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Introduction
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 & Hudson Railroad.  

I have continued my research, gathering additional information, photos, post cards, and maps, and updating the information on this web page as relevant information surfaces.  Since the original appearance of the BLHS article and web page publication, this research effort has grown considerably, adding more depth and subject matter relating to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad's presence in Ticonderoga.   

What's in a Name
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 the story 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.  (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 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 "Weeds 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)

Despite all these naming conventions and the now utter confusion of the  reader, the branch line from Montcalm Landing to Baldwin is properly named the Baldwin Branch (formerly the Lake George branch).  

The small branch that split from the Baldwin Branch (Lake George Branch) at Ticonderoga or Delano Junction 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, joint 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 Baldwin Branch was built upon and followed the old Baldwin stage route that was used for years to link Lake Champlain with Baldwin dock.  

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)

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. (M Wright collection)

The Town of Ticonderoga
The Town of Ticonderoga (population 5,149; 1990 census) was formed from the old Town of Crown Point, New York on March 20, 1804.  The town celebrated its 200th birthday in the summer of 2004.  Ticonderoga is located within 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 their 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. 

Ticonderoga developed as several settlement areas, each of which had a specific name associated with it.  South Ticonderoga, also known as Trout Brook, became known as Tuffertown supposedly because of the efforts early residents had to endure or tough it out in order to exist.  The Upper village was known as Alexandria while the Lower Village never really earned a name.  The western portion of the village became Weedville and the high hill to the north was Mount Hope.  Another settlement area at the foot of the mountainous area approximately three miles north of the lower village was known as Ti Street or Streetroad.

The Ticonderoga Branch history often refers to town street names.  Unfortunately, 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.  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 heretofore difficult problem of locating a specific address. 

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. 

For example, the Hotel Burleigh Tap Room entrance became No. 100, the Ticonderoga National Bank, directly across the street became No. 401, et cetera with even numbers on the left and odd numbers on the right of every street.  The numbering of Montcalm Street and Champlain Avenue began at the intersection of these thoroughfares. 

Ticonderoga Fire of 1875
Many historical records were unfortunately lost at a time when the Baldwin Branch was under major construction.  A great fire struck the village of Ticonderoga in the early morning of March 31, 1875.  Fire was discovered around 3 AM 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 muniple 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 had already 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.

Ticonderoga Village vs. Town of Ticonderoga
The Village of Ticonderoga and Town of Ticonderoga were two distinct governmental entities.  The Village of Ticonderoga was incorporated 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

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. 

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.  

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. 

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 tickets interchangeable. 

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 D&H's lease of the Rensselaer & Saratoga. 

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.

Fort Ticonderoga Tunnel
A little information is now in order regarding the tunnel under Fort Ticonderoga.  The 440-foot long tunnel, blasted out of hard, limestone rock 40 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 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 4th 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 a headway of 64 feet was accomplished. 

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.

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 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 tunnel was nearly ready for lath and plaster work on April 25th.  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.  Railroad engineers received a proposition from Gammon & Co., New York agents for the Ingersall isinglass ceiling, which they claimed would solve the problems.  They stated the advantages of this 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 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 19th, 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.  

A railroad engine passed through the tunnel at Fort Ticonderoga for the first time during the week of June 20th, 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 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

The Addison Railroad and the Drawbridge
Meanwhile, 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 Larrabees 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. 

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.

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. 

The problems with this floating drawbridge on the Addison Railroad continued.  It actually sank on the night of March 20, 1918 due to a leak that 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.

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 presenting 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.  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 the drawbridge was allegedly unsafe and therefore train operations had been discontinued for two or three years.  The drawboat'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. 

Addison Junction to Ticonderoga
The Ticonderoga Sentinel began mentioning rumors in late 1883 that the Central Vermont Railroad was contemplating extending their Addison branch of the railroad into  Ticonderoga.  On Tuesday, November 18, 1883, the Central Vermont board of directors met with the directors of the Addison railroad in Ticonderoga for the purpose of examining such a route as well as one to Lake George.  They included P. W. Clement, president of the Addison road, F. S. Witherbee, one of the Addison road directors, and ex-Governor Stewart, a director for the Rutland and Burlington road.  After looking over the route of the proposed railroad, it was unanimously decided that the project should go forward.  

