Star Lake History

A note of special thanks to the authors of prior revisions of the Handbook who provided the base for this section, and to Jean Grimm (Town of Fine historian), Shawn Bauerschmidt (author of Images of America: Star Lake, and Jeanne Reynolds and Bessie Decosse (editors of Two Towns … Two Centuries). Their historical research informed much of this section of the Handbook.

Star Lake was not always called Star Lake! The earliest indication that we can find that it was even known, to other than Native Americans, was its identification as “Big Lake” in an 1865 New Topographical Atlas of St. Lawrence County, New York from actual surveys by S. N. and D. G. Beers and Assistants. (According to an SLPA letter to community members, it was originally called “Big Lake” to distinguish it from “Twin Lakes” when the Twin Lakes Road was the only road from Fine.) In 1866 the first camp was a log cabin built on Star Lake by Colonel Sylvester Soper, located about where the Star Lake Community Center is now located.

In 1876, Edwin R. Wallace’s A Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks described a trip from Harrisville to Pitcairn and Fine; then up the East Branch of the Oswegatchie to Cranberry Lake. No mention was made of this most pristine lake in the Adirondacks!

The picture is a satellite view of Star Lake and the surrounding hamlet. For an interesting “tour” of the area, go to http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl and search for “Star Lake, NY”. Use the zoom and move features to “travel” around the lake in high resolution and great detail.

In 1885, Star Lake was identified as “Point Lake” on S. R. Stoddard’s “Map of the Adirondack Wilderness.” Finally, in Wallace’s 1894 Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks, we find Star Lake! “... Star Lake in form, purity and brightness is one of the fairest of all the galaxy of gems adorning the Adirondack wilderness. On earlier maps it appears as ‘Point Lake,’ having thus been designated from its curiously scalloped shores. It has, but recently, received its more appropriate name. Its waters are crystal, objects being discernable at great depth. It is apparently one vast spring having no visible inlet or outlet. This many-armed islet-adorned and hill-enriched little loch, fringed here and there with golden sand presents a lake picture of peculiar and entrancing loveliness.”

And with “PR” like this, and with the arrival of the Carthage & Adirondack Railroad to Oswegatchie and nearby Benson Mines in the late 19^th century, Star Lake began to emerge as a resort area. Residents of Utica, Rome and Syracuse were able to “breakfast at home and dine the same day at Star Lake” (according to an 1896 souvenir pamphlet). The area became known as the “Catskills of the North” as many from downstate spent their vacations here at the numerous “resort” hotels on the lake.

The first hotel in Star Lake, built in 1885 by Ezra Colton, was the “Star Lake House.” He sold it to Daniel Foley and Bart Lyman in 1887, and it then became known as “The New Star Lake House” and “Foley’s.” (The original Soper log cabin served as an annex to the hotel, then was torn down to become a dance pavilion and later remodeled to become the Star Lake Theater.) An 1896 “The New Star Lake House” souvenir pamphlet from the New Star Lake House extolled its virtues:

“From a small beginning nearly 10 years ago, when this retired spot so favored by Nature was comparatively unknown, this Hotel has increased in size, in an endeavor to keep pace with the growing popularity of this section. Nevertheless, hundreds of people each season have passed on to far less desirable resorts, per force of circumstances, having been refused admission to this enchanted land because the accommodations at Star Lake were far too limited for the pressing demand. But by the construction of The New Star Lake House, with its beautiful situation, its great dimensions, and superior features, we are confident that the requirements of tourists to this region will be fully satisfied. This grand additional structure is 125 feet long, 40 feet broad, 5 stories in height, and is decidedly imposing and picturesque in its architecture. It is not placed in the dark, damp woods, but the forest has been cleared away to admit sunshine and the breeze. From its elevated position (insuring the most invigorating atmosphere), at a convenient distance from the lake, it looks down to a gem of a bay, which often, when the morning mist rises from its mirrored surface, or at twilight’s approaching hour, when the bordering trees cast their shadows upon its placid bosom, seems robed in mystic beauty” (Bold in original, p. 14).

Even though it published a night watchman, fire extinguishing apparatus, and fire escapes, the hotel burned down in 1898. At a later point, Daniel Foley, one of the original proprietors, built a new hotel, the “Star Lake Hotel” (it was torn down in 1999, and is the current site of the Star Lake Community Center).

In 1887, the “Edgewood House” was built. It was sold in 1895, and the name was changed to the “Star Lake Inn.” The Inn had 100 rooms and 18 satellite cottages. Charles Sayles, co-owner of the Star Lake Inn, began the construction of the Star Lake Inn golf course in 1920. There are many wonderful descriptions and pictures of the Inn and cottages, its guests, and the range of activities that took place there (refer to Reference List for extended descriptions). The Inn closed in 1961 and was torn down in 1962. Remnants of the old Star Lake Inn, including stone pathways and the outline of the tennis courts, can still be seen on the property and in the Post Office Bay, and most of the satellite cottages are still standing.

