Camp Canaras - Historic Saranac Lake

Main Lodge and Spruce CottageFranklin County GIS 1912 map of Upper Saranac LakeCamp Canaras, owned by St. Lawrence University, originated as three contiguous great camps on Upper Saranac Lake. Two of them were constructed and originally owned by the Robert Bentley family: Ne-pah-win (1898), to the north and Canaras (1913 - 1930), to the south. In 1928, the camp was owned by New York lawyer, DeLancey Nicoll. ¹ About 1930, the camp was bought by Luis Martinez de las Rivas, a wealthy Spanish royalist. ^{2, 3} It was later sold to Laurance Rockefeller, who subsequently gave the property to Sloan-Kettering Institute. St. Lawrence University acquired them by gift from an anonymous donor. The third camp, acquired in the 1960s, was Camp Caduceus, just north of Ne-pah-win.

Alois Kobel was caretaker at the camp for 25 years.

Camp Canaras

By Larry Koch, Summer 2015

Situated on the west shore of the north basin of Upper Saranac Lake sits Camp Canaras; a modern use conference center that lives in the time warp of camps from 100 years ago. Camp Canaras (Saranac spelled backwards) has been Saint Lawrence University’s conference and Alumni retreat for the past 50 years, however it was not always that way. Canaras is made up of three former Adirondack camps donated to the University during the 1960’s.

Canaras is one of the largest camps in the north basin consisting of 1700+ feet of waterfront, 27 acres of land with 28 buildings, all but two built before the Depression. There are two wet boat houses, two dry boat houses, 14 sleeping cabins, 4 kitchens and 6 service buildings plus the caretaker’s camp.

Before the American Civil War, the whole northern tier of New York State was bought and sold several times by land speculators. The lake became part of the water route though the Adirondacks when roads did not exist. Around mid-19^th century, the Upper Saranac Lake Watershed was clear-cut, logged by Christopher L Norton. Three decades later, reforestation had progressed enough for the Upper Saranac Association, then owned by Dr Samuel Ward, Thomas Blagden and others to purchase the 27,000+ acre watershed for redevelopment into seasonal camps. These investors also purchased Prospect House, later to become the Saranac Inn.

By 1895, the Upper Saranac Association commenced development of the land around the north basin – usually by leasing or selling waterfront properties to wealthy Saranac Inn guests, principally from New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. These still existing camps line the east and west shores of the north basin. The Upper Saranac Association became the Upper Saranac Company. By 1920, the Saranac Inn had been sold to Harrington Mills and most of the saleable waterfront property owned by the Upper Saranac Company had been sold. Between 1900 and 1930, the lake became the playground for the first American leisure class; wealthy northeast city folks who can take vacations to fish, sail, play tennis, golf and hike in the mountains.

Around 1910, power boats were becoming the new fashionable sport for wealthy camp owners. Of course, once several new power boats were on the lake, owners had to prove they had the fastest boat – hence power boat racing become popular, joining already established sailboat racing. Just imagine, the preferred design in those early years were 30-foot, narrow wooden boats with monster 20 horsepower engines capable of speeding down the lake from Saranac Inn to the Wabeek hotel at the maximum speed of 20 MPH!

St. Lawrence University's Camp CanarasAs one of the larger lakes in the Northeast, wealthy camp owners became so enamored with their new powerboats that they needed boathouses to store them out of the weather. So, Upper Saranac Lake is one of the first lakes in the U.S. to develop the boat house as an integral part of the camp. As we noted earlier, Canaras has two boat houses: a four stall structure and a modern two stall building that replaced a lovely two stall Queen Ann Victorian structure that burned one early morning in the summer of 1972.

There are three distinct original camps that make up current camp Canaras. The oldest camp, known as Ne-Paw-Win was developed about 1898. The second was built in 1913 and originated the name Canaras. The third was first developed in 1915 and was called Camp Caduceus.

The view East from Canaras,
Whiteface, Moose and McKenzie MountainsCamp Ne-Pah-Win was developed around 1898 by Dr. Samuel W Lambert who leased rather than purchase the land from the Upper Saranac Association. As the Wabeek Road (now Route 30) was built around 1912, this was a boat access only camp in the early years. Starting in the 1880,s Dr. Lambert redeveloped a hospital for women in New York City and, with financial help from JP Morgan, started the Columbia Teaching hospital. He was the first dean of the college of physicians at what became Columbia Medical Center. While a busy doctor, Lambert was an avid trout fisherman and belonged to many fishing clubs in the northeast U.S.