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 29th 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."

The Railroad and the Paper Mill
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.  As the Wisconsin glacier retreated 12,000 years ago, the waters of the newly formed Lake George spilled over the ridge between Mount Defiance and Cook's Mountain.  Glaciers revised the local landscape blocking off two waterways that flowed north and south out of the valley, leaving a lake basin in need of an outlet.  The waters found a fast and steep route carving a three and a half mile channel draining Lake George northwards into Glacial Lake Champlain.  Once the river reaches the level of Lake Champlain, it spreads out into waterlogged bottomlands.  

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 Ebers 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
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 paper mill.  

Clayton H. 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.  This mill produced soda pulp and fine paper.  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.  

The company prospered.  The year 1882 was identified as a prosperous one for the company according to the March 3 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel.

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.

Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Company
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.  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 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.

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 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.  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.  

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.  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.  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.

Work on the mill's 120 foot high smokestack was underway and scheduled for completion by September 10.  However, upon reaching a height of 60 feet, the Bennetts, contracted out of Fort Edward, refused to work any longer stating the foundation was unsafe.  The foundation, however, rested on a solid ledge.  The crew left the job, ostensibly for the purpose of taking a better one at Sandy Hill.  While on the job, these workers created quite a stir among their fellow workers by stating they were paid 50 cents more per day than they were actually receiving.  The Bennetts workers leaving created a sort of panic, but after some difficulty, another work force was acquired.  

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 would be 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 opened its throat for the first time on Friday, November 17 and the machinery of the mill was tested in preparation for commencing operations.

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.

Lake George Pulp & Paper Company
The Lake George Pulp 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.  This made 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.

The Lake George Pulp & Paper 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.

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 Tourdrinier 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 Branch of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad passed within a few feet of the Lake George Pulp & Paper Company, which was certainly 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 am 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.

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.

Glens Falls Pulp Company
On October 10, 1884, the Ticonderoga Sentinel announced the sale of the cotton mill at the upper falls to the Glens Falls Pulp Company for the amount of $26,000. The pulp company planned to use the existing building for pulp production until it was ready to begin manufacturing paper sometime in the future. New machinery was placed throughout the facility.

The proprietors of the company, Coolidge, Lee & Co., purchased additional property in December 1884 to include three excellent water privileges; property bordering on both sides off the river for a distance of nearly one mile; an island containing an acre of land; two large mills and numerous storehouses, sheds, and other structures; a dozen dwelling houses, and a large quantity of valuable land.

International Paper Company
The Riordon Pulp & Paper Company, Ltd of Montreal, Canada purchased a majority interest of Ti Pulp & Paper stock on November 21, 1916.  International Paper Company acquired Riordon in 1925.  International Paper had already acquired paper and pulp mills in the Upper Falls shortly before 1900.  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." 

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. 

The Mills & Dams
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," Island Mill, and 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.  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.  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 (65' drop).  This was the location of the second dam.  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.

"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.  This was the location of the third dam along the river.  The site required a broad dam high enough to make its power-generating "head" worthwhile.

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.  

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 it created (known as Lord Howe Lake).  When International Paper Company built a new mill on the shore of Lake Champlain, the turbine house was dismantled and the dam lowered to decrease the pond depth.  Only the lower regulator remains of the double regulated Kaplan turbine that produced electricity.  It sat in a vertical, cylindrical casing connected by a short pipe to the intake in the dam.

"D" Mill Dam
The "D" mill was one of Ticonderoga's original pulp mills and   the location of the fourth dam.  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. 

Island Mill Dam
The Island Mill was located north of West Exchange Street and was also the location of the fifth dam, Richard's Island dam.  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. 

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' 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.  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. 

In December 1970, the old mill shut down and the new International Paper mill moved to its present day location outside of the village limits on the shore of Lake Champlain.  This marked the first time in 200 years that no industrial activity was taking place on the La Chute River.  The new mill was built at a cost of $71 million and was dedicated in October 1971. 

When I was younger, the mill was located in its original location in the village of Ticonderoga at the current location of the Bicentennial Park.  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 Baldwin Branch
The junction of the Baldwin branch and the mainline of the Delaware and Hudson was 99.62 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 location 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). 

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 24th, 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.

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).

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 29th, 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.

