shoving freight cars onto this loading track.  Although these switches were functional during my childhood (mid 1960s to 1970s), I never witnessed their use or any freight cars sitting on the siding at the Monroe building. 

My uncle purchased a home for my grandmother on the west side of The Portage, very close to the wholesale, soon after joining the U.S. Marines in the 1940s.  The home was located at the intersection of Defiance Street and The Portage.  One of my closest aunts lived in this home for years to care for my maternal grandmother and grandfather.  My grandparents eventually transferred the home to this aunt who lost her husband in Italy in 1943.  

I spent a majority of my youth playing with a cousin and other friends in this area.  My mother and I eventually moved into this house with my Aunt around 1974.  This created essentially two separate living spaces within the house.  My aunt continued to care for the home when my mother moved south until my aunt's eventual passing in 2004.  Following this, the home transferred to my next oldest brother where it remains today. 

During my youth, I can remember the freight trains crossing The Portage near E. J. Monroe’s on their way to Pond Lumber & Coal Company and Catlin’s Farm Supply, customers further to the southwest along the line.  The rail crossing on Defiance Street had no protection at all except for simple railroad crossing bucks.  The Portage crossing however, had crossing bucks, dual flashing red lights, and a very annoying warning bell. 

At this same location, the crossing lights (milepost 101.65) on The Portage would sometimes begin flashing when there wasn’t a train within 20 miles.  As kids, my friends and I used to look for the train and wave the cars through to help the motorists.  I don’t know who was dumber, my friends and I or the people who believed us and drove over the crossing.  We meant well, but anyone trusting their life at a railroad crossing to a bunch of kids probably should have thought better of it.  The crossing lights remained for years following abandonment of  the line until they were finally removed.

Academy Station
The first passenger station in Ticonderoga, located 2.05 miles from the junction with the main line near Montcalm Landing and a half mile from Ticonderoga Junction, was known as Academy station to the local residents and on all railroad timetables and official lists.  Academy was a non-agency station located on the Baldwin Branch near the present day E. J. Monroe Wholesale parking lot at the corner of Defiance Street and The Portage (South Main Street).  

It was a station in name only and no physical structure existed at Academy.  During my mother's youth in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Delaware and Hudson passenger trains stopped near the wholesale building location to pick up and drop off passengers on the way to Baldwin Dock on Lake George.  

Upon completion of the Ticonderoga branch of the railroad in 1891, passenger and freight station facilities were constructed in the Village of Ticonderoga.  For the period of 1875 to approximately 1892, passengers bound for Ticonderoga were discharged at Academy Station.  The Baldwin branch train only stopped at Academy station on signal.  

Demolition of the Central School began in the Spring of 2001 and was completed later that summer.  The demolition of Central School was probably one of the saddest changes I ever witnessed in Ticonderoga other than the actual removal of the railroad tracks..

Coaling Station
The railroad was serviced by a locomotive coaling station located between Pine Street and Newton Street just west of Champlain Avenue.  This is listed in the Delaware and Hudson Company's January 1, 1922 official list as a platform type station having a capacity of 100 tons and capable of holding two freight cars.  Sanborn maps from 1923 show a spur approximately 150 feet in length.  Interestingly enough, Sanborn maps do not show the facility in 1906 and Delaware and Hudson official lists from 1917 only indicate a track capable of holding 2 rail cars and no actual coaling station.  I remember what was then left of the coal tower when I used to walk along the tracks around 1973 or 1974.

The coaling station still remained in the mid- to late 1970s.  The last time I checked on this around 1992, the tower was gone.  All that remained were the stone piers and trestle footing for the tracks.  Today, I am unsure of exactly what remains as I have not made the journey along the old road bed in some time. This is more difficult now as many private homes have claimed the old railroad right-of-way. 

Grain and Coal Customers
The track crossed Lake George Avenue where the Delaware and Hudson serviced three additional on-line businesses.  The first customer along the main line was the Holden Grain and Feed Company as it was known in 1912, later known as the Catlin Feed Store when I was young.  

I seem to remember going to Catlin's store at least once with my father when I was very young.  I'm not sure why, but we did have a cat named "Coalie" and a yellow canary named "Smokey" when I was around 2 or 3 years old so perhaps he was buying pet food.  I can still remember that feed store smell.

The former Catlin building was destroyed by an early Friday morning fire on September 6, 1974.  The fire, of suspicious origin, endangered several homes as well as the Pond, Lumber and Coal company.   Catlin's Farm Supply was rebuilt at a different location within the village.  The business now resides near the south entrance of the Ticonderoga Wal-Mart store.

In 1912, a spur split from the mainline and proceeded southwest approximately 75 feet until splitting a second time into two spurs.  The right branch of this spur turned slightly northwest and traveled into some undefined business which may have been paper making related.  The left branch of the spur serviced the feed company via a short spur track approximately 300 feet in length. 

By 1960, the spur serving Catlin Farm Supply was much more simplified with only the single track running alongside the feed company. 

Upper Mill Sidings
The main line continued about another 300 feet before another spur branched off to the southwest (right of the main), crossed Lake George Avenue, and immediately split into another two spurs after reaching the west side of Lake George Avenue.  Both branches serviced International Paper Company's mill (formerly the Lake George Paper Company) on the hill overlooking the "B" mill near the Upper Falls. 

The Lake George Pulp and Paper Company was organized in 1882.  The first newsprint ever produced in the Town of Ticonderoga was produced by this mill in 1883.  A very long spur to the right traveled approximately 625 feet past the mill's horse shed, water tank, and into the boiler house on the north end of the facility.  The left spur traveled approximately 360 feet along side the mill's storehouse number 3 and finishing building number 2 ending at the entrance to the plate girder bridge (still remaining) over the Ticonderoga Creek. 

Coal and Lumber
The main line traveled another 410 feet, also crossing Lake George Avenue before another switch enabled trains to either continue forward 425 feet along side the mill's storehouse number 2 and finishing building number 1 or switch left (southeast) to continue on towards Baldwin Dock.  The tracks continued no more than 50 feet before access to the second customer was made by way of a switch leading to a spur running approximately 635 feet to the northeast, crossing Lake George Avenue in the opposite direction, and into the Pond Lumber & Coal Company as it was called during my childhood. 

The next owner was Herbert Wheeler.  Wheeler sold the business to F. C. Pond who took over on November 17, 1924.  Pond, of J. E. Pond & Son was involved in the lumber manufacturing business in Crown Point.  Pond incorporated the business under the name of Pond Lumber & Coal Company.  He enlarged the business erecting a storage shed, conducted a lumber yard at the coal elevator, and carried a stock of tile, cement, wallboard, and other building products.  The lumber yards and other Pond interests including the J. E. Pond & Son business supplied the Ticonderoga business. 

The Pond Company was badly damaged by fire on January 28, 1938.  The morning fire was attributed to an electric motor located at the top of a coal shed.  Andrew Lewis, company foreman, discovered the fire as he and a crew of workmen were unloading a railroad carload of coke.  The blaze began a considerable time before its discovery.  When discovered, the entire upper part of the structure was a mass of flames.

Ticonderoga's three fire companies responded immediately.  Two nearby hydrants had insufficient pressure to supply both pumpers, and a line from one of the pumpers was carried to the outlet of Lake George, a considerable distance away.  Water was pumped from the Lake to the fire truck.  Intense cold hampered The firemen throughout the morning. 