By 1905, Cleveland H Dodge was leasing the camp from the Upper Saranac Association. Cleveland H Dodge was a very influential national figure during the Woodrow Wilson administration. Dodge and Wilson were classmates at Princeton. Dodge managed Wilsons 1912 and 1916 presidential campaigns and was Wilson’s personal finance man. He was instrumental in starting Woodrow Wilson’s United War Works Campaign where $190 million was raised in November of 1918 to finance charities supporting WW1 veterans returning from Europe. Dodge wrote a check to the cause for $1 million from his personal fortune. He was president of the National YMCA, and on the board of the American Red Cross and Princeton University. Lastly, Dodge was president of the Phelps Dodge Company during this whole era; the family business he inherited from his father in the 1890s. The Cleveland H Dodge Foundation continues to function as a conduit for support of New York area charities to this day and a building at Princeton is named in memory of him.

Dodge purchased a camp in Bradford County, Pennsylvania for the YMCA around 1908 called Ne-Pah-Win. It is thought he carried the name to his personal camp on Upper Saranac several years later. Ne-Pah-Win is a native term for "sleeping lake”.

The camp layout is typical of the era. Current Ne-Pah-Win lodge was the camp’s main lodge containing both a great room and dining area with kitchen to the rear. This building was initially used by St Lawrence as the dining room but has since been subdivided into smaller sleeping rooms while the kitchen is gone. Behind the main building are out-buildings for ice, wood, and servants quarters.

Current Harding Cottage was probably the first camp owner’s cabin containing a small parlor, bedroom and dressing room. We would expect the privy was out back. As the name notes, story has it President Warren G Harding overnighted here. He was an honorary Vice President of the Trudeau Institute and visited Saranac Lake in 1922. He probably knew Robert Bentley through Ohio Republican politics (see Camp Canaras ) so this may have been his overnight stop on that trip.

Current Jackson Lodge was constructed at a later date, probably by Dodge as the new owner’s cottage replacing Harding cottage on the far side of the main lodge. Jackson is built with a more Alpine style common of the later 19-teens. Dodge’s close brother in law Wainwright Parrish was an architect at Parrish and Sullivan of New York City. Parrish designed many buildings for Dodge including the first New York City YMCA along with several churches and other structures in the North Country. As a later addition to the camp, it contains two large bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs along with a great room with many windows facing the lake.

Dodge was a competitive sailor (his sailing partner Sidney Colgate lived a few camps away) so his boat house is a dry one for storing sailing gear and includes a viewing gazebo on top.

Sometime before 1920, Dodge moved on and Camp Ne-Paw-Win was sold to Robert Bentley, owner of Camp Canaras next door.

Camp Canaras was built in 1913 by Robert Bentley of Youngstown, Ohio. He was president of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company and the Ohio Carbon Limestone Company. He was on the board of directors of several Ohio companies including Republic Rubber. By 1920, he managed one of the biggest employers in Ohio and was active in Ohio Republican Politics (possible Harding connection above).

Robert held a huge party here in July of 1913 for his grand opening of the camp with banquets, water activities and fireworks from the waterfront tea house that still exists today. While Robert was from Ohio, most of his guests were from New York. The camp may have provided a good way for him to stay connected with the New York business crowd while enjoying his summers in the mountains. He expanded the camp with the purchase of camp Ne-Paw-Win around 1920.

Robert died in 1928 so his widow sold the camp to Helen Woodward Martinez de las Rivas in 1930. Helen was an heir to the Jell-O and General Foods fortune who married a Nationalist in the Spanish revolution. She and her husband Luiz summered here and wintered in Palm Beach, Florida. He was involved in gunning running with their yacht Helios and seemed to disappear in the later 1930’s. Helen endowed the Hauptman-Woodward Institute in Buffalo, New York in 1955 and the “R” wing at the University of Rochester Medical School. She was an avid golfer who built the LeRoy, New York Golf Club in 1935 and it’s assumed she played the local Saranac Inn course often.

Between 1936 and 1965, when St Lawrence occupied the camp, it went through three owners including New York Attorney William E Dana who sold it to Laurance Rockefeller in 1946 who donated it to the now famous Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York when he was on the board of directors there.

Like Ne-Paw-Win, Canaras had a main lodge, owner’s cabin, boat house, and service buildings. There are many original camp artifacts in the lodge great room. The kitchen was once located behind the dining room and a hall off the great room goes to four guest room. The large plate glass window in the dining room was considered special when new as large sheets of glass came from fairly new technology in 1913.

Great camps had many out buildings and this one is no exception. You pass the gate house and tennis court on the then newly built Wawbeek Road when you drive in. Tennis was fairly new and popular in 1913 America. Robert Bentley must have been enamored with big power boats. He built the water front boat house and a large two story, three stall garage long enough to store 30-foot boats with servants’ quarters upstairs. Other out buildings include a small stable in back now used for storing firewood, a tool shop and an ice house with its deep cement floor foundation.