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.  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'."

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 31st, 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 am and 3:30 pm, returning at 11:00 am 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.

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, the feeling of excitement was felt 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."

The steamboat steamboat schedules for the 1876 time period included:
The "Eddy" (Capt. Belden); left for Whitehall every morning at 7:00 returning in the evening.
The "Vermont" (Capt. Rushlow); left for Burlington on arrival of the noon train from the south, returning at 9pm
The "Minne-Ha-Ha" (Capt. Russell); left Baldwin for Caldwell at 2pm
The "Ganouski" (Capt. Hulett); left Baldwin for Caldwell at 4:15pm

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.

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 3pm and stopped only at Whitehall at 1:40pm and Fort Edward at 2:30pm.  What is interesting to note from the appearance of this news in the September 22nd edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel, is that it specifies the name Fort Ticonderoga as the other end of the line and not Port Marshall or Montcalm Landing.  This could have been the official name or else it was just the thought of the individual writer at the time.

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.

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. 

D&H 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 "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 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.  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. 

Fort View serves excellent food and 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. 

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 D&H 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, D&H 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 30th, 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. 

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 proceeded southwesterly on the outskirts of the main Village of Ticonderoga towards Baldwin Dock and the nearby Rogers Rock Hotel.  The tracks proceeded to cross Cossey Street. 

Shortly after crossing Cossey Street, the railroad served what I believe was a scrap dealer although I continue to research further details.  This could have been Adolph Disken.  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.

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.  Fish 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.  

My uncle ended up purchasing the Fish home and lived there until his death.  The home still exists today on the corner of The Portage and Battery Street although it is no longer in our family.   

I always knew the wholesale business as E. J. Monroe because the wholesale business was later purchased by E. J. Monroe and renamed the E. J. Monroe Wholesaler.  The exact date of this sale is not known.  This date was at least as early as 1962 as that is the date corresponding to reports of Monroe opening a Vermont franchise to join the Ticonderoga store.

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 to care for my maternal grandmother and grandfather.  My grandparents eventually transferred the home to my aunt.  

I spent a majority of my youth playing with my cousin and other friends in this area.  My mother and I eventually moved into this house with my Aunt around 1974.  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 waive 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.

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.  This location was known as Academy Station to the local residents and on all railroad timetables (although there was no physical “station”) and was located 2.05 miles from Montcalm Landing.  

The name Academy comes from the Ticonderoga Academy which was the first high school in Ticonderoga and located a short distance to the north along The Portage.  It was constructed in 1858 and remained until 1906 when the Central School (where I attended Kindergarten - I believe the last class to do so) was built upon the Academy's site.  

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.

Ticonderoga to Alexandria
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 the coal tower when I used to walk along the tracks around 1973 or 1974.

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 there 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.  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. 

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. 

It was known as the Wallace Brothers Coal Company in 1912.  This business consisted of a lumber shed, coal shed, office, store, and smaller shed.  

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.  

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 Essex County Highway No. 5 (Alexandria Avenue) on the way to Baldwin dock located 4.77 miles from Montcalm Landing.  After crossing Alexandria Avenue, there was a short spur approximately 300 feet long that serviced an oil storage business.  This business began in July 1909 when the Union Oil Company began erecting a large gasoline tank near the railroad crossing here.   The tank was eight feet in diameter and thirty feet high.  A smaller tank was erected near the Fort Ticonderoga railroad station at the same time. 

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.  As Baldwin Dock was 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.  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: 

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.  

In 1935, no carload freight was forwarded or received and the entire business at Baldwin consisted of less than a carload shipment according to a 1935 railroad report.  Business in 1936 consisted of one outbound carload shipment of freight and one less-than-carload shipment.

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.  

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 rails.  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. 

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.

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 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."

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 320 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 waive to the passenger trains crossing The Portage near E. J. Monroe’s on their way to Baldwin dock.   

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.  

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 Baldwin on December 14, 1907.

The End of the Horicon
The Horicon, originally built at Baldwin in 1911 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 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. 