The fire caused considerable damage to the company's coal plant and elevator at an estimated loss of $12,000.  The destroyed buildings were constructed years earlier, and their wooden walls, partitions and roofs made the property an easy victim to the fire.  All of the company's lumber supplies were salvaged and records were saved, but a small structure containing a quantity of roofing materials was destroyed.  Although 500 tons of coal were saved, the fire consumed another 100 tons.  Fireman had the blaze under control by early afternoon, but the ruins continued to smolder throughout Friday night and Saturday.  Fire companies returned to the scene Sunday morning when the flames rekindled and momentarily endangered adjacent buildings.  The fire was completely extinguished by Sunday night and the company eventually rebuilt the destroyed structures. 

All of the tracks in the Lake George Avenue crossing area had disappeared by 1960, except for the spur into Pond Lumber & Coal.  I went here several times with my mother while I was growing up.  I don't remember what we purchased there, but it surely was not coal.  The only coal associated with the business at that time was in their name.

Continuing southwest along the main line,  immediately after the switch into the coal company, another spur branched off to the south side of the main in a southwesterly direction for about 240 feet.  This spur served the mill's storehouse number 1 on the south side of the Ticonderoga Creek.  The storehouse had a loading platform that extended the length of the building and running along side the track.  

The main then passed the village water works pumping station to the southeast and crossed over the Ticonderoga Creek above the Upper Falls on a plate girder bridge that still stands today.  This location is the outlet of Lake George.  Here, Lake George empties into Lake Champlain via the Ticonderoga Creek (La Chute River) through a series of water falls.  

"A" Mill Facilities
Once on the south west side of the river, another short 175 foot spur left the main traveling slightly northeast before ending shortly before the dam and flumes, just southeast of the ground wood mill "A."  

All of these tracks still existed in 1912 and 1923 according to Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, but by 1945, Sanborn shows all of the mill spurs and many of the mill structures on the upper falls had disappeared except for the short 175 foot spur southeast of the ground wood mill "A."  

There was also a beater room constructed by the mill sometime between 1923 and 1945 on the west side of this spur.  In the late 1960’s, however, I only remember the the one spur to Catlin’s Farm Supply  The mill structures on the upper falls were gone.  

Alexandria to Baldwin
Upon crossing the Ticonderoga Creek, the tracks continued to the southwest crossing Alexandria Avenue on the way to Baldwin dock located 4.77 miles from the junction with the main line near Montcalm Landing.  

The Railroad and Baldwin Dock
The opening of the Baldwin Branch of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad in 1875 connected Montcalm Landing on Lake Champlain, via the outskirts of Ticonderoga, to the rail terminus at Baldwin on Lake George located  approximately one mile below Cook's Landing.  When Baldwin Dock became the northern terminus of the Lake George steamers, it became financially desirable for the Delaware and Hudson Railroad to construct the five mile rail spur to Baldwin Landing in order to connect the Lake George and Lake Champlain steamboats. Countless tourists loved traveling up and down the island-studded Lake George and do so today.  Many came to the region just to relax and enjoy the offerings of the Adirondack region.  This was during a period when the more affluent people fled the hot summer cities to get away from their busy lives.  The shoreline of Lake George contained numerous famous, opulent resorts and hotels.  Hotels such as Rogers Rock Hotel, Glenburnie Club, Silver Bay, Sagamore, Sabbath Day Point, Bolton House, Fort George Hotel, and others provided quiet seclusion and relaxation.  The new Baldwin rail service replaced the former stagecoach line run by Captain William Baldwin and enabled travelers to access the Lake George region in a more stylish and comfortable fashion.  

The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company began building its new depot at Baldwin in March 1882.  The depot was 250 feet in length.  At the same time, the steamboat company began erecting a new 100-foot long and 40-foot wide covered walkway to the dock.

The railroad structure at Baldwin station was denoted as "Arcade" in the Delaware & Hudson publication "Passenger and Freight Stations."   "Arcade" actually refers to the metal canopy covering the concrete floor near the old wooden landing.  The Delaware & Hudson Railroad also maintained a 54 foot turntable at Baldwin Dock to turn the engines.  This was hand powered and existed at least as late as 1923, but was certainly removed sometime before 1928. 

The End of Baldwin Mail Service
The United States Postal Service announced the discontinuance of mail service from Ticonderoga to Baldwin on January 4, 1932.  The official announcement, under the head of the discontinued service, read as follows: 

"Discontinued - Ticonderoga to Baldwin, 6 round trips a week, 1 trip 1 way, morning and evening during the period each year that postal clerk is employed on Ticonderoga and Lake George Railway post office from May 1 to about October 31." 

Under the heading of changed service, a further announcement was also made relative to service between Ticonderoga post office and Montcalm Landing, and between the local post office and Baldwin.  The announcement read: 

"Ticonderoga at Montcalm Landing Station, 1.13 miles.  Service is restated to be as follows: Between the post office at Ticonderoga, N.Y. and Montcalm Landing, 1.13 miles (as often as required); also between the post office at Ticonderoga and Baldwin, 3.5 miles (as often as required) during the period of year postal-clerk service is in effect on Ticonderoga and Lake George Railway post office."

Discontinuance of Baldwin Station
The great depression had a significant impact on all steamship traffic on Lake George and Lake Champlain and therefore all rail traffic to Baldwin.  Baldwin passenger service was discontinued at the end of the 1932 season.  Following the end of steamship traffic on Lake George in 1932, Baldwin began to lose its importance.   The year 1933 became the defining year as traffic on both lakes became a losing proposition to the tune of approximately $200,000 the previous year.  

On October 22, 1935, the New York State Public Service Commission approved and adopted a request from the Essex County Board of Supervisors and directed the relocation of the Baldwin Branch railroad crossing on Alexandria Road to a point approximately 349 feet northeast of its then present location.  The County desired to locate this highway farther from the shore line of Lake George to avoid having the highway damaged by high water or storms on the lake.  The order required the County to surface the crossing with bituminous for a width of 24 feet between the rails and for two feet from the sides of each rail.  The Essex Country Board of Supervisors assumed all cost for the work.  

The request claimed that regular steamship service on Lake Champlain was discontinued and that there were no regular passenger trains to Baldwin any longer and only an occasional freight over the crossing.  It was proposed that the views of those few remaining trains would be better improved at the new proposed crossing.  All interested parties expressed a willingness to relocate the rail crossing as directed by the County.  Following the crossing relocation, the previous crossing was closed to traffic.  

In 1937 there were no less-than-carload shipments forwarded or received and there were only a few outbound carload shipments of scrap metal transferred from the Lake George boats.  No further scrap metal shipments were expected. 

On February 24, 1939, the Public Service Commission granted the Delaware and Hudson's application for permission to discontinue their station at Baldwin in the Town of Ticonderoga, county of Essex.  The granting of the petition permitted the removal of Baldwin from the railroad's traffic schedules and resulted in some small savings associated with the printing and keeping of records.  There was no station building at Baldwin during this time.  It had become customary to load and unload any freight directly into and out of rail cars on the track as there had been no agent at Baldwin since the closing of the steamship traffic in 1932. 

Abandonment of the Baldwin Branch
Following the closure of Baldwin station, the next logical step for the Delaware and Hudson Railroad was to seek abandonment of the rail line.  On June 6, 1939, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad filed an application with the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington, D.C. for a certificate of public convenience and necessity permitting the abandonment of the Baldwin Branch and its rail system in Ticonderoga.  The application specifically listed the line as the portion of its so called Baldwin Branch extending from Valuation Station 130-54 in the village of Ticonderoga to Valuation Station 236-04, Baldwin, a distance of approximately 1.998 miles, all in Essex County, New York. 

The tracks leading to Baldwin Dock just south of Alexandria Road near the oil storage site were dismantled sometime prior to 1950 according to the maps in my collection.  Maps from 1960 show the line dismantled a short distance after the oil storage business. 