Bentley cottage was the owner’s cottage built directly behind the boat house. The cement lines we see today connecting the Main Lodge and boat house to Bentley cottage supported at least a wooden walk and, more common for the era, a covered walk way. It has been suggested that William Distin designed Camp Canaras and there are some early elements of his design concepts, however, no proof of his involvement has been found.

Camp Caduceus was developed by Charles J Rhoads in 1915 when he purchased this land from the Upper Saranac Association. Charles was a Philadelphia banker who, while owning the camp was the first president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve bank. He must have known Cleveland H Dodge, owner of Camp Ne-Paw-Win next door because Dodge was closely tied to President Woodrow Wilson who started the Federal Reserve System by act of Congress in December of 1913.

A graduate of Haverford College, Rhoads was the President of Bryn Mawr College for years until his death in 1956. Rhoads sold the camp after only two years ownership to coordinate the reconstruction of post WW1 in Europe for President Wilson.

Horatio G Lloyd purchased the camp in 1917. He was the president of the Philadelphia Commerce Trust Company and was credited by many with stopping the great financial panic of 1907. He became one of 11 senior partners with JP Morgan in New York. Working closely with Mr. Dodge next door, he chaired the Philadelphia branch of the United War Works Campaign.

Horatio G Lloyd sold the camp in 1932 to Edward L Norton, a Bell Labs scientist and Nobel Prize winner, who sold it to Arthur Fagan, a newspaper publisher and Real Estate developer from New Jersey. Fagan suffered a fatal heart attack here after playing a round of tennis in July 1947 at the age of 48. His widow, Elizabeth sold Camp Caduceus along with next door camp Sunrise to Dr. Harry C W S deBrun. De Brun was a well-known published New York Doctor who establish many procedures for trauma patients at hospital emergency rooms. It is said he invited many of his patients to camp Caduceus for grand late night parties in the boat house. His widow left the camp to St Lawrence after the college camp director saved Camp Caduceus from a potentially disastrous fire in 1968.

The Caduceus (the old drugstore medical symbol with a snake around a pole) represents the fields of science, mathematics and their application to Life. The staff is said to be the axis or pole by which the ancient messenger gods travel between Heaven and Earth.

What is now the camp library was the Caduceus main lodge. The cabin next door (now called de Brun) would have been the owner’s cottage. Behind the main lodge are buildings once used for storage, maintenance and servants quarters. Owner’s cottages were separated from the main lodge for privacy from long term guests and separation from the building containing the kitchen for fire safety.

While modern alterations have changed the building’s layout somewhat, we can imagine the current library room with a stone fireplace and vaulted ceiling as a combination great room and dining area. The rear of the building would have been the kitchen and pantry. There is no commanding view of the lake from this room. Across the way is a very large four-stall boat house with its upstairs great room. As power boats were well established by 1915, this small great room combined with the big one in the boat house indicates the two building were planned and built around the same time.

Camp Caduceus has two additional guest cabins now called Brown and Hoffman, probably built in the early 1920s. The architect for Camp Caduceus is unknown.

A note on the author: Larry Koch – Son of Warren H Koch and Dorothy Van Siclen Koch (SLU Class of 1949) first visited Canaras in 1969 as a teenager. After many of years of vacations at Canaras, Larry and his wife Patty now own a camp within sight of Canaras on Upper Saranac Lake.

Larry researched Camp Canaras over 18 months. This article is intended to be informative but not definitive. Conclusions have been made based on piecing together bits of information from various sources. It was found the modern Twitter of the early 20^th century were the social pages of the New York Times and other newspapers. A property deeds search at the Franklin County court house provided ownership history for each camp. Google searches of the old owners came up with loads of information – which tells us they were all VIPs of the early days. Lastly, old stories still told provide a fun historical perspective of the camp.

See also the detailed timeline at bottom.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 2, 2000

LAKE CLEAR NEWS

By DEBORAH J. DONALDSON

Enterprise Correspondent

…The original part of the camp was owned by Lawrence Rockefeller. He donated the property to Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital, which is in Manhattan, to be used as a retreat for the executives of the hospital. After about 10 years the hospital was not using the property; they called Mr. Rockefeller back and asked him if he would like the property back.

He said that he would find a buyer for the property. Mr. Rockefeller sent out letters to many colleges, businesses, etc. to generate some interest in this beautiful piece of property.

Now in the fall of 1964 Foster Brown, who was college president of St. Lawrence University, was taking his daughter to hike near Lake Placid.

