Most readers of this column are today no doubt aware of Follensby Pond, which can be viewed so prominently from the summit of Mt. Morris, the focus of a series of Transitions articles.
As late as the middle 1800s, the lake was in a remote area, known only to a few guides and the solitary hermit of mysterious origin and demise, who left behind a romantic legend – his name originally spelled “Follensbee.”
As Paul Jamieson tells us in Adirondack Pilgrimage, it became better known when a group of intellectuals from Boston in 1858 enjoyed a camping adventure on its shores.
Camp Maple, named after the maple grove that canopied their shelter, was soon dubbed the “Philosopher’ Camp” by their guides. And so it has been known ever since in popular tradition – a title befitting the slightly bizarre aspect of these sophisticates turned primitive for a fortnight.
Older residents like this writer knew Follensby as Barbour Park. It was a private place, remote and virtually unknown. Its caretaker, Mr. Clyde Campe, brooked no nonsense, and his owners’ wishes regarding privacy were followed closely. Barbour Park, for all purposes in those days, was little known. Only a few locals had been beyond the gated entrance off Stetson Road.
As an amateur historian, I was curious about the transformation that took place between the carte blanche of the early guides that allowed them to row up the outlet from Racquette River and reveal its presence to amazed clients (who had never heard of it) to its privileged status today. Here is what I discovered: When William West Durant sold his father’s Adirondack Railroad in 1889 to the Delaware and Hudson, that company allowed him to retain lands that were not needed for the railroad operation.
In 1890, Ferris Meigs of the Santa Clara Company and others formed a stock company they called Adirondack Timber and Mineral Company, and they purchased 400,000 acres from Durant. It was, according to Mr. Meigs in his unpublished autobiography, “purchased mostly for taxes paid and unpaid, and amounted to a total of $600,000, all cash.”
Santa Clara, who held one-fourth interest in the stock company, then acquired 35,000 acres of that purchase, mostly in Townships 25, 26 and 27 (Follensby Tract, Cold River, Ampersand Pond, Axton, etc.) for $4.50 per acre.
It was, in Mr. Meigs’ words: “a very good purchase – by 1900 we had cut most of the softwood timber on the west half of Township 26 leaving the hardwoods standing. This beech, birch and maple were then used for cooperage (barrels). A sale was made to the Tupper Lake plant of the Brooklyn Cooperage firm of 10,000 acres for $6 per acre!”
Some three years later, in 1905, Brooklyn Cooperage discovered that the only cost-effective method to transport the hardwood was to build a railroad as they had done successfully in other operations such as Cross Clearing.
Railroads were smelly, noisy affairs, and their wood-burning, ember-throwing engines were notorious for starting fires. This was unacceptable to Mr. Meigs and family, who had retained ownership of Follensby Pond, some surrounding lands and a camp they called Stag Head. In 1905, in a friendly negotiation with Lowell Palmer, president of the Cooperage firm, Santa Clara repurchased the 10,000 acres at cost, plus an additional 5,000 acres. Camp Stag Head and the lovely seclusion of Follensby were saved!
In 1914, some of the Follensby Tract, with the exception of the lake and shoreline, was sold to the O.W.D. Shortly thereafter, parts of this sale, mostly in Township 26, was repurchased, and Santa Clara again became the sole proprietor of Follensby.
If those numerous transactions wouldn’t confuse even a real estate lawyer, hold on. A wealthy gentleman by the name of John E. Barbour was searching for a special Adirondack retreat. Follensby was exactly what he wanted and, according to Ferris Meig’s autobiography, 4,000 acres were purchased at a cost of $75,000, which included the lake and camp.
Mr. Barbour was the nephew of Col. Wm. Barbour, millionaire manufacturer of linen thread in Patterson, N.J.
Col. Barbour’s land holdings around Big Tupper Lake consisted of about 20,000 acres, a portion of which later became the American Legion Mountain Camp. The Barbour family had been coming to this area as recreationists since the late 1800s.
The ink was barely dry on the Follensby purchase contract when John Barbour ordered the removal of Camp Stag Head and built his own camp a fourth-mile distant. The construction was completed in 1917 and named White Birches.
A brief description of that camp, as contained in a preview listing by Preview’s Incorporated when the property came up for sale in 1951, may be of reader interest. The property by that time consisted of approximately 14,310 acres and included a 10-room lodge (caretaker’s home), 5-room gatehouse, boathouse, icehouse and chauffeur’s cottage as well as White Birches Camp. Asking price: $148,500, furnished. The main camp was described as follows:
“21 rooms, cedar-shingled roof. Built in 1917. In excellent condition. Hardwood floors, cypress finish woodwork. Included in sale price – all furnishings. Living room 20’ x 25’, 24’ ceiling, balcony 3 sides, bay window, hand hewn beams, huge cutstone fireplace, large kitchen, maid’s dining rm., 2 wings, 3 bedrooms and bath in each.”