The Lake Meacham Road
Adirondack News, June 19, 1915
The preliminary work to the construction of the Santa Clara-Lake Meacham state road, 11.41 miles from this village over the old Jennings road connecting with the Lake Meacham road near McCollums, is now under way. The personnel of the party here representing the state highway department at Capt. George E. Baker, of Watertown, N. Y., engineer-in-charge; W. C. Bassette, recently a student at the Clarkson Tech. at Potsdam, junior roadman, and John W. Knapp, highway inspector. Mr. Knapp is an old Malone boy and it is pleasing to his old friends here to see him on the job. George F. Bailey, representing the contractors, the Spuyten-Duyvil Construction Co., of New York, also has a force of men at work clearing and grubbing the right of way. We are informed that this force will be doubled during the present week. Mr. Bailey is putting in readiness the old gun club camps at Jennings clearing to be occupied by the men employed on the work of construction. The completion of this piece of road piece of road nearly the whole distance through the beautiful forest on either side will form the connecting link between the present good roads of the north and south parts of the county, furnishing tourists direct connections to all points of interest in the mountains and a delightful drive for local outing parties. The business interests of the whole county, particularly to the southern tier of towns are sure to be materially benefited and increased when the Santa Clara and Lake Meacham road becomes a part of the good roads system of the state. This was part of the old military road built by the soldiers of 1812 and is a direct line from Plattsburgh and the Lake Champlain country to Ogdensburg and the St. Lawrence river. All honor to Assemblyman Macdonald, Supervisor Redwood, of Santa Clara and the other members of the county board of supervisors who worked unceasingly and with wisdom to got this road through and on the list of roads for early construction.
