The Navigation Companies from Inlet to Raquette Lake
Part three
Beaver Camp, at the foot of Eighth Lake, was located near where in 1896 Durant’s new road from Mohegan Lake crossed to connect with the Sucker Brook Bay Road to Eagle Bay.
The beaver dam mentioned was estimated in 1915 to have been built prior to the Revolution based on tree rings in cedar logs from the dam.
During 1896, Fred Kirch left Bennett’s company and became general manager in one, maybe two, new Inlet companies.
On May 18, 1896, Kirch and others would form the Fulton Chain and Raquette Lake Transportation Company for the purpose of “establishing, maintaining and operating a stage line or omnibus [horse-drawn streetcar] route or routes..” from Fourth Lake to Raquette Lake.
The company’s capital was $4000 and its directors (#shares) were Fred Kirch (15), Benjamin T. Gilbert (19), Ephraim Myers (4), Henry Myers (1), and Benjamin D. Gilbert (1).
On July 3, 1896, a second company was formed, the Fulton Chain and Raquette Lake Steamboat Company, for purposes of “building, purchasing, chartering, navigating or owning steam, sail or other boats, ships, vessels or other property to be used in business, trade, commerce or navigation for carriage, transportation or storage of lading, freight, mails, property or passengers.
The waters to be navigated are the Fulton Chain of lakes and the inlets and outlets thereof, and Raquette Lake and the inlets and outlets thereof…”
This second company’s capital was $5000 and its directors (#shares) were Fred Kirch (17), Benjamin T. Gilbert (24), Ephraim Myers (5), Ada Myers (1), Benjamin D. Gilbert (1), Henry G. P. Myers (1) and Frank Tiffany (1).
Only directors and shareholders were listed named in the documents; no corporate officers were named.
This would cause problems later. Before continuing the history of the companies, I would like to provide a little information about the directors.
I have already introduced Fred Kirch, the second largest shareholder in both companies.
He became a road commissioner for the new Town of Inlet, later married Frank Tiffany’s daughter Lettie Mae and they would have three daughters: Eleanor Wabnitz and Inlet authors Marion Young and Letty Kirch Haynes.
Kirch was taking business courses in Utica during 1897-1898.
At the beginning of the 20th century he moved to Watertown and operated a construction firm.
to be continued…