The New York State Department of Transportation conducted a study between 1972 and 1974 to inventory abandoned railroads within the state.  Their report, "Inventory of Abandoned Railroad Rights of Way," was published in 1974 with no copyright notice and remains in the public domain through the New York State Library.  Region #1 of this report (map code 1-4) discusses the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, Baldwin Dock to Ticonderoga section of abandoned right of way.  The report stated, 

"The southernmost end of the line is found just west of the County Road at Baldwin Dock. The roadbed proceeds northeast and crosses the County Road 300' north of the starting point. It then continues along the beach front for l/4 mile before crossing the County Road again. Upon interviewing a local resident (Mr. Hopkins, a retired D & H railroad engineer), we found out that most of the residents (8) of the beach front properties have acquired title to the railroad bed where it crosses their land. After crossing the County Road in an easterly direction, it continues about 1 l/2 miles through mostly open meadow until it crosses Pine Springs Road. Upon interviewing the owner of Pine Springs Park (residential homes), Mr. Jes Harpp, we learned that his deed also conveys a portion of the railroad bed. Approximately l000' beyond Pine Springs Road, 2 power lines cross one identified as TIC-Sanfd and the other as TIC-RED, both exit from a nearby Niagara Mohawk Substation. The roadbed continues another mile or so to Lake George Avenue and ends at Pond Lumber & Coal Company where the tracks are in place and used for deliveries."

The report listed no structures remaining intact.  Because most of the roadbed was very close to existing grade, the researchers were not able to establish if any of it had been removed.  The terrain was described as generally a flat meadow.  Most of the abutting property was unused meadow.  It was surmised that because a large number of parcels had been transferred to abutting owners and subsequently improved in some cases with dwellings, the cost to repurchase the land for recreational purposes would be very high on an overall acreage basis.  Access to the former right of way can be obtained at Baldwin Dock and Pine Spring Park Road.

Commemorating the Baldwin Branch
In May 2006 the Town of Ticonderoga issued a set of cachet covers commemorating the Baldwin Branch Station of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  These were part of a number of various postal covers issued on Ticonderoga subjects as part of the Champlain 2009 celebration.  Postage included a combination of 33 cent "All Aboard Trains" series of famous locomotive commemorative stamps, bird definitive stamps (1, 2, or 3 cent), 2 cent Locomotive 1870's definitive stamps, and the 3 cent 1955 Fort Ticonderoga bicentennial commemorative stamp.

Each cover was postmarked in Ticonderoga using a special postmark. The large postmark feature a steam locomotive and tender and text stating, "Baldwin Branch Station," "Ticonderoga NY 12883," "May 2, 2006," and "Champlain 2009."  It also included a graphical depiction of Lake Champlain on the right.

This first postal cover postage included an "All Aboard Trains" locomotive commemorative stamp and two 3 cent bird definitive stamps.

The cover entitled, "A Ticket to Anywhere..." depicts a Delaware and Hudson passenger ticket to Montcalm Landing, a Delaware and Hudson passenger ticket to Fort Ticonderoga, and a Delaware and Hudson baggage ticket.

This second postal cover postage included an "All Aboard Trains" locomotive commemorative stamp, a 3 cent 1955 Fort Ticonderoga bicentennial commemorative stamp, a 2 cent Locomotive 1870's definitive stamp, and a 2 cent bird definitive stamp.

This cover, entitled "The Bridge Line to and from New England and Canada," includes pictures of the Delaware and Hudson bridgeline shield, a Delaware and Hudson 500-mile ticket book and ticket, and a Delaware and Hudson baggage ticket.

The third postal cover postage includes an "All Aboard Trains" locomotive commemorative stamp, a 3 cent 1955 Fort Ticonderoga bicentennial commemorative stamp, and two 2 cent Locomotive 1870's definitive stamps.

This cover commemorates the importance of the railroads to the local commerce and is entitled, "Bringin' the goods to a young growin' land." Artwork includes a Central Vermont Railroad way bill and a Delaware and Hudson freight bill labeled Ticonderoga.  It also included the old circular Delaware and Hudson bridgeline shield and the Central Vermont Railroad logo.

The fourth and final postal item in the set was a post card.  The front of the card included the standard postal cancellation and the phrase, "All Aboard!"  Postage included a 2 cent locomotive definitive stamp, a 2 cent bird definitive stamp, and a 20 cent Cog Railway 1870's stamp.

The reverse of the post card depicted a nice little system map of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Railroad Company. 

These commemorative items were available from the Ticonderoga Post Office for a short period of time.

Baldwin Dock
Baldwin Dock was located at the north end of Lake George and at the south end of the Baldwin branch of the Champlain Division of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  The branch extending from Ticonderoga to Baldwin was originally built for the purpose of forming a link between the Lake George Steamboat Company and the Champlain Transportation Company, which operated boats on Lake Champlain. 

The Baldwin Dock area was initially known as Coates' Landing in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.  James Coates was a Scottish founder of the largest thread and garment making industry in Europe in the last half of the 1700s.  

After the Revolution, Coates and his son traveled to the Colonies and established a tailor's shop on this point.  The name was changed to Baldwin when the steamboat company purchased the property from Mr. William G. Baldwin in 1863.  Other opinions have stated the name comes from a Captain in the British Army during the French and Indian War, named Alexander Baldwin.  Baldwin Landing eventually became the northern terminus for the Lake George steamboats.  The earlier, smaller steamboats had to run nearly a mile further past Baldwin, which became impossible for the larger steamboats due to a combination of their larger drafts and the very shallow waters beyond Baldwin consisting of a windy, uncertain channel. 

The Delaware and Hudson Railroad connected Baldwin terminal with the town of Ticonderoga approximately two miles away.  Prior to the railroad, a number of horse-drawn stagecoaches performed the same function.  These stages ushered passengers between the Lake George and Lake Champlain terminals through a hilly and rough roadway.  The road made two crossings of the La Chute River.  The first bridge was along the approach to the upper falls in the small village of Alexandria.  The village of Alexandria was named after Alexander Ellis, a British land baron who purchased wilderness properties from Revolutionary War soldiers who were issued the land in lieu of salary for their service in the colonial army.  The small community of Alexandria once thrived at the northern most aspect of Lake George.  The second crossing was over a wooden structure not far from the lower falls in the village of Ticonderoga.

A dock facility was built at Baldwin in 1875 and was enlarged and improved over the years.  An extensive number of buildings were constructed as well.  These were all detailed by the Delaware and Hudson in its Lake George Steamboat Company's "The Steamboats of Lake George 1817 to 1932."

Perhaps it's difficult for anyone today to fully appreciate the activity at Baldwin over a century ago.  However, Thomas Reeves Lord's book, "Still More Stories of Lake George Fact and Fancy", relates the report of a noted nineteenth century Lake George writer, Max Reid.  Reid stated,

"...at the landing at Baldwin one is beset with a feeling of loneliness, although it is far from being a lonely place.  For a short time each day the place is all action.  The steamer is in sight up the lake; the rumble of the incoming train is heard; the steamer approaches with a wide detour and makes for the dock.  Men prepare to retrieve the lines and a gangplank is lowered to connect passengers with shore.  The train arrives and soon two streams of passengers are hurrying along the dock, from train to steamer and from steamer to train, in needless haste, forgetting that the transportation company is as anxious for their patronage as they are for their transportation.  Soon the steamer sounds its whistle and slowly pulls away from the dock; the long train of cars steams away, and this little pocket of the mountains is left to silence once again." 

