Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 15, 1958
THIS 'N' THAT
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cart off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:12-14.
Having written, last week, about the names of various places of business in Saranac Lake twenty-five years ago, and noting that many of them would be strange to a new-comer into "Our Town" today it set me to wondering about the business establishments of even earlier times.
To go back to the Enterprise of September 19th, 1895, I notice the following churches with hours of services are listed: M. E. Church, — Rev. A. M. Woodruff, pastor; St. Luke's Episcopal Church, — Rev. Walter H. Larom, Pastor — Presbyterian Church, — Rev. William Armitage Beardslee, pastor; St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church, — Rev. J. J. Waters, pastor; and Baptist Church, "Opposite Franklin House on Bloomingdale Avenue", — Rev. C. C. Bonham, pastor.
Hours for daily opening and closing of the "Adirondack library" are also listed.
At that time there was a "Hotel Del Monte, — A short mile from the village and adjacent to the Lower Saranac and Colby Lakes,— J. E. and W. H. Meagher, Managers." "V.C. Young, Newspaper and Stationer" was located in the "Torrance Block, Bridge Street."
W.F. Roberts, Real Estate and Insurance had an "office over Post Office". (But where was the Post Office then?)
Uttings had two good sized ads in the same paper: one advertising fine china and glassware, and the other mentions only groceries.
J. Wolfe was advertising a "Closing Out Sale" of $10,000 worth of clothing, for cash only". He gave no street address; neither does Fowler's Livery although his ad is illustrated with a "Tally-Ho" loaded down with passengers, and drawn by four spirited horses.
The Delaware and Hudson R.R. Co., The New York Central R.R. Co., Chateaugay Railroad, (which was the line between Saranac Lake and Plattsburgh;) The Central Vermont Railroad; The Saranac and Lake Placid R. R. Co., and the Champlain Transportation Co. (which was a steamer line on Lake Champlain,) all had their time tables listed.
A. Fortune and Co. had two furniture ads in this paper, but no street address is given; also Branch (AS) and Callanan (W.J.) "Architects, Builders and Manufacturers". Ampersand Land and Improvement Co. of Ampersand, Franklin County, New York" are also listed. (By the way where was Ampersand?)
Evidently not many streets had been laid out, or named, at that time. There may be some oldsters around who will still remember where some of these establishments were located.
The St. Nicholas Bar specialized in "Fried Oyster Lunch and Hot Frankfurters". Walton, Starks and Co. were "Flattening Out Prices on Hardware;" J. H. Farrington, Jr., had a corset ad, — "$1.00 per pair"; F. W. Loomis dealt in Stationery, Silver Souveniers," etc.
F. H. Turner, opposite the Riverside Inn, sold Rifles, Tinware, Hardware, Knives, oil stoves, etc." G. S. Grice dealt in fresh fruit and vegetables; P. C. McKeefe and Co. kept a meat market; J. R. Foster dealt in life Insurance with office over Kendall's Drug Store. C. B. Watson was a "Practical Horse-Shoer and General Blacksmith". Goss and Derby were agents for "The Gurney Hot Water Heater."
Potter and Co., Bankers (supposedly of Saranac Lake) have an ad in, and F. F. Potter was Cashier. Riverside Inn had Wallace Murray as proprietor. "The Franklin House, —Morgan and Mannix Proprietors, with John Morgan, Manager, was advertised as being "new and modern . . . and in close proximity to the depot."
W. J. Hambley of the "Bassett Block" was a Merchant Tailor. Allen was a Photographer; George Williams — a Mason Contractor. Benjamin Woodruff was a Carpenter and Builder, and Mrs. Alex Hasard did both Plain and Fancy Laundry.
Mrs. C. M. Walton dealt in "tinware,crockery notions, jewelry, etc."
Beckwith, Botsford and Coats were Attorneys, as was Fred'k A. Isham, also Paddock and Little. Herman J. Litz was Justice of The Peace.
Mrs. W. H. Perry gave "Massage Treatments", and Trombley and Hayes were Contractors and Builders, while Mrs. A. Berkeley sold hats and bonnets on "Main Street near Bloomingdale Avenue." (Now how did they work that one out?) F. A. Pattinson was a dentist.; George E. Biane of River Street was an upholsterer; Mrs. Alice L. Goff was a Milliner; and R. W. Tower and Co. dealt in "meats, Fish, vetables and fruits of all kinds." Aaron Goldsmith, Sherrill's and M. A. Leonard and Co. all had clothing stores, and Henry F. West specialized in boots and shoes.
All these and many more are listed in this old Enterprise, as well as advertisers from Bloomingdale, Malone, Plattsburgh, Albany and New York, and most of the names are entirely unfamiliar to me. I wonder how many of them you remember.