As he now had some time on his hands he decided to try and find this piece of property, that he had briefly read about in the flyer. Upon finding the former Rockefeller camp he immediately fell in love with it. Back to Lake Placid to haul his daughter off the mountain and back to St. Lawrence to make the phone call that would bring about the purchase of the property.

St. Lawrence University Conference Center was officially opened in June 1965. The main lodge was the Rockefeller home. The cottages are Hemlock, Spruce and Bentley, which is the director's cottage. Nepahwin was the original guest dining room and is now a cottage.

Harding cottage, where President Harding spent his honeymoon; Jackson cottage, which was named for the President Brown's daughter who was responsible for the purchase of the property; and Pine cottage make up the camp. At the water front there was a tea house, Lakeside Hall that was the boathouse, and a gazebo. In 1967, a new dining hall was built and dedicated to Milt Loyson. Now called the Milt Loyson Hall, it is used by adults, with the children having their own dining hall.

The camp is staffed by St. Lawrence students with four boys arid four girls. The first director for the camp was Dr. Ron Hoffman, who was the athletic director at the University and took on the job of running the camp.

It was Ron's custom every morning to take the guide boat and go for a row. One morning, as he passed the neighboring camp belonging to Mrs. DeBrun, he happened to see srnoke coming from one of her cabins. He beached his boat, went to the cabin and took a smoldering mattress out and put out the fire.

Not wanting to disturb any one, he got back in his boat and continued on his way. Unknown to Ron, Mrs. DeBrun's caretaker saw the whole thing and reported to her. Ron was then summoned to meet with Mrs. deBrun with her thanking him very much for putting put the fire and saving her camp from ruin. A side note here, from Dr. Robert Pike who has helped me with this article, Dr. Pike was later summoned to Mrs. DeBrun and told about the incident at which time Mrs. deBrun said "that she would never forget what Ron had done."

Dr. Pike feels that had a lot do with the 1968 donation by Mrs. deBrun of her property to the St. Lawrence University Conference Center. She was allowed to keep her house and live in it until her passing, and also her caretaker's cottage. A fence was put up next that to give her some privacy. At her passing the University decided to sell it instead of taking down the fence.

The DeBrun property included cottages The Birches, DeBrun #1 & 2 & 3, the Mintzer Library, the ice house and a four slip boathouse.

On June 28, 1970, the original Lakeside boathouse burned down. This had a game room on top and was replaced with a sun deck; and a two slip boathouse under. The first director, Dr. Ron Hoffman, left in August 1968 to do post graduate work.

The second director was Ted Stratford, his wife and five children. They took over in 1969 to 1978. Then Dr. Ron Hoffman and his wife Nancy came back in 1979 until 1983 with his passing away. Next we have Debbie Thaclcef as the director. Bob Sheldon is the present director, who has been there for several years.

The first caretaker, of the property was George Bohling, with the present caretaker being Dean Martin.

To Dr. Robert Pike and his lovely wife Fran, how can I ever thank you for all your help with this article? You were just great answering all my questions and going over the facts. Many, many, many thanks again for all your help.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 26, 2003

COMING HOME TO CANARAS:

An easy life reigns on Upper Saranac Lake At St. Lawrence's great camp, summers are family affairs

By ED FORBES

Special Sections Editor SARANAC INN - Time seems to stand still on the shores of Upper Saranac Lake. Every summer, the same families return to a place whose appearance has changed little since the turn of the century. There, the traditions of the Adirondack Great Camp are lived for 15 weeks each year. These families, united by a common background at St. Lawrence University, return to Camp Canaras, owned by the Canton college since 1965.

Canaras (Saranac spelled in reverse) dominates the upper lake's northern shoreline, as its boundaries stretch a quarter mile from Green Bay north toward Saranac Inn. A series of modest lodges, cottages and boathouses are set beneath hemlocks and pines face Green, Dry and Goose Islands.

Tradition and continuity define the rustic setting. Most of Canaras' buildings contain their original furnishings. Antique Dietz lanterns light paths raked daily by the staff with geometric designs intended to stimulate the imagination. The camp's ample library is stocked with classics read by guests summer after summer. Small pieces of great camp culture like the bell signaling meals and candle-lit dinners are constants too.

Canaras people don't seem to have changed much either. Most Laurentian families who come each summer have for more than 10 years. Bob Sheldon, a member of St. Lawrence's Class of 1977, has directed the camp for 14 seasons. Chef Jim France has diligently prepared a menu that rarely alters for seven years.

Beyond its guests, staff and physical setting, there is a pervasive attitude at Canaras that all say is lasting - a low-key zest for fun at every turn.

A sign, hung on the porch of the camp's main Lodge and painted in St. Lawrence's scarlet and Brown reads, "Somewhere in the world, the Sun is over the yardarm." While this credo literally refers to an old naval tradition that says it's never too early for a drink, at Canaras, it's a metaphor — it's always time for family and fun.