Baldwin's Beginnings - Cook's Landing & The Baldwin Shipyards
The first beginning of the busy landing at Baldwin hails back to Cook's Landing located approximately a mile north of Baldwin (or Coates' Landing) on Lake George.  The operation of a steamboat line required a shipyard for the maintenance and mooring of vessels.  From the earliest days of steam boating on Lake George, vessels were repaired at Cook's Landing.  Cook's Landing was not an elaborate site, which was appropriate because only one steamboat at a time operated on Lake George until the line was taken over by the Lake Champlain Transportation Company in 1866.  The old Cook's Landing shipyard consisted of a wooden landing stage and two or three frame sheds along the shoreline.  One shed was used as a carpenter shop and the other as an equipment storeroom.  The real estate, which consisted of about half an acre, was rented annually from Mr. Andrew J. Cook who dwelt in a house adjoining the old shipyard. 

The Lake George Steamboat Company decided that eventually a change would be necessary for steamboat operations.  On March 17, 1875, the Company purchased a parcel of land (indicated "A" on map) at Baldwin situated about 150 yards west of the railroad terminus from Henry G. Burleigh of Whitehall.  This parcel was approximately 200 feet square and contained about one acre.  Although the company was in the possession of the land at Baldwin, it strangely made no immediate effort to develop the property into a shipyard.  The land remained neglected for 25 years.

The Lake George Steamboat Company still retained Cook's Landing as its repair yard and it was still suitable for the wooden boats of lighter draft still in operation at the time.  Ten years after the first land purchase, the steamboat company purchased a second parcel (indicated "B" on map) of land at Baldwin.  This was about 300 yards farther to the west along the lake front and conveyed to the company on December 10, 1885 by Charles M. Wardner.  The shoreline was only about half as wide as the original parcel.  Its area was about the same due to its greater depth.  The first and second parcels did not adjoin one another.  This second parcel was also referred to as the "Old Shipyard."  The property was intersected by the Ticonderoga - Rogers' Rock Highway.   

A small frame dwelling located at the northeast corner of the yard was assigned to the Foreman in charge of the yard.  The Foreman's dwelling was completely rebuilt in 1915.  It was always occupied by the Foreman, Mr. George H. Loomis and his family.

Construction continued with the building of a set of hauling-out ways.  Two frame sheds were also erected for storage of tackle and equipment. 

In 1903, the old shipyard at Cook's was abandoned.  From that time until the development of the new shipyard at Baldwin, the steamboats lay at the Baldwin dock for winter quarters and when hull repairs were required.  Ships were then taken to the "Old Yard" and hauled out on the ways for launching. 

In the first week of March, 1910, a crew of men was at work rebuilding the Baldwin dock from the water up and raising it by two feet.  The Lake George Steamboat Company began negotiating with Commodore H. B. Moore for the purchase of the Coates Point property.  Securing this property was expected to result in the company using it for the boat yard which was currently located between the Moore and Smith cottages in Heart Bay. 

In the Fall of 1909, management realized that the new steamboats being planned such as the Horicon II would be larger and heavier than any ships previously constructed and a more adequate yard would be required for the launching and maintaining of these boats.  This led to the development of the "New Baldwin Shipyard."

The Coates Point property was first reported as belonging to the Lake George Steamboat Company on April 21, 1910.  The steamboat company obtained the property from Commodore H. B. Moore in exchange for the old shipyard.  Owners of cottages on Coates Point were uncertain of their futures and whether they would have to move.

On April 27, 1910, the steamboat company purchased a strip of land running about 600 yards along the lake front from Commodore Harrison B. Moore (indicated "C" on map).  The Company paid a sum of $5,000.00 for the property and also deeded the "Old Yard" to Mr. Moore since it no longer had any need for it.  The Company was quite fortunate in its purchase of the "New Yard" since it was adjacent to the steamboat landing and the highway.  It also surrounded on three sides the original parcel purchased in 1875 and connected the first and second parcels.  There was ample accommodation and proper grade for the installation of hauling-out ways on the western edge of the property.

The Lake George Steamboat Co. began moving material and one building from the old boatyard, between the Moore and Smith cottages to the new site on Coates Point on Monday, May 12, 1910.  The company planned to put in ways about seventy five feet from the Tintemau line, which necessitated the removal of the Cull camp. The new steamer, Horicon, would be assembled on these ways. The railroad track was extended from Baldwin dock across the bay to the yard.  None of the other camps on the point, with the exception of the Cull camp, one of the finest camping sites on this end of the lake, were disturbed by the work.

On Thursday, September 1, 1910, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad had a crew of men busy in the construction of a new road to the Baldwin dock in order to eliminate the steep, crooked, and sandy hill used at that time.  The new road was constructed along the side of the hill in back of the clubhouses. 

A haphazard condition existed in regard to the ownership of the lake front at the steamboat terminal from 1910 until 1928.  Due to a changing shoreline, some of the shop buildings were partially on Delaware and Hudson Railroad property and partially on reclaimed land abutting the railroad right-of-way over which the railroad claimed ownership.  The Delaware and Hudson Company deeded the strip of land (indicated "D" on map) to the Lake George Steamboat Company on August 24, 1928 in order to remedy this condition.  The railroad, however, reserved to itself in perpetuity, the privilege of maintaining tracks and operating trains over its present right-of-way.

This final transfer of property completed the holdings of the Lake George Steamboat Company at Baldwin and also protected the railroad's investment at that point.  Immediately after obtaining title, the Company began work on the development of the new shipyard.  The first developments were the ways and steamboat landing.  The shed in the "Old Yard" used to store tackle and equipment was moved to the "New Yard" and used for similar purposes.  

The storage shed was used in connection with the marine railway.  The old wooden landing was rebuilt with a substantial foundation, concrete floor, and was covered with a metal canopy.  The new landing was "T" shaped and carried out 100 feet from the shore line with a 125 foot face.  A crib was constructed immediately to the north for additional protection in mooring the steamboats.

The steamboat company made a new shore line south of the steamboat landing by connecting a freight dock.  This straightened the curve of the old shore line and added approximately 1,200 square yards to the area of the shipyard.  A small building at the shore end of the steamboat landing, formerly used as a saloon, was converted into a lunch room and cigar stand for company patrons.

A cluster of small buildings was erected to the south of the lunch room.  These consisted of a boiler house, scrape shop, carpenter shop, storehouse, paint shop, and blacksmith shop.  Later, a small oil house was erected between the carpenter shop and storehouse.  An ice house, lumber shed, and garage were constructed north of the lunch room and completed the buildings in the "New Yard."

On September 18, 1924, the steamboat company increased its holdings at Baldwin by purchasing a coal dock and trestle at the southerly end of the dock from the American Graphite Company of New Jersey.  The trestle connected to the tracks of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.  It was leased to the railroad for the hauling of coal to points up the lake. 

The Baldwin Shipyard boundaries contained several acres of desirable shore front property which was not required for operating the shipyard.  The Lake George Steamboat Company leased these lots for the erection of summer cottages.  These leases were first extended to the company's employees and later to the general public. 

In 1928, this colony included 15 cottages and provided the steamboat company with an annual rental fee of $555.00.  This thriving summer colony developed by the company still exists today although all cottages and homes are privately owned. 

The Baldwin Marine Railway
In July of 1927, the only equipment for hauling out vessels at Baldwin were the old ship-ways built in 1910 for the launching of the Horicon II.  The hauling of a vessel was a tedious and expensive operation due to the fact that the motive power was furnished by teams of horses.  Seventeen years of use and exposure weakened the structure and the purchase of new equipment was imperative.  A contract was let and the Crandall Engineering Company of Boston was chosen to construct a marine railway to replace the old ship-ways at a cost of $50,000.  The Baldwin marine railway became the model for the larger unit constructed at Shelburne Harbor two years later.  The railway consisted of three units - the cradle, the track, and the power.