The “Lakeview Hotel,” another hotel on the lake, was situated near the corner of Rt. 3 and Youngs Road. It was built by Dr. Hurlburt of Norwood, NY. After several other owners, it was sold to Clark Malady in 1949. The Malady family operated it for many years. It is still standing though not currently used as a hotel.

There were also a number of other hotels in the Star Lake community, though not directly on the lake. These include the Twin Lakes Hotel (still operating as a restaurant and bar), the Sunnyside Inn (later known as the Stone Diner, located on the corner of Rt. 3 and Youngs Rd. where a gas station is now located), the Old Cottage Hotel (across from the golf course), the Grove Hotel (was on the town line between the Town of Clifton and the Town of Fine), and the Bluebird Inn & Diner (later known as “Chapple’s).

In addition to the lakefront hotels, there were many cottages built in the late 18^th and early 19th century. Many of these cottages still line the shores of Star Lake and are depicted in photographs from that time, including Buena Vista cottage, Cobblecrest (built in 1897 by John Nill, the first Chairperson of the Star Lake Protective Association), cottages on the Scott Brace property (the first cottage was completed in 1909) including the Stone House, Camp Hiawatha, Grey Gables cottage, Interlochen cottage, Justamere cottage, Peacock Lodge, the Reeves-Gillette cottage, Shelton’s Cottage on the Island (originally known as the George Sears cottage built by Chris Backus in 1883 for the sum of $750.00), Swiss Point, Woodcroft, the Scott’s Point cottage (at the tip of Scott’s Point), Tamahnous Bay/Caldwell camp, and William T. Clark camp (now known as Camp Budweiser), among others (named and unnamed!). In the early years, some of the cottages were known as “lake bound” cottages, as they could not be reached by road. This is evident in Mark Stauss’ description of the Bierhardt Camp, a family’s summer house on Star Lake’s Third Lake:

The cottage was acquired by John and Idea Bierhardt of Syracuse, NY in the late 1890’s. At that time, their family would travel by train from Syracuse to Oswegatchie, then by horse drawn stagecoach from Oswegatchie to Star Lake, then rowed a skiff from the old Lake Road to their cottage with their belongings. Using kerosene lamps and stoves for lighting and cooking, they would stay for the summers to enjoy the lake with other summer families and guests. (The cottage has stayed in the family for the past 125 years through the descendant Hanks and Stauss families.)

Many of our cottages are “century” cottages and many of the owners are third and fourth generation descendants of early Star Lakers. When grandchildren visit, some are even the fifth and sixth generation to swim in the “crystal waters” of Star Lake!

A new type of property was established on Star Lake in 1963. A recreation center, including a “lodge” and multiple outbuildings and cabins, was built by New York State, and was operated as part of Potsdam State University for many years. Students from Potsdam could fulfill their physical education requirement by enrolling in classes at “Star Lake Camp.” Classes included downhill skiing (there was a J bar on the main hill to the lake), x country skiing, canoeing, orienteering, bicycling and ice fishing. Students from local elementary schools visited and were able to participate in a range of outdoor experiences. The Camp also served as a site for community events. Star Lake Camp was also the base camp for Youth Conservation Corps groups who went out and built and repaired trails in the area. In 2001, SUNY Potsdam sold the Star Lake campus; it has had several other owners since then. An interesting historical note: the Star Lake Camp property originally was known as Black’s Camp. According to Bessie DeCosse, Town Historian, “when the Black’s owned the property there were tent platforms. The girls who came there by train to Benson Mines, mostly from New York City by pullman cars. They were called the “Bloomer Girls” up here” (Centennial, p. 24).

Star Lake has been the site of many lake activities. A 1908 postcard (Bauerschmidt, 117) even shows horse racing on the ice in Post Office Bay! Over the years people have enjoyed swimming, fishing and boating on the lake. There have been yearly Sailing Regattas (complete with paper plate awards!) and the landing of seaplanes (with Feets Shelton in the pilot seat!), and of course visits to the sand bar. In addition to these activities which might be replicated on other Adirondack lakes, since the 1960’s Star Lake has also been known for a unique lake addition: floating docks/rafts!!! According to local legend, Richard Witter, the local pharmacist, may have been the first to put a motor on a dock. From soon after the ice goes out on the lake until the first snow flurries, docks can be seen motoring all around Star Lake.

Unfortunately, Star Lake has had a number of natural disasters throughout the years. According to SLPA minutes, forest fires destroyed timber down to the water’s edge on the south shore as late as 1914. (For many of the early years of its existence the Star Lake Protective Association was very focused on developing a plan in case of fire, buying fire equipment, and ultimately petitioning for the establishment of a fire district.) And in more recent memory, a microburst on July 15, 1995, caused widespread destruction in Star Lake. Despite these natural disasters, we can harken back to Wallace’s description of 1894: “... Star Lake in form, purity and brightness is one of the fairest of all the galaxy of gems adorning the Adirondack wilderness.”

There are a variety of publications and web-based sites that served as resources for this section and also

provide more information about the history of Star Lake, the Star Lake Protective Association, and the surrounding Clifton-Fine community. A listing of books and articles is available on the SLPA website: https://slpa.info/