A great camp

Today's Canaras is really an amalgamation of three Upper Saranac Lake Camps. St, Lawrence acquired the southern end of the current 80 acre property in 1965 from Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital. Sloan Kettering had received Canaras as a gift from the family of Laurance S. Rockefeller, brother of Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in the early 1960s and hadn't found any use for the place.

When Foster Brown, St. Lawrence's president in the 1960s, called on Sloan-Kettering officials, he was able to negotiate a purchase for $85,000. St. Lawrence gained what has become one of its most valuable assets.

In 1965, the camp consisted of two camps, both constructed and originally owned by the Robert Bentley family, Canaras, at the southern end, and Ne-pah-win, just north of it. These were built gradually between 1913 and 1930 and were partially designed by Saranac Lake architect William Distin.

Later in the 1960s, St. Lawrence acquired Camp Cadeceus [sic: probably Caduceus], just north of the Ne-pah-win section, from the de Brun family. With the construction of a dining hall in 1967, St. Lawrence had fully assembled its Adirondack retreat.

Al Viebranz of Greenwich, Conn., who graduated from St, Lawrence in 1942 and served as chairman of the St. Lawrence's board in the late 1970s and early 1980s, said this week that he remembers being one of the University's first guests at Canaras in 1965.

"It was a very small group then," Viebranz said. "Canaras probably didn't host more than 15 people that summer."

Viebranz said he has enjoyed Canaras' transformation into the center of St, Lawrence's summer activity. His and his wife Blaine's names appear in the camp's register for almost every summer since 1965. He said they only missed one summer.

And while the camp has grown and received some touch up —the University has just completed a restoration project of the de Brun end initiated in the 1990s — Viebranz said he takes comfort in the continuity.

Everything has been the same since we built the dining hall," he explained, sitting in the same sparse room in the main lodge he's always occupied on Monday night. "The school has been very careful not to change the primitive, Adirondack architecture and feeling here."

A day in the life

Walking along Canaras' main path, passing cottages that are occupied by the same families in the same weeks each year, it's impossible not to observe the comforting continuity Canaras people talk about. Towels are draped over birch bark porch railings and beach bags filled with toys, golf clubs and life jackets lie scattered, over aging, wicker furniture. Children roll past on bikes with towels over their shoulders en route to the water-skiing dock.

On rainy days, adults gather on the Gazebo or around the main lodge's porch fireplace with books and news papers. Conversation inevitably turns to St. Lawrence or to summers gone by.

Each alumni week has different features and Sheldon said these varied cultures make his job very appealing.

"Each week has its own flavor," he said this week.

The third alumni week holds an annual sailing race, "YaGatta Regatta," which involves every family in attendance. Admiral's hats made of newspapers are worn by officials and every one of Canaras' sailboats sails a course that runs from the shore line almost to Dry Island and back. Week five has a chipping contest that involves hitting golf balls from the camp's beach into a rowboat off the shore, a night of Margarita-drinking and a dance.

"Every year, grandfathers dance with their granddaughters," Cindy Sheldon, Bob's wife, said. "That's how things are here."

Other weeks have tennis and golf tournaments and young St. Lawrence Alumni in the seventh week battle over a foosball table they donated in the late 1990s.

While these events have become part of the camp's routine, there is a daily regimen guests and staff comply with happily.

At 8 a.m., the breakfast bell rings and three of the 10 St Lawrence students selected for the summer staff wait on guests and take high-protein and high-fat orders.

France says guests come to Canaras to eat what they enjoy, not necessarily to eat what they should. His menu consequently features lots of meat and starches.

While breakfast ensues, other members of the staff help France with the cooking and keep the plates and pots clean. One person has morning duties, and he or she is responsible for keeping the paths raked— a 19th century great camp tradition that has roots in Japanese philosophy - and restocking each cabin with firewood.

At 10 a.m. the servers head to the water ski dock, where a line of children and adults is usually waiting. Each guest can ski only once each day and elderly Laurentians are usually given first crack. One guest, Sheldon said, has skied for more than 50 years.

After lunch, and more afternoon skiing, the staff entertain children with movies and games while the adults gather on a vast sun deck over looking Green Island: Sheldon acts as bartender and guests bring their own snacks.

The dinner bell rings at 6:30 p.m. Dinners are traditional, too, and while the guests are almost always casual, the staff tries to look its best for the day's last meal. Friday nights are France's most spectacular as he prepares fresh Maine lobster and custom steaks. Candles held by bottles add to the evening's flair.

Guests spend evenings fireside with after dinner drinks, or on dusky paddling trips to Green Island. In some weeks, the kids play highly involved games of "Manhunt," a team-oriented version of hide-and-go-seek.