The cradle was the unit upon which the ship rested while being hauled out upon the track and where it remained when not water-borne.  The Baldwin cradle had a total length of 205 feet with an extreme width of 60 feet.  It was equipped with set of eleven keel blocks upon which the ship rested.  On either side of the keel blocks were a set of bilge blocks operated by chains and hand-winches from the docking platform at the outer edge of the cradle.  

In order to haul a vessel, the cradle was run to the outboard end of the track where the water was a depth of six to twelve feet over the keel blocks.  The water-borne vessel was centered on the cradle and the prow secured to the inboard end of the cradle.  

The track upon which the cradle moved was 540 feet in length.  Approximately 380 feet of this track was under water.  The track was constructed of re-enforced concrete from the upper end to the water level.  From the water line to the outer end it was built of wood consisting of three tiers of timber resting on piles.  The rails consisted of flat steel plates of various thickness and securely fastened.  The rollers under the cradle were built of cast iron and were nested in frames fifteen feet long connected together interchangeably. 

The marine railway was operated by steam.  The cradle was hauled over the track by a single chain of manganese steel.  The chain was huge and weighed 7.5 tons.  The engines were a pair of link-motion reversing steam engines.  The boiler operating the railway was the boiler of the old harbor tender Mariquita of the Champlain Transportation Company, originally installed in the Mariquita in 1873.

It required 30 minutes to haul a vessel from the moment it was placed on the cradle until it was high and dry at the inboard end of the track.  The hauling out of a vessel the size of the Horicon II once required nearly a month to get the vessel ashore.  This slow progress was accomplished using seven teams of horses and winding the hauling ropes around the winches.  Several broken chains and sheaves were also replaced before the vessel was successfully hauled out. 

Lake Steamships & Travel
Baldwin Landing has a rich history of steamboat travel along Lake George.  In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Baldwin served as the home port for one of two steamships.  

The Baldwin boat would leave the terminal at 8:00 a.m. and head south picking up and discharging passengers while the second boat would head north performing the same duties.  Upon reaching the opposite ends of the lake, the two steamships turned around and repeated the process for the return trip.

Baldwin dock, was quite a popular and busy location during my mother’s younger days (she would have been about 10 when passenger traffic ended in 1932).  I remember she would tell me how she used to fondly wave to the passenger trains crossing The Portage near E. J. Monroe’s on their way to Baldwin dock. Traffic was heavy in those days with both passenger traffic to Baldwin Dock and freight traffic to the upper mills of the paper company and a few businesses along the Baldwin Branch.

The Ticonderoga was one of the most beautiful and best appointed boats ever placed upon the northern waters.  The steamboat company spared no expense in making the boat perfect for the work assigned to it.  

The ship was expected to match the Horicon in speed and in some respects was more convenient, having larger dining accommodations.  The Ticonderoga was a little smaller than the Horicon, but was expected to be large enough to satisfy all demands.  It contained rich carpets and furniture and many decorations.  A large picture of the ruins of Fort Ticonderoga hung in one of the wheelhouses.  The second wheelhouse had a picture of Mount Marcy.  The Ticonderoga made her trial voyage on Monday, June 30, 1884.  

Unfortunately, the Ticonderoga met with disaster on August 28, 1901 when it was destroyed by fire just after leaving Baldwin.  The ship made it to Rogers Rock Landing where everyone disembarked safely.  In February 1904, a number of men began work at Roger Rock to remove the remains of the steamer.  A second Ticonderoga was christened in April of 1906, but this vessel ran along the waters of Lake Champlain.  This one now resides in the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.

The Ganouski
In late December 1884, plans called for the 75-ton Ganouski to be raised at Baldwin the following year and loaded onto three railroad flat cars using skids.  It would then be taken down the branch line to Port Marshall where it would be launched on Lake Champlain.  It would be used for excursion parties and towing on the lake.

The Sagamore
The steamship Sagamore was constructed to fill the gap left when the Ticonderoga was destroyed.  The surviving Lake George steamship, Mohican, could not fulfill its duties and those of the Ticonderoga.   Following the Sagamore's construction, she was found to be too top heavy.  The work of lengthening the Sagamore after her unsatisfactory first season began.  The ship was sent to the "Old Yard" at Baldwin in the winter of 1902-1903, cut in half, and a 20-foot midsection added.  The Sagamore was launched from Baldwin in 1903.

The Mohican II
In 1907 the Delaware & Hudson Railroad hauled the hull plates of the new steamship, Mohican II, from the T. S. Marvel Shipbuilding  Company in Newburgh, New York to Baldwin dock.  The hull plates were riveted together at the Baldwin shipyard.  The Mohican II was later launched from Heart Bay at Baldwin on Saturday, December 14, 1907. The daughter of the Delaware and Hudson Company and the Lake George Steamboat company president, L. F. Loree, Miss Louise Loree, arrived at Baldwin to christen the steamer.  President Loree and his party arrived at Baldwin at 10:30 a.m. in a special train consisting of the observation engine Saratoga and private car numbers 200 and 500.  President Loree, in company with Vice President O. S. Sims and other officials, spent a little time at Baldwin inspecting the steamers Sagamore and Horicon and the company's shops and terminal facilities there, after which the party went to the launching ways, where the hull of the new boat was ready for its initial plunge.  The company erected a launching stage at the bow of the new boat, upon which the official party assembled.  Under the careful direction of T. S. Marvel, the last supports and blockings were removed and the steamer began to move.  Miss Loree broke the customary bottle of champagne from the front of the launching stage and uttered the words, "I christen thee Mohican." 

The Horicon
The new steamer Horicon attempted to make its maiden plunge in the waters of Lake George at 12:17 on Thursday, December 1, 1910.  After traveling along the ways far enough so that the stern was in the water, the hull came to a stop.  Workmen were unable to move it and the boat remained there until Friday noon, when hydraulic jacks were used to move the boat.  On Saturday morning, the Mohican towed the ship to the Baldwin dock, where the superstructure and interior would be completed during the winter in time for the new season.  Mrs. G. S. Sims, wife of the Delaware and Hudson vice-president, christened the steamer.  A bottle of champagne was tied to the boat's bow with red, white and blue ribbons.  As the hull started down the ways, Mrs. Sims broke it with a gavel made from wood from the old steamer Vermont.  Mrs. Sims tossed a rose after it.  

The End of Horicon
The Horicon, originally built at a cost of $210,000, was sent to the Baldwin docks for its final razing in 1939.  By late November, the masts, superstructure and machinery of the steamer, once the flagship of a fleet of luxurious vessels that sailed Lake George, were removed down to the main deck.  The Trojan Scrap Iron Corporation of Troy and R. Cohen and Son, Glens Falls junk dealers, were busily dismantling the vessel ever since it was sold for junk by the Lake George Steamboat Company.  The remains resembled a huge canal boat while it sat in the old Baldwin dry dock.

Steamboat Service Suspended
The opening of the 1928 steamboat season saw a decline in the freight business although passenger business continued to be good.  Lack of interest by the local inhabitants and the depression had taken its toll.  The privately owned automobile and motor truck as well as improved highways contributed to a decrease in revenue and eventually had a substantial impact on steamer shipping.  All of this would soon spell an end to passenger traffic.  

Business continued to steadily slip with 1932 recorded as the company's worst season in its history from a revenue standpoint.  The hammer finally fell when the Lake George Steamboat Company, a subsidiary of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Corporation, announced at the end of January 1933, that it would not operate the steamers Sagamore, Horicon, and Mohican.  Any future operations depended upon an improvement in passenger business, an improvement which would not occur.  In late summer 1932, the Vermont III met its last train at Montcalm Landing ending official rail service.  