The Delaware and Hudson Railroad served Baldwin with one or more passenger trains daily during the summers of 1875 through 1932.  The D&H 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 12:15pm and 1:30pm to connect with Lake George boats. The return trains left Baldwin at 12:20pm and 3:40pm 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.  steamboat passengers aboard the Mohican may 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 Hollemback 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
The New York State Legislature granted a franchise for the construction of the Ticonderoga Railroad in 1890.  The Ticonderoga Railroad Company incorporated on December 13, 1889.  Construction began by late 1890 - early 1891 on the short line, less than a mile in length.  The Ticonderoga Branch split from the Baldwin Branch at Ticonderoga Junction (also known as Delano Junction).  Delano (without the junction) was located near Montcalm Landing on the north end of Defiance Siding.  Ticonderoga (Delano) 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 Mills.  The Journal reported the president as C. H. Delano with engineers from Chappell & Burke, of Rutland, VT.

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.

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 D&H schedule listed five main line D&H 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.  

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

The short article in the paper stated,

"Why wouldn't it be a good scheme for some one to run a public carriage or hack to the village station of the Ticonderoga R.R.?  As it is now, one cannot reach any part of the village from the depot, except by walking, and a carriage would be mighty convenient sometimes."

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

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.

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. 

Mail Delivery
The U.S. Postal Service delivered mail to Ticonderoga through a special arrangement with the Ticonderoga Railroad.  Beginning in late July, 1891, the Lake George mails (meaning the mail for the Lake George area - not the city of Caldwell), was sent via the Baldwin branch trains.  Mail from three daily runs from the south was delivered to the Ticonderoga Post Office by the Ticonderoga Railroad shortly after leaving the main line by mid-July of 1891.  The mail was formerly carried by horse teams from the Ticonderoga Post Office to Baldwin.  Interesting here that the Ticonderoga Sentinel mentioned the name "Baldwin branch" in this July 23, 1891 article.

Economic Growth
This period was the beginning of great economic growth for Ticonderoga.  New businesses, including the Ticonderoga Pulp & Paper Mill among many others, were in construction or just beginning their operations.  William Hooper & Co. were making machinery for the new Lake George Pulp & Paper Company mill under construction.  

Rail operations in Ticonderoga were booming. The Ticonderoga branch railroad carried 125 passengers on April 28th, the largest number since the railroad commenced operations.  

Track Laying Increases
By April 30, 1891, the railroad was laying the tracks for the paper mill's island spur.  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.  

On June 16, the village train had to make two trips due to the large number of passengers who took the 10 o'clock train to the north.  In addition, on that same day, 52 tickets were sold at the Ticonderoga village station for the Essex County veteran's encampment held at Keesville.  On July 2, reports came from the Upper Falls that the side tracks there were full of carloads of white pine..

The Negatives of a Railroad
For every benefit that a railroad brings to a community, and it brought plenty to Ticonderoga, there are usually some negatives, especially in the eyes of people who have varying opinions of a railroad's benefit.  Take for example, this "Local Notes" submittal, printed in the April 21, 1892 edition of the Ticonderoga Sentinel:

"It seems as if it were time that something were done about a fence along a portion of the railroad at Port Marshall.  The majority of horses seem to be afraid of the engine, and at the place to which we refer it appears to the frightened animals as if the cars were coming down upon them, and they try to escape by turning toward the mountain.  Any person who has ever had occasion to drive over this road recognizes the necessity of a fence and the great wonder is that accidents have not been more serious and frequent.  A great many people dread to drive to this village over that road, and many can come by no other.  If it is the business of the D. and H. company to build a fence (and it certainly ought to be), steps should be taken to compel them to do so at once, for if the people wait for the company to do this of its own volition they can wait until doomsday.  The condition of affairs on this road to which we have alluded is a crying evil that the railroad company has known all these years, and taken no steps to remedy.  There ought to be no further delay about this fence.  Our village is grid ironed with railroad tracks, and there are a number of other things which we shall notice later on.  While a railroad is a necessary adjunct to manufacturing interests, it is not by any means an unalloyed blessing, for a railroad company never does anything for a community without full payment in return, and if it has a monopoly it knows how to be oppressive.  There is a little relief, however, in this town for some freight, and for some people going west, for they can have the advantage of competition by applying to the agent of the Vermont Central at Addison Junction."