Sometimes, members of the staff say, the routine gets tiresome. Morale is generally high though.

"You can get really sick of it and then you realize you're getting paid to water-ski and play with kids," Kyle Bigness, a St. Lawrence senior, said this week. "You realize how great this place is."

Bigness expected guests to be stuffy, but is happy he has had the opportunity to meet so many alums and friends of the University.

"I've made some great connections," he said.

Allie Chapman, a junior from Hamilton, is in her second season on the staff. The surroundings, which she called "pristine," are what keeps her happy with work.

"How could you not enjoy it here?" she asked. "It's phenomenal."

Sheldon says he tries to keep the staff happy, and the camp's rotation system — the staff alternates from kitchen duties to driving the ski boat and wailing on tables each day — is essential for morale.

"Nothing they do here is rocket science," Sheldon said. "The guests always love them."

Jane Burden, this year's staff veteran who just graduated from St. Lawrence and has worked at Canaras for three summers, said Sheldon keeps things fun.

"There's no other boss in the world like Bob," the Guilford, Maine, native explained this week. "He's the reason to keep corning back."

Why they always return

Viebranz says the unique camaraderie St. Lawrence people share keeps Canaras going. He's fond of describing the college as "a disease that fortunately can't be cured," and is proud of his daughter and grandson who are also Laurentians.

"Our kids have grown up and into this place," he said of Canaras. "Everyone loves this place."

Bob Robinson, who graduated from St. Lawrence in the early 1960s and hails from Cherry Hill, N.J., vacations at Canaras for two weeks each summer, and said it's the best part of his year. With his wife, Yonni, and their children Corky and Paige, he's been coming to camp for 26 years.

A rate increase this year, bringing the daily fee from approximately $85 to $100 (it's all inclusive), hasn't deterred Robinson at all.

"I'd pay $200 a day. You can't duplicate a Canaras vacation," he said.

Corky Robinson, who did not attend St, Lawrence, said he has never felt uncomfortable around Laurentians.

"The camaraderie is essential and it's welcoming," Robinson, a Burlington, N.J., special education instructor said.

Jen Griffin, Sheldon's daughter who helps the staff out and is known as a crack water-skier, said she agrees with Corky Robinson's assessment.

"The continuity is unbelievable," she said. "It's one big family."

Sheldon says that continuity is likely to remain in place for some time to come. He said the average wait for a family connected to St. Lawrence who want to vacation at Canaras is usually three years.

"We have at least three weeks that haven't had any additions or deductions of people to the 14 years I've been the director," he said.

A real asset

Daniel F. Sullivan, St. Lawrence's president, said this week that the university values Canaras and its unique connection with alumni highly.

"Alumni, with their families, have used Canaras to deepen their relationship to the University," he said.

Sullivan also said the camp serves as an invaluable retreat for the college. In June, various University divisions hold retreats at the camp and the Board of Trustees has held its annual strategy meeting there every summer since 1965. One thing Sullivan, who has been president of St. Lawrence since 1996, said he hopes Canaras can become in the future is a haven for students.

"Our hope is to locate the capital necessary to winterize Canaras, and perhaps to add some winterized new space, so that a full semester academic program of some kind might happen there," he said, "'It is such a spectacular setting students should be experiencing it."

Sullivan said St. Lawrence faculty could use the facility, which sleeps 80 people comfortably, for a range of programs. Semester-long field science studies, and language immersion classes were among the programs he hopes can one day happen at Canaras.

Winterization, he said, could be achieved for a nominal cost that he hopes could be easily raised. For the immediate future, though, it seems Canaras will remain a rustic summer enclave.

Connected to St. Lawrence

If you or someone you know is a Laurentian and might be interested in a Canaras vacation, the University's Dining and Conference Services Office would be happy to help. Information on rates and availability at Camp Canaras is on the University's web site, www.stlawu.edu.

New York Times, July 27, 1913

UPPER SARANAC LAKE.

Robert Bentley's Big Camp Completed...

