PART ONE
by Charles Herr
While researching the Raquette Lake Railway (Railway), I found historical traditions repeatedly used by authors and also a new oral tradition regarding its origin.
I tried to blend the information provided by published works with information from the newspapers of the period.
Before providing new information on the Railway’s origins, I want to illustrate the evolution of the current historical traditions as additional books were published about the Railway’s origins.
I hope the repetitions do not prove too much of a bore.
Alfred Donaldson’s history (1921) briefly mentioned that the Railway was built for the comfort of the wealthy landowners at Raquette Lake.
Charles Burnett (1932) added the anecdote that Collis P. Huntington was required to sit on a keg of nails during one lengthy Crosby Transportation Company steamer trip to Fourth Lake and decided that the time was ripe for a railroad.
Perhaps Joseph Grady used this source for his Fulton Chain history (1933).
In David Beetle’s road trip history (1948), he repeated the “keg of nails” story and added a new one.
Charles Snyder, the lawyer for Dr. Webb, Huntington and Webb’s lumber contractor John Dix, arranged for Thomas C. Durant to purchase a right-of-way from Clearwater east through William deCamp’s Township 7 lands for a railroad to let Dix transport his lumber to McKeever mills from Webb’s lands at Rondaxe Lake before the land was transferred to the state in 1902.
Beetle said Dix’s only alternative was to pay deCamp’s Moose River waterway tolls. DeCamp did not know Dix was funding the purchase or its purpose.
More about this later.
Harold Hochschild’s thoroughly researched history (1952, 1984) included Burnett’s “keg of nails” story, related that the Railway used a John Dix 2-mile lumber line to Rondaxe and added a new oral tradition:
Dennis Dillon, in 1941 testimony during litigation regarding St. William’s Church at Raquette Lake, remembered that Mrs. Huntington was tired of the lengthy, inefficient and uncomfortable trips on steamers and wagons from Old Forge to Pine Knot and would not come to Pine Knot until a short railroad was built.
If Huntington could build the line from “New Orleans to San Francisco,” he could certainly build a line over this stretch.
Aber and King (1965) repeated the “tradition” about the “keg of nails,” repeated the “Mrs. Huntington” story crediting Hochschild as the source, but stated that W. W. Durant decided that by 1898 it was time for the Railway to be built.
Henry Harter (1979) also gave the Burnett “keg of nails”, mentioned the “Mrs. Huntington” “supposed” threat, but mentioned the Railway using an unrelated lumber railroad built the year before by John Dix to move cut timber in the “couple of years” left remaining on the contract.
Clara O’Brien (1982) repeated John Dix’s need to move his logs, the “Mrs. Huntington” threat, and the “keg of nails” that gave Huntington an “impetus” for building the Railway.
William Marleau (1986) repeated the “Thomas C. Durant” story, saying Charles Snyder was able to persuade Durant, an “old railroad man,” to front the purchase with Dix’s money because Dix didn’t want to pay deCamp Moose River tolls.
Marleau added that Dix received his money back when the line was bought and extended by the millionaires to Raquette Lake.
Marleau said that Durant & Company were later able to build their railroad through state lands without trouble from the courts.
Ruth Timm (1989) recalled the “Mrs. Huntington” “legend” and mentioned John Dix as a director who had timber lands in the area.
Michael Kudish (1996) could not confirm from publications of the period that the Railway began as Dix’s railroad.
Finally, William Gove (2006) repeated the “Thomas C. Durant” front story with Dix’s money and Dix built his line to Rondaxe Lake.
All of the traditions above are possible but one: “Thomas C. Durant.”
Continued next time…