James A. Latour at the wheel, Mrs. Latour, the former Gertrude Rafferty, and her sister, Elizabeth, wife of Mark Monoghan, Malone postmaster, in rear seat. A. Douglas Bombard, 1909, age 5, on the Main Street bridge, with the Riverside Inn in the background. The car was his father's, reputed to be the first car garaged in Saranac Lake. Among the children on board are Agnes Corbett Kilroy, Bertha Utting Smith, and Louise Dawning.  The car is a Franklin model D, c. 1908.The first Automobile arrived in Saranac Lake in 1902, driven by honeymooners Mr. and Mrs. Herbert I. Sackett, who stayed at the Ampersand Hotel. As the automobile replaced the horse, a livery came to mean a cab stand, and a livery man became a cabby.  The car affected almost everything, from hotels to restaurants to camping.

Lake Placid News, September 15, 1922

SUMMER SEASON IN ADIRONDACKS GOOD

Hotel Proprietors and Garage Men Report Period Equal to Any in Past –
Are Satisfied

…The increase in automobile traffic during the year is one of the big features of the season, according to persons familiar with the Adirondacks for a great number of years. Cars from every State in the Union and the Provinces of Canada, together with some from United States' possessions, have been seen on the roads.

The garage men report that the traffic has been equal to if not ahead of anything in the past. It has been almost impossible to ride a mile on a main highway without meeting a machine, and it is not infrequent to see long strings of cars moving along the State roads.

The State camping sites have been used more this summer by the traveling public than ever before. Property owners along the main high-ways have erected tent colonies for the use of motor tourists, and hundreds of auto parties carry an entire camping outfit with them. The hotel men, however, say the campers have not affected their business, as the camp tourist is not drafted from the ranks of the hotel tourist. He is of a different species and one that is an asset to the community. He buys his supplies from local merchants and he pays cash for what he gets, Then he enjoys his vacation and goes back home to spread the story of the wonders and beauty of the Adirondacks among his friends. As a result, the number of these tourists is: expected to be increased again next year.

Another outgrowth of the present season is the increasing number of roadhouses of the better sort, catering to the traveling motorists. The tea rooms have also increased in number, and many of them are within motoring distance of larger villages, making it attractive to the resident as well as the tourist. A survey of the season which is now near its close brings the conclusion that the Adirondacks are reaping a rich harvest of summer visitors. New friends are constantly being made and much benefit will be gained by visitors and residents...

See:

Garages:

Comments

Add tags