UPPER SARANAC, N. Y. July 26.— There has been completed on the Upper Saranac Lake one of the Adirondacks most model camps. It is that of Robert Bentley, an iron magnate of Youngstown, Ohio, and is situated facing Back Bay and Green Island with Whiteface Mountain and Mount Marcy, the most popular and loftiest mountains respectively of the Adirondack region, in the distance. The vistas to be had from his camp ground are as notable as the camp itself. They embrace bits of hotel and cottage life screened by evergreens and the remarkable white birch of the Adirondacks: to the northeast, toward Whiteface Mountain, is a farmer's clearing; the red rustic work of a boat and launch house shows up against the evergreen northern shore of the lake; here and there is a white buoy marking the channels for yachts and power boats riding in the blue-green water, while every other point of view, ranging from mountain top to mountain top and descending to the wooded shores of the lake and bays, is evergreen forest, as tumultuous as the ridges of the mountains, but still, calm and restful, their deep repose interrupted only superficially by the changes and shadings of light under the shifting1 clouds. Immediately about the camp is a jungle, a wild wood, which-may be tamed some time to grow flowers for the table, and which may be made a smooth plat for rambles between the evergreens, but to-day rich in the woodsy flavor of pine and balsam and decaying great pine stumps; variegated in blues, greens, and amber that make the newness of a fresh-broken campground.

The camp, with its dozen buildings and tents, is the cause of all this uprooting, leveling, and transplanting. It is called Camp Canaras—Saranac spelled backward. These buildings are detached. They begin with the boathouse, the upper portion of which is a garage, and scatter backward among the pines and birches to include guest cabins, servants' cabin, storehouses, and kitchen, supporting the main lodge, which has a frontage of 116 feet, a depth of 60 feel, and contains 21 rooms, all of which are on one floor. The main lodge is an unusually large bungalow, with a veranda extending across the entire front, a veranda that is an informal introduction to the wildwood and the waterways and the glory of the islands and points and the forests and the mountains.

The main playhouse, like its outlying cabins, is of shingle exterior, done in gray; the veranda posts are spruce logs with the bark on, and there is an attractive commingling of camp and cottage effects. Inside the walls are plastered; there are heating systems and bathrooms; great stone fireplaces, above which are mounted the trophies of the chase; bedrooms in individual color schemes, with furnishings as complete and comfortable as the town house; dining room and living room, with rich brown wainscoting and exposed ceiling beams, in the same color...

Potsdam Courier and Freeman, June 4, 1913

Chester McCaffery died suddenly last week while preparing breakfast for workmen engaged in constructing the new camp of Robert Bentley near Saranac Inn. Coroner Oliver, who was called because of the suddenness of the death, said heart failure was the cause. Mr. McCaffery was a well known Adirondack guide, and had many friends among the summer visitors to Paul Smiths, Saranac Inn and other resorts in that section of the mountains. His sudden death was a shock to hundreds of people.

New York Times, July 7, 1928

DeLancey Nicoll has gone to Camp Canaras, his place at Upper Saranac Lake, Saranac, N. Y., where he will pass the Summer.

Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 29, 1970

Camp Canaras Destroyed by Fire

An early morning fire completely demolished a 1913 rustic landmark boathouse and recreation hall on Upper Saranac's shores Sunday and firemen from Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake put their men and equipment to use in preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings of the St. Lawrence University Conference Center.

Most of the rustic buildings at Camp Canaras, as it is better known to area people, were constructed in 1913 but are in a fine state of repair due to the efforts of the University which finds it most useful in the summer months.

The boathouse section contained a large inboard vessel and an outboard plus several canoes and sailing gear. The upstairs portion contained a piano and other furnishings.

The fire was apparently discovered by a boy who saw flames in the center of the floor and immediately rang a dinner bell. The flames spread so quickly throughout the building that nothing could be saved and the intense heat set rafts afire which were anchored offshore.

Saranac Lake firemen received the call at 6:56 a.m. and sent 19 volunteers and two trucks 18 miles to the scene. The water in the rural pumper was quickly exhausted and the firemen pumped water from the lake for nearly three hours wetting down adjacent buildings before returning to quarters.

Today all that remains is a stone chimney and charred beams in an area roped off to prevent youngsters from getting hurt.

St. Lawrence University Hill News, March 1, 1979

Reservations are now being taken for vacation stays at St. Lawrence's conference center on Upper Saranac for periods between June 23 and Sept. 1, except for July 22-28. Parents of students, alumni and friends are reminded that they are welcome to make vacation plans to stay at Camp Canaras. Rates are $22 per day for adults, $11 per day for children ages 6-12 and $6 per day for children under 6, which includes room, meals, gratuities and access to all facilities. Further information may be obtained from Ronald Hoffmann at the Augsbury Center, 6883.