The Delaware and Hudson Company reorganized in January 1930.  Under the reorganization order, the newly formed Delaware and Hudson Railroad Corporation acquired control of the Greenwich & Johnsonville Railroad, the Schoharie Valley Railroad, the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad, the Wilkes Barre connecting railroad, the Cooperstown & Susquehanna Valley Railroad, and last, but not least, the Ticonderoga Railroad.  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.  

During the period of August, 1891, The train left for Baldwin leaving that station at 12:48 pm and made the return trip, leaving Baldwin at 1:27 pm.  The local train left Ticonderoga at 12:20 pm to connect with the Steamer "Vermont" at Fort Ticonderoga (Montcalm Landing).

The Sanborn maps of 1890 do not indicate the presence any passenger or freight station in Ticonderoga.  In fact, they only indicated a single track extending off the Baldwin Branch and running down First Street (Algonkin St.) on its way to the "B" Mill further to the southwest.

The first Ticonderoga passenger depot was built around 1891.  Insurance maps from 1906 show this original passenger depot located on the north side of the tracks directly across from the freight house on the south side.  This depot would later be rebuilt a short distance to the west.  

Also located near the freight house and to the east were a store house and Union Oil storage tank.  East of the passenger depot and across the tracks from the store house and oil tank were a tool house, shed, coal bunker, and water tower.  Maps from 1912 show these same structures although the oil tank was removed by this date.  A more modern station was constructed around 1913.  Maps from 1923 and those corrected to 1945 clearly show the new passenger station in its new and present day location.  The freight house was still in place at this date, however, there is no evidence that the store house, tool house, water tower, or coal bunker were still in existence.  

The Ticonderoga station, Delaware and Hudson station number 45 (renumbered station 5641 and 641 in later timetables), was 2.01 miles from Montcalm Landing.  The D&H maintained a locomotive water supply for steam engines in Ticonderoga.  This gravity fed line was connected directly to the village main and fed water using a 10 inch pipe.  This supply station was in existence as late as 1934 and definitely gone by 1952.  Beginning in 1930, this water service was listed for emergency use only. 

Railroad Surgeons in Ticonderoga
The Delaware & Hudson Railroad listed its own corporate surgeons and doctors in all employee timetables.  Doctor J. P. J. Cummins (John P. J. Cummins) of 146 Montcalm Street was listed as the D&H surgeon in timetables as early as 1917 to 1967 for the Ticonderoga & Baldwin Branches and for the area north of Dresden to Westport inclusive.  

J. P. J. Cummins was appointed surgeon on the railroad's surgical staff around October 19, 1916.  The doctor of record changed to T. R. Cummins (Doctor Tom as we called him) beginning in 1969 and as late as 1980.  Thomas Cummins was also our family doctor for more years than I can remember. 

Although not employees of the railroad, J. P. J. and T. R. Cummins were the physicians referred to in timetables for railroad employees to seek out should they be injured or need medical attention while in the Ticonderoga area.  

Dr. Thomas J. Cummins, formerly of Plattsburg, located in Ticonderoga around June 22, 1916, and at first moved into his brother's home (J. P. J. Cummins).  He and his wife were in New Mexico for his wife's health, but the climate did not suit her.  She resided in the Mount Hope Sanitarium.  Cummins rented his first office quarters in the Weed Opera House block before using the house at 146 Montcalm.

Train Service to Ticonderoga
There were anywhere from three to seven year-round shuttle trains at any one time connecting Montcalm Landing and the village of Ticonderoga.  An 1891 timetable shows five Delaware & Hudson passenger trains arriving in and departing from Ticonderoga every day.  Train number 201 left Delano Junction at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in Ticonderoga at 9:06 a.m..  Train number 203 left Delano Junction at 10:04 a.m. and arrived in Ticonderoga at 10:10 a.m..  A third train, number 205, left Delano Junction at 12:45 p.m. and arrived in Ticonderoga at 12:55 p.m..  Train number 207 left Delano Junction at 4:06 p.m. and arrived in Ticonderoga at 4:12 p.m..  A fifth train, number 209, left Delano Junction at 6:00 p.m. and arrived in Ticonderoga at 6:06 p.m.. 

Five trains departed Ticonderoga each day.  Train number 202 left Ticonderoga at 8:40 a.m.; train number 204 at 9:56 a.m.; train number 206 at 12:20 a.m.; train number 210 at 3:54 p.m.; and train number 212 at 5:50 p.m..