Notes from Historical Recordings
The steamer GANOUSKIE has been sold to a New York party and will be dismantled and fitted up for a dwelling house. **** Lake George travel is reported to be very light thus far this season. It is said that the trains from Fort Ticonderoga to Baldwin do not pay expenses. **** Some of our public-spirited merchants have added materially to the comfort of these hot days by sprinkling the streets about their stores. **** The steam yacht METEOR is preparing to take excursions at the following rates: one hour $3.00; two hours $5.00; half day $12.00; one day $20.00. She can carry 30 passengers, is very good and comfortable. (1885)
Ganouskie – on Lake George NY
John McGhee has commenced running the street sprinkler. The roads had become so dusty that it is a luxury we can appreciate. (1892)
J. (Joseph) B. Thibault has opened a paint shop on Lake George Ave. and has engaged the services of Truman Wood, formally of Glens Falls, and Joseph Sentabar. First class work will be done on automobiles, carriages, pianos and furniture. (1914) (Building contractor – built homes on Lake George Ave. and the rectory at St. Mary’s Church, Ticonderoga, NY)
William J. Thibault – son of JB – operated for a number years a “Canoe and Boat Liveries” at Baldwin (Ticonderoga), Bolton Landing, and Hague, NY. Many locals may best remember him as one of the barber’s in Edgar Petty’s Barber Shop.
Rest in Peace — Ingalls Cemetery – Sometime ago while researching the final resting place of veterans’ in our town cemeteries I came upon the headstones of Mr. and Mrs. William George Wiley. The “Wiley” name was familiar to me as we have a village street named after the family and once upon a time we had a tall case clock standing on the stair landing made by George Miller of Germantown that had an engraved likeness of General James Wolf. It was one of the collection pieces belonging to Mrs. E.D.C. Wiley of Ticonderoga.
Reading through the notes we share a bit on their life and death. It seems that Mr. and Mrs. Wiley had for many years wintered in Southern Pines, NC. Like previous years, in January, 1914, they left Ti to spend a few months down south. Unlike those earlier years neither one would live to see Ticonderoga again. In late March of that year. Mrs. Wiley contracted a severe cold that would later turn into bronchial pneumonia. She died on the 24th of March at the age of 65 years old. Mr. Wiley, who also was ailing during this time, prepared to take his wife back home. He only made it to Washington, D.C. where he became so ill that he was ordered by doctors not to proceed on his returned trip. His brother E.C.D Wiley, who was informed of Mrs. Wiley’s death, went to the aid of his brother with the sorrowful task of assisting his brother in bringing Mrs. Wiley remains back home. William suddenly became very ill and died April 2nd, from the same ailment that had afflicted his wife. He was 70 years old. It was E.C.D. ‘s painful fate that he was the one who had to escort both remains back to Ti arriving on Saturday, April 4, 1914. A double funeral was held in the Methodist Church with about 500 attending the funeral services.
William was a son of William M. Wiley and Tryphena Treadway – who had a family ancestry gong back to the colonial and American Revolution eras. William served during the Civil War as a member of Fifth Vermont Regiment of Volunteers. Just the year before, 1913, Mr. Wiley attending the Fifty Anniversary reunion with his old companions in the commemoration of the battle at Gettysburg.
The Blue & The Grey – 50th Gettysburg Reunion 1913
Mrs. Wiley was a chartered member of the Masonic “Order of Eastern Stars” and was its first matron. She had a great interest in nature and nature study, and possessed great knowledge for the birds and wild things of wood and trail. Mrs. Wiley was the daughter of the Rev. Hubbard Ingalls, a Methodist preacher who was a spiritual force within the Methodist Church in Ticonderoga and through out the southern Champlain valley; and, Eliza M. Sprague, who also had a family ancestry going back to the colonial and American Revolution period.
Ticonderoga Machine Works – All predictions indicate a great rush this spring and summer to the new gold fields at Cape Nome. Here, for the first time in the history of mankind, gold is being washed from the beach sand.
We are pleased to notice that there is increased activity at the Ticonderoga Machine Works. They now have about forty regular hands on their pay roll. They have recently sold two 6x6x12, balanced compound steam engines to a mining company who will take them to Cape Nome, Alaska. The engines will be connected to centrifugal pumps for pumping sand from the sea shore. Mr. Boyeer, an engineer from New York, is here superintending the fitting up of the engines, pumps and boilers. One of the Johnston power embossing machines manufactured at the works has recently been shipped to England, and it is understood it will be shipped from there to Paris and be placed on exhibition at the world’s fair. (1900)
James F. Dolback, fireman USN, son of Thelma E. Dolback-Hughes, departed from Norfolk, VA, June 19the aboard the battleship USS Wisconsin on a midshipman cruise to South American. **** Dial Number Given – A spokesman for the Ticonderoga Fire Department announced this week that the number to dial in order to repair and have the alarm sounded is JUno5-2511. The change in number is one of the many which took place last Sunday when the dial system was introduced in Ticonderoga. **** The Annual Soap Box Derby, sponsored by Ticonderoga Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, will be staged on Champlain Avenue. Speakers will be Assemblyman Grant W. Johnson and Mayor John M. Bevilacqua. The Ti-Cadets Drum and Bugle corps will participate and Charles Smith, Commander, will make introductions. Boys from Ti and the surrounding communities are invited to compete in the Derby. They will race over a measured course against stopwatch time. Each boy will be introduced as he starts in the Derby. There will be two age groups, 8 through 11 and 12 through 14, and a cup will be presented to the winner in each class. A trophy will also be offered for the best soapbox and that every youth entering will take home a prize. At the starting gate will be Edward Chapleau and Chester Porter. Roy Dickerson will fire the starting gun. At the finish line will be Milford Palmer and John Goodroe will take times with stopwatches. (1957)
Malcolm Wilson, Harry McDougal & Ron Stafford Credit – Lake George Mirror
Harry M. Mc Dougal served for many years as Essex County Clerk. For a number of years he contributed to the Ticonderoga Sentinel a very popular article under the nom de plume Pete Pequoix. His unique writing style and his observations on contemporary actives throughout the Adirondack Region got everyone’s’ attention!
Dear Jack*,
Wal the rich folks from the city, mostly 2 weekers is begun to come to Pea Soup Lake. Me, I feel sorry for it. I don’t belief dey hav much money cus dey don’t seem to hav enough clothes to cover dem.
On cole days dey muss shiver pretty bad. When I see sum of dem coming towards me I turn my hed and don’t look at dem till dey git by.
Course it wood took a lot of cloth to go all aroune sum of dem beeg fat wans. I bet sum of dem womans could swing a hax as good as eny mans. Dey is muscled up sumting hawful.
Cuorse dey woodn’t be veerie good to pick the blewberry cus dey couldn’t ben over. Mebby if dey laid down on the groune and kept rollin over dey could pick a few dat way. Me, I dunno.
Wal, a lot of mens want me to halp dem git der hays cut but me I got all tire out lo