1901 Map of Old Forge

About this map

The Adirondack Division N.Y.C. & H.R. R.R. cuts through the northwest corner of this Adirondack landscape, marking the era when rail and water routes first opened these remote reaches of Herkimer County to seasonal residents and sportsmen. The map documents a distinct leisure geography of the early twentieth century, featuring a Steamboat Route connecting the Chain Lakes from First Lake through Fourth Lake. Scattered among the dense topography of Bald Mountain and Ice Cave Mountain are established retreats like Mountain Lodge, Bisby Lodge, and numerous private outposts such as Carlin Camp and Beecher Camp. These camps and lodges, often situated near water bodies like Little Moose Lake or Limekiln Lake, reflect the late nineteenth-century movement toward managed wilderness preservation and private sporting clubs. The intricate drainage of Third Lake Swamp and the Middle Branch Fulton Chain R. highlights the complex hydrology that supported the region's early tourism and logging interests.