Environmental as well as revenue conditions had changed while expenses increased.  The company had to equip boats to meet the demand for refined service.  The discontinuance of depositing ashes, sewage, sanitary water supply, and many other requirements forced the company to spend large sums of money. 

Life for the Lake George steamboats emerged again in March 1933 when Secretary of State Edward J. Flynn received an application from a group headed by former Senator Frederick W. Kavanaugh.  The application stated Kavanaugh's plans to operate steamboats on Lake George beginning with the 1933 season.  The name of the business was stated as the Lake George Transportation Company. 

Completion of the details for the leasing of the Lake George Steamboat Company's three craft, the Sagamore, Horicon, and Mohican, was evident by April 20, 1933.  The new company with their planned extensive operations assumed control of the three steams and began reconditioning them at Baldwin.  The company spent several thousand dollars, particularly on the Horicon, which would become a floating palace for night-time excursions.  The company established bars on all three vessels.  Kavanaugh planned to change some of the destinations for the steamers, but former skippers and crews were retained. 

This was a risky venture because the cause for the continuing down cline in steamboat passenger traffic had not changed.  Kavanaugh was throwing vast amounts of money into a deep hole and by October 5, 1933, stories broke indicating that the operators of the "Show Boat" Horicon and the other two steamers had liabilities of $71,272 with assets of only $6,546.  

Despite the Horicon's famous guests which included various national and state government officials (including Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt...twice), the Lake George Transportation Company's creditors accepted an offer for the settlement of claims at 25 cents on the dollar.

On February 3, 1934, the Lake George Transportation Company officially filed for bankruptcy listing its liabilities as $75,184 and assets as $3,531.  Sixty creditors were named by the schedules filed including Kavanaugh.

The Ticonderoga Sentinel (Jan 21, 1937) announced the appointment of Captain A. A. Fisher of Ticonderoga as foreman of the Lake George Steamboat Company shipyard at Baldwin.  The 41 year company veteran and ship pilot was appointed to succeed the late George H. Loomis who had died the previous December.  At this point, crews were dismantling the Sagamore and only the Horicon and Mohican remained in service on Lake George. Captain Fisher, the former Horicon captain for 4 years, was assigned charge of the company's property, both shore and boating, as well as the direction of employees under instructions from the marine supervisor or the general manager, Mr. D. A. Loomis.

The Delaware & Hudson completed its exit from the steamboat business when it sold all the assets of its subsidiary, the Lake George Steamboat Company, to Mrs. Concetta Stafford and her husband, Captain George Stafford on July 26, 1939.  Captain Stafford was a veteran boatman who for 28 years was connected with navigation on Lake George and specifically, the Lake George Steamboat Company.  The assets of the company included the steamboats Mohican and the show boat Horicon, the dock, the marine railway built in 1927, and buildings consisting of a 12-room dwelling, blacksmith shop, paint shop, woodworking shop, four storehouses, restaurant, and eight acres of land including 1,800 feet of lake shore along with all the equipment and assets.  Captain Stafford continued to operate the Mohican on Lake George during the summer of 1940.

The End of Rogers Rock Hotel
J. Q. A. Treadway decided to build a summer resort close to the base of Rogers Slide overlooking Heart's Bay in 1874.  The gothic style building was designed by O. B. Hinkley.  The hotel opened to the public on July 19, 1875.  Besides the guest rooms, the hotel consisted of an office, parlor, reading room, wash room/barber shop, dining room, and kitchen. 

In 1909, patrons could reach the hotel from New York by train to Ticonderoga followed by a 4-mile land drive or by train to the village of Lake George followed by a trip aboard a Lake George steamer the entire length of the lake to the hotel's dock.  Rail service to either location was excellent.  It took nearly 7 hours by rail and carriage or 9 hours by rail and steamer. 

The hotel was sold to David Williams around 1903 and he subsequently purchased more land so that the shoreline ran nearly a mile along the lake.  The hotel opened in June 1909 under lease to the Rogers Rock Hotel Company.  In 1924, the hotel traded owners when it was sold to a New York syndicate with Williams holding one quarter interest.  This group retained ownership until the end. 

The famous Rogers Rock Hotel located in Hearts Bay on Lake George saw the beginning of the end on March 18, 1942 when the Eaton Wrecking Company of Glens Falls began razing the facility.  A crew of 10 men began demolition of the 60-odd room structure.  Work was completed some time in July.  The same company also razed the Marion House on the Lake George-Bolton Landing road. 

Passengers to Baldwin
The Delaware and Hudson Railroad served Baldwin with one or more passenger trains daily during the summers of 1875 through 1932.   The railroad ran two trains in each direction beginning the end of June in 1877 as stated in the June 29 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel. This was the beginning of summer travel. Trains left Montcalm Landing at 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to connect with Lake George boats. The return trains left Baldwin at 12:20 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. to connect with the New York & Canada (D&H) trains at Fort Ticonderoga, or Montcalm Landing.

A 1927 Lake George & Lake Champlain steamer timetable shows the southbound Lake Champlain steamer Vermont arriving at Montcalm Landing at 12:15 p.m. daily.  A Delaware & Hudson train arrived at 12:15 p.m. at Montcalm Landing to pick up the passengers.  The train then left Montcalm Landing at 12:30 p.m. arriving at Baldwin Dock at 12:45 p.m..  

The Lake George northbound steamer Horicon arrived at Baldwin at 12:55 p.m. daily.  Departing Horicon passengers could then board the awaiting Delaware & Hudson train which left at 1:00 p.m. for the 15 minute trip to Montcalm landing arriving at 1:15 p.m..  Passengers then boarded the steamship Vermont leaving at 1:25 p.m. to continue their journey north up Lake Champlain to other points such as Burlington, Vermont.  

Baldwin Dock Today
Today, Baldwin Landing is a shell of its former self from the late 19th and early 20th century.  Some of the cottages still remain today, but all evidence of railroad operations are long gone.   

The Crandall Marine Railway still exists and is used by the Lake George Steamboat Company as its primary facility to build, maintain, and repair its fleet of excursion boats.  The Baldwin property still contains this marine railway, the head house which contains the machinery to propel the system, and boat cradle.  There are an additional two modern storage sheds.  

The Crandall Marine Railway was added to the Nation Historic Register on May 4, 2011.

Steamboat passengers aboard the Mohican may still board or disembark at Baldwin by special request.  On a personal note, this author highly recommends the full tour of Lake George aboard the Mohican.  It is a fantastic experience.

The Ticonderoga Branch
Events affecting the mainline of the Delaware and Hudson at Montcalm Landing (Port Marshall) and in the immediate Ticonderoga area also affected the Ticonderoga Branch and Baldwin Branch (Lake George road) of the railroad.  Therefore, important events affecting the Ticonderoga Branch are provided here even though the events did not actually occur on that particular branch. 

The New York & Canada Railroad completed its tracks from Whitehall, NY along the west shore of Lake Champlain to Ticonderoga in the fall of 1874.  Following completion of this end of the line, Delaware and Hudson trains connected Fort Ticonderoga station with Albany.  

Steamboat service through the difficult Champlain Narrows soon became unnecessary and Ticonderoga's economic status increased.  Early industrial activities included those related to water power such as paper making and other mills as well as horse breeding, and the construction of canal boats.

The Baldwin Branch was completed in May of 1875 passing through the outskirts of Ticonderoga.  There was no railroad spur into the Village of Ticonderoga at this time and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show no rail tracks into Ticonderoga from the Baldwin Branch as late as 1884.  There were also no railroad tracks to either the Lower Mill, Island Mill, village, or "A" and "B" Mills along the river.  However, Sanborn Fire Insurance maps are not necessarily a good indicator of when geographic points of interest change due to the time intervals between published editions.  