Detailed Camp Canaras timeline, by Larry Koch

Original Camp	Seller/Owner	Buyer	Renter	Year	Development	Notes
Great Tract 1	New York State	McComb's Purchase		1792	none - 1/8th of NY State - most of upper tear	Areas primarily used by hunters/trappers
Great Tract 1	McComb's Estate	Almanzo Hutchins		Early 19th century	Subdivided into smaller sections - Counties	Some hamlets form in farming areas
Great Tract 1 - lot 14	Almanzo Hutchins	Upper Saranac Association		Around 1890	about 29,000 acres - most lands around Prospect House	Upper Saranac Association formed to buy land - also owned Prospect House
Camp Ne-Pa-Win	Upper Saranac Assn		Dr Samuel W Lambert	about 1894	Lambert built Ne-Pa-Win and out buildings - not Jackson	Dr Lambert was a co-founder of the Columbia Medical School in NY in 1904
	Upper Saranac Assn		Cleveland H Dodge	about 1905	Built Jackson Lodge - Architect Wainright Parrish(?), Dodge's brother in law. Camp named after YMCA camp in Pennsylvania	Cleveland H Dodge - Princeton Roommate of Woodrow Wilson - Presedent's personal financial manager and near east ambassador, Chairman/CEO of Phelps Dodge, President of the YMCA and founder of the Amercian University in Beruit, Lebanon. Current Cleveland H Dodge Foundation in NYC
	Upper Saranac Assn., became Upper Saranac Company	Robert Bentley, Youngstown, Ohio		about 1920	Camp Ne-Pa-Win becomes part of Camp Canaras	President Warren Harding may have stayed at “Harding Cottage” in the summer of 1922 when he visited Saranac Lake as honorary VP of the Trudeau Sanitarium
Camp Canaras	Upper Saranac Assn		Robert Bentley	1913	Camp main house, Bentley Cottege and out building built in 1913 with grand opening in July as noted in the New York Times Social section	Bentley was President of Youngstown Sheet and Tube and Ohio Carbon Limestone Company, director of Republic Rubber Company, and an Ohio Republican activist.
	Upper Saranac Assn	Robert Bentley		1916		Bentley was married to Augusta Zug Bentley
Canaras & Ne-Pa-Win	Augusta Z Bentley	Helen Woodward Martinez de la Rivas		1930	Sold combined camps	Helen was a heir to the Jello Company that became General Foods, also a avid golfer
Combined camps						Husband De La Rivas was a Nationalist in the Spainish Civil War
	Helen de la Rivas	William D Dana		1936	Sold combined camps	Willam D Dana was a New York City Lawyer
	William D Dana	Laurence S Rockefeller		1946	Sold combined camps	John D Rockefeller grandson
	Laurence S Rockefeller	Memorial Hospital - NY		1952	Donated camps for doctor retreat use	Became Sloan Kettering Hospital around 1960
	Sloan Kettering Hospital	St Lawrence University		1965	St Lawrence U combined camps, built dinning hall and manages the camps to this day	Donated camps to the college for use as a conference center
Camp Sunrise	Upper Saranac Assn		Harry M Dunn	1903	Develped main house and out buildings	Harry M Dunn was one of three brothers in the Dunn Bros Bank of Philly
	Upper Saranac Assn	Harry and Mary M Dunn		1908	Same camp	After Harry's death, Mary advertised the camp for rent at $2000 per summer 1915
	Mary M Dunn	Horatio G Lloyd		1917	Same camp + plus Cadius from Charles J Rhoads	Lloyd was one of 11 partners of JP Morgan after being president of the Commerce Bank in Philadelphia. He worked closely with C Dodge on the United War Campaign of 1917
	Horatio G Lloyd	Edward L Norton		1932	Same camp	Norton was Bell Labs Nobel Prize winner - Sound technology
	Edward L Norton	Arthur L Fagan		1941	Same camp	Fagan was the owner, editor and publisher of Hoboken based Jersey Observer. A Princeton Graduate, he was on the boards of serveral NJ institutions including the New Jersey Trust Company
	Elizabeth M Fagan	Harry C W S de Brun		1948	Same camp	de Brun - well known doctor in NYC specializing in new surgical procedures. Wrote several books on surgery and trauma techniques
	Mrs Harry C W S de Brun	St Lawrence University		1969	Same camp - donation to the college	St Lawrence sold Camp Sunrise to two Alumni rather than including it in the conference center. It is privately owned today
Camp Caduceus	Upper Saranac Assn	Charles J Rhoads		1915	Developed many cabins during ownership including4 stall boat house and current camp library	Rhoads was the first President of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank
	Charles J Rhodes	Horatio G Lloyd		1917	See Camp Sunrise
	Horatio G Lloyd	Edward L Norton		1932	See Camp Sunrise
	Edward L Norton	Arthur L Fagan		1941	See Camp Sunrise	Arthur L Fagan died at camp, July 1947
	Elizabeth M Fagan	Harry C W S de Brun		1948	See Camp Sunrise	Harry C W S de Brun died in 1962
	Mrs Harry C W S de Brun	St Lawrence University		1969	Same camp - donation to the college	Now part of Camp Canaras including Brown, Library, Birch and large boat house.