by Roy Crego
Fishing has always been one of the major attractions of the Adirondacks, and to ensure visitors had an ample supply of fish, New York State and private groups began building fish hatcheries in the late 19th century.
In 1895, the Adirondack League Club built a fish hatchery on Combs Brook, near the south branch of the Moose River, to stock the lakes and streams on their preserve.
The hatchery bought fish eggs and raised them to large fry, which had a better chance of survival when released.
The magazine Forest and Stream described the early years of operation:
“There are now (April, 1896) in the troughs, rearing boxes and pools at Combs Brook hatchery 530,000 fry, of which 200,000 are salmon trout and 330,000 are brook trout.”
When large enough, the fry were released into waters across the preserve, usually by workers carrying large fish cans.
In 1897, fry were shipped as far as Honnedaga Lake with the aid of the railroad.
In addition to being a working hatchery, Combs Brook also served Club members as an outlying camp with accommodations for overnight visitors and a cook to prepare meals.
J. M. Angell, writing for the Boonville Herald, visited the hatchery in 1896.
Angell describes sitting comfortably in an easy chair on the front porch and enjoying the refreshing water from the mountain spring.
Henry Davidson (c.1867-1958) managed the hatchery in the late 1890s and entertained guests along with his wife and mother-in-law.
Around 1901, Davidson left to become foreman of the state-run Fulton Chain hatchery in Old Forge.
William C. Commerford (1869-1942) a well-known Adirondack guide and an assistant to Davidson, was then made superintendent.
In 1902, William’s sister Ada Commerford was hired as cook.
Among the “fish-carriers” that year were his father John Commerford, his brother Garry Commerford, Alvin Wood, Melville Oley, Lee Oley, and Frank Holmes.
They distributed 800,000 brook trout, 400,000 lake trout and 300,000 frost fish (round whitefish).
William Commerford eventually left to start his own hatchery on Mile Brook in Boonville, NY.
The hatchery did not operate in 1910 because of lack of funds, and when Combs Brook reopened in November 1911, Roy G. Crego (1879-1955) was hired as manager.
Roy was also an experienced guide and had worked at the hatchery as early as 1902.
His wife, Rose McGarry Crego (1882-1943), was paid as housekeeper, and also looked after their young sons, Francis Taylor Crego (b. 1911) and Lewis C. Crego (b. 1912).
Clayton Williams served as hatchery assistant.
The Combs Brook hatchery continued in operation through 1915. It was torn down in 1924, but some of the building materials, including perhaps the large iron stove, were used to construct the present Hatchery Camp.
Today, the Field Station at Little Moose Lake (operated by Cornell University) includes hatchery facilities and continues the tradition of fish culture at the Adirondack League Club.
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The author is a descendant of Roy G. Crego (1879-1955.)
Sources…
“Adirondack League Club,” Forest and Stream, Vol. 47, No. 3, p. 46, July 18, 1896, accessed on Google Books.
Adirondack League Club Annual Reports, 1907, 1915.
Adirondack League Club Board of Trustees Minutes, 1902, 1912.
Angell, J. M., “Bisby Lodge,” Boonville Herald, August 19, 1896.
“Brook Trout,” The Utica Observer, February 2, 1897, accessed on fultonhistory.com
Comstock, Edward, ed., Adirondack League Club, 1890-1990 (1990).
Henry Davidson obituary, The Binghamton Press, Sat. May 31, 1958, accessed on fultonhistory.com.
“To Distribute Trout Fry,” The Rome Daily Sentinel, April 7, 1902, accessed on fultonhistory.com.
William C. Commerford obituary, Daily Sentinel, Rome, N.Y., November 30, 1942, accessed on fultonhistory.com.