Information is sketchy from the time period of 1888 to when the Ticonderoga Branch was actually laid into the village of Ticonderoga.  This is mostly due to a fire resulting in the loss of a large number of Ticonderoga Sentinel newspapers.  Many were not archived during this time period.  Railroad timetables for the Ticonderoga Railroad began appearing in the April 2, 1891 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.  It is possible that such timetables appeared earlier in the Ticonderoga Sentinel, but such papers did not survive the fire.

First Rumblings of a Railroad
According to the November 30, 1877 issue of the Ticonderoga Sentinel, the citizens of Ticonderoga met on a Saturday evening on November 24, 1877 in the office of Hollenback and Wheeler for the sole purpose of considering the feasibility of constructing a railroad from Willow Point on Lake Champlain to Stone's Bay on Lake George. Willow Point is located on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain south of Chimney Point (the location of the Lake Champlain bridge).  The honorable William E. Calkins was called to the chair and John C. Hollenback, Esq. was appointed secretary.

It is unknown how a railroad such as this would have benefited Ticonderoga and more information must be researched before arriving at any other conclusions.  

The parties in attendance expressed their particular views after which C. H. DeLano presented a draft of the charter which met the approbation of the meeting.  A portion of the required stock was subscribed, and C. H. DeLano and J. C. Hollemback were appointed to solicit further subscriptions and report at an adjourned meeting scheduled for December 1st.  The sentiment in the news article read:

"We can readily see that if this project is carried out it will directly tend to utilize and promote the interests of our vast water power and contribute to the prosperity and thrift of the town.

It is utterly impossible for the businessmen of this town to prosper and haul their raw material and manufactured goods two miles, over almost impassible hills, through 'Ticonderoga mud' to the depot.

To pay $8, as we have to now, to get a car from Addison Junction to the village over the Lake George Railroad, will kill any business we may undertake; and to haul the goods by team is equally destructive.

If we organize, get a few thousand dollars subscribed to our stock, make our own surveys showing route and cost, the road can and will be built.  All we need is to work together.

Unless we can get a road running to the village, operated for our own benefit, we shall remain as we are, without any business activity, planted in the mud forever.  

Those deserve success who make an effort to help themselves.  True, we are poor.  It is also true that we shall remain poor if we continue to grumble about what somebody else refuses to do for us and do not try to help ourselves.  Ticonderoga has waited for the last 50 years, like Micawber [from Dickens - one who is poor, but lives in optimistic expectation of better fortune], for 'something to turn up.'  Let us go to work now and 'turn something up' ourselves, and while busy with that, we shall have no time to worry about misfortunes in the past.

We need this railroad.  We cannot prosper without it.  Let us work and get it."

The Ticonderoga Railroad
Articles of Association of the Ticonderoga Railroad Company were filed on December 13, 1889.  Clayton H. DeLano was listed as the President of the company and was duly authorized by a majority of its directors to execute the agreement.  The thirteen company directors included Clayton H. DeLano, G. B. Hanford, W. W. D. Jeffers, Frank L. Brust, Denis C. Bascom, M. R. Hack, Jonas Loeb, M. C. Drake, Lyman Malcolm, C. A. Stevens, Orlando Rowell, and A. H. Weed all of Ticonderoga and Thomas S. Coolidge of Glens Falls.  The Articles of Association identified the corporate name as “The Ticonderoga Railroad Company.” The said Company was to continue in existence for a period of fifty years.  The stated reason for association was for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, and operating a railroad for public use, in the conveyance of persons and property.

The railroad was to be constructed, maintained and operated commencing in the Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York, in or at the line of the Lake George and Lake Champlain Railroad (otherwise called the Lake George Branch of the New York and Canada Railroad) on the land owned by Edward E. Wilson, near his dwelling house; running westerly or north-westerly in a general course to the mills of the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company in the village of Ticonderoga; proceed westerly or thereabouts through the village of Ticonderoga across Main Street; through or along First Street; to and across Lake George Avenue; to or near the outlet of Lake George; proceed southerly or south-westerly up and along or near the said stream (a.k.a. LaChute river); and to or near the old cotton factory.

The agreement described the village of Ticonderoga as a thriving manufacturing village located upon a stream at the outlet of Lake George, which afforded water power and natural facilities for the development of manufacturing industries of an unusual order.  It continued to state that the industrial development of the village of Ticonderoga and surrounding territory was impeded on account of the lack of adequate and convenient railroad facilities, and also by reason of the necessity for carting all freight up a very steep grade to the Academy Station on the Baldwin Branch, about three-quarters of a mile, or to Addison Junction on the main line, about two and one-half miles, thereby imposing very heavy charges for cartage on all freight, and placing manufacturers at a great disadvantage in competition with those located on other roads.

Construction News in the August 2, 1890 edition of Engineering News and American Railroad Journal reported a contract was reported let for a railway from Addison Junctions to Ticonderoga village, a distance of 10.5 miles, with a branch 1.5 miles long into the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company.  The cost of the road was reported as $60,000. 

An agreement was made between the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and the Ticonderoga Railroad Company on August 13, 1890.  The Delaware and Hudson was identified as the lessee in the possession, management and operation of the New York and Canada Railroad, with a railroad extending from the village of Whitehall, Washington County, New York, and a branch (known as the Baldwin Branch) to the Village of Baldwin, at the foot of Lake George.  

The Baldwin Branch was stated to extend from the main line of the New York and Canada Railroad to the village of Baldwin, a distance of about five miles, on very high ground, passing the village of Ticonderoga on the south about three-quarters of a mile there from, and at a considerable elevation above the same.

The agreement stated that the proposed Ticonderoga Railroad Company could be economically operated by the Delaware and Hudson as a side or switch track, at but a slight expense over that required to handle the freight and passenger traffic of Ticonderoga with present imperfect facilities.  In the agreement, the Ticonderoga Railroad Company agreed to construct a single track road from a point at or near the village of Ticonderoga by the most feasible route established by its engineer, to connect with the Baldwin Branch at a convenient point with an approximate length of two miles.  The road would consist of steel rails weighing not less than sixty-seven pounds to the yard and would comprise a sufficient freight and passenger station at the village of Ticonderoga with the usual and necessary switches, side tracks, and other appurtenances.  All construction was to be accomplished in accordance with the requirements of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company’s Chief Engineer.

The Ticonderoga Railroad Company agreed to procure legislation necessary to authorize and permit charges for transportation upon the railroad not to exceed twenty-five cents for each passenger; twelve and one half cents for each gross ton of factory or mill supplies or products; and seventy-five cents for each ton of general merchandise. None of the agreement provisions was binding on the Delaware and Hudson until the necessary legislation, authority, and permission was obtained.  All taxes and assessments against the proposed road would be paid by the Ticonderoga Railroad Company.  This included corporation franchise taxes, but excluded tax on rolling stock, which the Delaware and Hudson would pay. 

An Act to regulate rates of fare for passenger traffic on the railroad of the Ticonderoga Railroad Company became law without the approval of the Governor, in accordance with the provisions of article four, section nine of the New York State Constitution on February 13, 1890.

Upon completion of the railroad, the agreement stated the Delaware and Hudson would take possession and maintain, manage and operate the road, providing freight and passenger connection with all day trains on the New York and Canada Railroad that may stop at Addison Junction.  The Delaware and Hudson would assume all the duties, obligations, liabilities, rights, privileges, and franchises of the Ticonderoga Railroad Company for maintenance and operation.  The Delaware and Hudson would also retain twenty-five percent of the annual gross earnings derived from all traffic upon the Ticonderoga Railroad as full compensation for managing, operating, and maintaining the railroad.  The remaining seventy-five percent of gross earnings would be appropriated and used by the Delaware and Hudson to pay all taxes and assessment against the Ticonderoga Railroad or against the Delaware and Hudson as operators of the Ticonderoga Railroad.

