Approaching Floodwood from the south, undated
Courtesy of Tim MayersFloodwood station, undated
From History and Legends of the Adirondacks Floodwood is a hamlet along the west side of Floodwood Pond south of Floodwood Road along the New York Central tracks.  It is presently the site of an outpost of the

The tracks of the New York Central passed through Floodwood, and were used by lumber concerns.  For information on lumbering in the Floodwood area, see the January 25, 1898 article in the Plattsburgh Daily Press article written by Seaver Miller on the Lumbering page.

St. Lawrence Republican and Ogdensburgh Weekly Journal, May 23, 1894

SPRING IN THE ADIRONDACKS.

What Mary Burns Thinks of Things at Floodwood Pond.

1905 USGS St Regis quadrant detail showing Floodwood Pond, center,
and the hamlet of Floodwood above where the railroad crosses Floodwood RoadThe Potsdam Herald of Friday contained the following letter from Floodwood Pond:

FLOODWOOD POND, May 9.—One usually thinks when spring comes that lumber camps are deserted, and the woods given up to sportsmen, invalids and pleasure seekers'. But if one would just stop at Floodwood Pond they would find a very busy place.

There were seven or eight camps within the radius of six miles and 70,000 logs deposited on Long Pond, 7,000 on Rawlin's Poad, [Rollins Pond] and all have to be driven into Floodwood Pond situated between the two. Dams have to be built to raise the water in the small streams connecting these ponds, and one flows through a small culvert under the railroad. Much delay has been caused and great expense incurred by the failure of the railroad managers to keep their promise to take down the culvert and build it larger. The dam went out holding the water and it began to wash out and then the railroad employes were called to repair damages.

The logs on Long Pond north and Rawlin's pond south being run into Floodwood Pond are boomed ready to be loaded and shipped by car to the big Hurd mill at Tupper Lake. A long switch is nearly completed on which to run the cars to be loaded by jackworks from the pond seventeen feet below. Mr. C. Snell and son have graded 12,000 feet ready for the ties and rails. The cost of the road is about $1,800. There are four families living there, but many of the men live at Tupper Lake and go up on the train at night and back in the morning. The many men at work on the logs, those on the railroad, the driving on the old coach road to Saranac Inn, the people coming and going from the station and the trains flying past many times a day and night, make one feel as though a bit of the city had moved into the wilderness. Snow is still to be seen (May 9) and the maples are only showing their brown buds.  But the poplars are of delicate green and we know that spring is once more with us.

--MARY BURNS.

Essex County Republican, August 8, 1895

Rail Road Accident in the Saranac Woods.

An accident happened Saturday afternoon at Floodwood, a station between Saranac Inn and Tupper Lake station, a freight train running from Malone to Tupper Lake, having right of way of the main line. A log train out of Tupper Lake, conductor Rock, had orders to go to Floodwood, picking up ties, and occupied the main line, when the freight train bound for Tupper Lake ran in collision, throwing the whole log train off the track. No one was killed but a few slightly injured, among them was Engineer Whittercer [sic], also a man by the name of Lynch who was riding D. H. to Tupper Lake Junction to take his train out for Malone. The cause of the accident is supposed to have been the freight train running faster than regular time, running from Saranac Inn to Floodwood 11 1/2 miles in 15 1/2 minutes. Every car on the log train was smashed to splinters. The locomotive of the freight train is also smashed to pieces, and was thrown 15 feet from the track. Men were at once set at work to clear the wreck and had the track all clear so that passenger trains are running O. K.

The station at Floodwood, 1912
Courtesy of the ADKXFranklin Gazette, October 25, 1895

Court Proceedings.

A Loon and Loon chick on Floodwood PondThe next case disposed of by the court, after the close of our last week's report, was that of H. P. Porter and O. S. Lawrence vs. The Ducey Lumber Co., which was continued until Saturday afternoon, when a sealed verdict was returned by the jury and court was adjourned until Monday The leading facts upon which the action was based were that in 1894 Porter & Lawrence had a quantity of logs at Floodwood, in the town of Brandon, which were finally sold to the Ducey Lumber Company at $1.00 per standard. It was agreed that Mr. Sisson, of Potsdam, a well known lumberman, should designate an impartial scaler to go on and measure the timber,and a gentleman named Akkey was sent by him to do the work, but finally returned without having done it. It was alleged by plaintiffs that the Ducey Company's scaler was then put upon the work and remained until it was finished, but upon making his report Porter & Lawrence refused to accept the scale as it stood, notifying the Ducey Company of their decision, as they claimed that the scale was erroneous, falling some 3,000 short of the actual amount of logs in the lot. The Ducey Company refused to pay the difference between the two accounts and the suit was brought by plaintiffs in consequence. When the sealed verdict of the jury was read Monday it was for the plaintiffs in the sum of $2,675, which included interest. J. P. Kellas for plaintiff. J. C. Saunders and J. P. Badger for defendants.

Malone Farmer, August 20, 1902

It is rumored at Tupper Lake that the N. Y. Central R. R. will build a spur from Floodwood to Derrick to carry out the lumber from C. H. Turner's mill. It is said that Mr. Turner has been hauling lumber by team to Floodwood in order to secure competing freight rates. Inquiry here elicits information which partially, at least, confirms this report. During the present summer Mr. Turner has been drawing about half his lumber to Floodwood for shipment and the N. Y. Central are putting in a siding there for his use. It seems that Mr. Turner had a contract with the old management of the N. Y. & Ottawa R. R. to deliver his lumber in Albany at a certain rate. Under the receivership that rate has been raised quite materially per thousand, not-withstanding his contracts to deliver lumber at a certain price, figured on the basis of his contract for shipment. It is said that the N, Y. & Ottawa officials have erected considerable wire fence along their line at Derrick, closing up the route which Mr. Turner has been in the habit of using when drawing his lumber to Floodwood. but this has not changed the latter's plans in the least.