A mortgage was obtained by The Ticonderoga Railroad Company for the purpose of satisfying and discharging its indebtedness for the construction of the railroad.  Frank S. Witherbee of Port Henry and Percival W. Clement of Rutland, VT were listed as the trusties.  The mortgage called for the issuance of bonds in the amount of $30,000 in $1000 amounts to bear date on the first day of January 1891 and to be payable in thirty years from their date with six percent interest payable annually on the first day of January of each year.  The amount of capital stock of the railroad was stated as $30,000, consisting of three hundred shares of one hundred dollars each.  Eleven thousand five hundred shares of this amount was preferred stock.

Construction Begins
The Ticonderoga Branch split from the Baldwin Branch at Ticonderoga Junction approximately 1.48 miles from Montcalm Landing (Fort Ticonderoga).  Delano (without the junction) was located near Montcalm Landing on the north end of Defiance Siding.  Ticonderoga Junction was located 1.48 miles from Montcalm Landing (or Fort Ticonderoga as it was later known) and proceeded easterly into the Delaware and Hudson yard in Ticonderoga.  Sanborn Fire Insurance maps confirm tracks into Ticonderoga by late 1890.

A correspondent for Engineering News and American Railroad Journal reported in the September 27, 1890 edition that the Ticonderoga Railroad began construction on July 30, 1890.  The road, constructed to connect the paper mills in Ticonderoga with the Lake George and Lake Champlain branch of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's railroad, was planned for a main line listed as 7,400 feet long with a 3,000 foot long switchback into the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Mill (lower mill).  It also included a 1,800 foot long branch line into the Island Mill.  The Journal reported the president as C. H. Delano with engineers from Chappell & Burke, of Rutland, VT.

The New York Times reported that trains began running regularly on the new Ticonderoga Railroad on February 2, 1891.   The article listed the stations as Junction, Lake George Branch, Ticonderoga,  and DeLano named in honor of Roger DeLano.  Engineering News and American Railroad Journal reported in the February 14, 1891 edition that the Ticonderoga Railroad was projected to have a total length of 2.55 miles of which 0.85 miles would be comprised of side track.  At this point, 2.33 miles were completed with the remaining 1,700 feet to be finished that spring.  Work on the line was listed as light and included a maximum grade of 3% and a maximum curve radius of 15 degrees.  The contractor was Maurice Dower of Ballston, NY.  The Journal reported the railroad would do both freight and passenger business.

In a March 26, 1891 special board meeting, the Ticonderoga Board of Trustees approved the motion to have D. M. Arnold draw a plan or description of a street leading from Main Street, entering to and past the railroad depot.  It was proposed to be open as a public street.  Arnold was approved to prepare a map of the street and file it with the village clerk's office.  When the map and survey was finished, a release of all damages from the owners of the affected land was to be drawn and submitted to those owners for  signature on the condition that the village lay out and improve the street. 

On Monday, April 6, 1891, the Delaware & Hudson Railroad dispatched a gravel train hauling cinders from Port Henry.  The cinders were put on the road leading from Main Street to the railroad's freight house.

Track Laying Increases
By April 6, 1891, the Delaware and Hudson was hard at work hauling cinders from Port Henry to put on the road leading from Main Street to the Ticonderoga freight house.  The railroad began laying the tracks for the paper mill's island spur around April 30, 1891.  This spur ran close to the doors of the Ticonderoga Machine company's works, and terminated at the upper end of the new paper mill.  

In May, the railroad delivered the first three of a total of 40 carloads of Florida pine to the Mead and Smith saw mill at the upper falls for the construction of the Ticonderoga Machine Company's building, the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Mill, and several other buildings that were under construction at the time and for which Mead and Smith had contracted. 

The new tracks across the Island were nearly completed by May 21, 1891, and the railroad was placing rail cars as far down as the machine shop.  

Operations Begin
So, finally passengers could get into and out of the village of Ticonderoga by way of train instead of getting out at Academy.  Getting into the Village of Ticonderoga by way of the train was a major accomplishment.  Now, travelers had to get from the Ticonderoga depot to their ultimate destination.  In the August 27, 1891 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel, this fact was explained by some clever individual who stated one could get to the depot, but then had to walk to get anywhere else including hotels.

Since its opening on February 2, 1891, the Ticonderoga Railroad Company and the local branch line was operated by the Delaware and Hudson under the agreement dated August 13, 1890.  This agreement continued during the existence of the Ticonderoga company as a railroad owning corporation.

The Ticonderoga Sentinel began publishing timetables for the Ticonderoga Railroad around 1891.  Beginning on May 14, 1891, the Ticonderoga Sentinel began listing timetables for the Crown Point Iron Company Railroad, the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, and the Ticonderoga Railroad in scattered issues.  

The Delaware and Hudson schedule listed five main line trains; one freight and accommodation, one passenger, one accommodation, one New York express, and one local freight.  These, of course, ran north and south through Montcalm Landing with the one local freight, which more than likely came into the village. 

Ticonderoga Branch Experiences
The railroad became the main method of travel to Ticonderoga for quite some time.  In one story, a man from Whitehall recalled in a local newspaper that he attended the Knights of Columbus Ball in Ticonderoga once via train.  He and other men escorted "their girls" on the train to Montcalm Landing.  From there, they took the 2 mile train into Ticonderoga over the Baldwin and Ticonderoga Branches.

Traveling salesman and tourists traveling on the Baldwin and Ticonderoga branches to the Ticonderoga area at the turn of the century had a choice of three hotels - the Burleigh House, the Exchange, later known as Ledger's Inn, and the Hall House, known as the Ticonderoga Inn in it's later days.  The Ticonderoga Inn, a famous stop over for travelers, was located on north Champlain Avenue near the Ticonderoga Creek and then opposite the paper mill's Island Mill clock tower.  The Ticonderoga Inn was a year-round modern hotel, lighted by electricity, steam heated, with baths, water, and sanitary plumbing.  The Inn's porters met all Delaware and Hudson trains at Baldwin Dock and Montcalm Landing.  The Ticonderoga Inn was destroyed in a tragic fire on March 18, 1953.  The location was later obliterated in 1960 with the construction of International Paper Company's No. 7 machine building. 

Some humorous railroad related stories made their way into the pages of the Ticonderoga Sentinel. In the June 4, 1903 edition, the paper related how people had the happy faculty of making the best of everything that happens. John E. Milholland, his niece and seven of her college friends from various states, all recent graduates of Columbia College and a gentlemen friend came through Lake George Saturday, May 30 on an excursion intending to come to the village of Ticonderoga on the branch train.  Unfortunately the train did not make the trip. Mr. Milholland had to deliver the Memorial Day address so some friends were there with a carriage to meet him. No other transportation was at hand and the carriage was too small to carry the entire party.  It was proposed to telephone to the village for another carriage.  On looking around, the ladies saw a hand car used by the section hands on the railroad and proposed to work their passage using it.  They made an arrangement with the section boss to accompany the party, and four of them found room to sit on the platform, two officiated at the handle bars, and they started out towards the village.  The entire party met up again at the W. J. Smith Lumber Co. lumber mill because it was deemed too dangerous to run the hand car further for fear of meeting the local train.  The ladies, with a guide, then walked the railroad track from the lumber mill to William street and switched to the sidewalk leading to Academy Park.