Malone Farmer, November 5, 1902

Three moose were to be liberated at Floodwood or Saranac Inn station the last of the week by the forest, fish and game commission. Game Protector Vosburgh was at Floodwood several days building a large raft to transport the animals across the lake from the station where they were to be liberated.

Malone Farmer, May 20, 1903

…Mr. C. H. Turner lost about $5,000 worth of logs between Derrick and Tupper Lake and some pulp wood, bark, &c, was burned on two or three jobs, which he had let between Derrick and Floodwood. The latter fire reached to within half a mile of Derrick Friday and the men wired Mr. Turner for help. The Malone fire engine, which had been at the Bryant mill protecting the property there and returned, was taken to Floodwood and Mr. Turner telegraphed Syracuse for 500 feet of hose to use with the steamer at streams crossing the highway and prevent the extension of the fire to Derrick…

Malone Farmer, July 9, 1903

The Montreal express from New York due to arrive here about 7:30 o'clock A. M., was wrecked near Floodwood last Friday morning. While rounding a curve the engine jumped the track and rolled over into the ditch. The baggage car left the track and was more or less damaged. The peculiar part of the accident, and the one which all should be thankful for, is that no one was injured. The engineer claims that after leaving Tupper Lake he noticed that something was wrong with the tender, and was slowing down when the crash came. Wrecking crews from Malone and Tupper Lake were at once put to work, but it was not until after eight o'clock that evening that the train reached Malone.

Glens Falls Times, September 18, 1903.

The work of replenishing the north woods with big game, in which William C. Whitney has taken so prominent a part, goes steadily on. In addition to the ten head of elk which Mr. Whitney gave to the New York Zoological park, he has given to the state his entire herd of eighty animals from the October Mountain preserve in Massachusetts. Two carloads were sent to Paul Smith's station for liberation under Smith's direction. One car load has been set free at Raquette Lake and another turned Into the woods at Floodwood Station. Still another car load were liberated at Saranac Lake.

In view of the fact that all these animals have been fully acclimatized on the Atlantic coast there is reason to expect that if they are not killed by bunters they will in time multiply and become fairly common in the wilder portions of their new home.

Malone Palladium, May 31, 1906

Beaver in the Adirondacks.

J.S. Whipple, State forest, fish and game commissioner, after a trip through the North Woods, reports that there are more wild beaver in the Adirondacks than has been generally supposed. Mr. Whipple has been journeying through the upper Saranac Lake country, and while along Fish Creek, which runs into Saranac Lake from Floodwood, he, with other members of his party, discovered unmistakable signs of at least 12 beaver, which had felled about 170 trees during the spring months.

This demonstrates, he believes, that beaver are not only numerous, but exceedingly active. Last fall the beaver colony in this locality felled 96 trees. The trees which they work upon are young poplars.

The commissioner also made the alarming discovery that two trappers have been at work in this neighborhood, and game protectors were immediately dispatched to the point to protect the beaver.

“While the State is spending money to import wild beaver and colonize them in the North Woods,” said Mr. Whipple, “it would be a crime to kill a single one of these animals, and if we find that they have been trapped or shot we will prosecute the offenders relentlessly. The colonies that we have planted in other parts of the Adirondacks are flourishing, and there is no reason why, before many years, the State may not be enriched by the rapid increase of these valuable fur-bearing animals.''

The beaver along Fish Creek were not some of those which have been brought into the woods but must, have been some of the few remaining natives.

Commissioner Whipple caused the announcement to be made in the Saranac region that he would pay $100 in cash out of his own pocket as a reward for the conviction of any persons who might have been concerned in the slaughter of any of the beaver.— Albany Argus.

Tupper Lake Herald, October 24, 1919

HUNTING NEWS OF FLOODWOOD

Mr. and Mrs. Lesley Smith of Owls Head are camping on Bean Island and have for their guests Esra Carpenter of Owls Head, Will Elliott of Malone and Floyd Westcott of Chasm Falls. In the party also is Father William Smith of Owls Head, who can well be called the veteran hunter of the Adirondacks, as he has passed his 81st birthday. He is to be seen early in the morning starting off for the hunt with his red cap and sweater and his hair as white as the driven snow, and carrying his rifle with as much interest as a man of 30. Mr. Smith is also a Civil war veteran, having served his country in 1861, and then he was hunting other game than deer. It was with much pleasure that the writer had a social hour with Mr. Smith listening to his interesting stories of war and hunting. Long may Mr. Smith live to enjoy the hunting at Floodwood.

Mr. Cleveland and son Bert and a party from Albany are staying at the Depe.[sic]

...Resanna Trombley is spending a few days at Island Lodge in the absence of Mrs. Estes, helping Mrs. Gillette.

William Jones is entertaining a party of hunters from Albany at the Jack Works Pond.

Among the guests at Island Lodge are B. Phillips, Mr. Huffman and Mr. Rumsey of Syracuse. Mr. Phillips secured a fine spike-horn buck, with George Clark acting as guide.

Mr. Drake and son Buckey, Dr. Mack of New York and G. Paril of Peekskill-on-the-Hudson are here on a hunting trip. Young Drake secured a fine 12-point buck with the Clarks as guides. Mr. Shell and brother-in-law of Syracuse are also at Island Lodge.

Hyman Goldstein of New York is at Camp Point, the guest of Charles Shrank.

Mrs. A. Trombley was a Malone visitor recently. Fred Dowd of the N. Y. C. round-house at Tupper Lake Junction was the guest of Georgie and Watson Clark Sunday at Blitzmore.

The interest in the outdoor life has been great this season at Floodwood, and is increasing.


 

 

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