LG off season — March-April 1890

Refurbishing of The Horicon steamboat, which had been underway through the winter, was almost completed, The Morning Star of Glens Falls reported on March 11, 1890.

“The Horicon has done service (on Lake George) for thirteen seasons and this is the first time she has been taken out of the water. The planking was found to be sound and smooth. When the bottom was taken out, some of the timbers were found to be unsound and they were replaced so that the boat is as good as new.”

Humans weren’t the only ones traveling on the stage run between East Lake George and Glens Falls.

“This winter Henry Pulver, the stage driver, has brought here from East Lake George 697 pounds of dressed perch, which was sold in markets, hotels and private parties. Most of the fish were caught in Kattskill Bay,” The Morning Star reported on March 14.

The ice was softening in late March.

“Our last thaw has spoiled the prospects for horse trotting at present,” the Bolton Landing correspondent reported in The Morning Star on March 29.

Good pickerel fishing — or at least good fish stories — came early in 1890.

“At East Lake George, near Mr. Chestnuts, it is said that the pickerel are so plentiful in the low water that anyone can pick them up,” The Morning Star reported on April 14. “This is rather early for fish stories, but then this gentleman wo gave us this information does not take any pleasure in ‘yarning.’”

Perch fishing through the ice had been stopped the previous week due to thawing temperature.

On April 15, The Morning Star reported that the ice was out of Lake George, two days earlier than in 1889.

Hotel owners were optimistic.

“Lake George hotel proprietors say they expect an unusually prosperous season this year, and one boniface stated to a Star reporter yesterday that he expects the season would be better than ever before, as there would not be a large hegira to Europe as there was last season.”

The steamer Caprice was put into the water at Bolton Landing on April 14, The Morning Star reported on April 18.

“She is very busy boating stone for the new breakwater of Green Island.”

A.P. Scoville, owner of the Katskill House, was set to leave his winter quarters at Glens Falls in a few days to get the hotel ready to open for the season, The Morning Star reported on April 23.

E. Wetmore and family, operators of The Grove House at East Lake George, were set to leave their winter quarters at Glens Falls on April 28.

“Business is brushing up somewhat in town, getting ready for summer boarders,” the Bolton Landing correspondent reported in The Morning Star on April 24.

Lake George steam boats were to make routine stops at Silver Bay, at Hague, in the summer, The Morning Star reported on April 28.

“Hotel men on the lake are jubilant over the prospects of the coming season.”

On April 29, The Morning Star reported that the maple sugar crop at Lake George had been plentiful.

“P.G. Bradley & Co., of the Hundred Island House, have done active work in camp and secured an abundance of the concentrated sweetness for their hotel for the coming season.”

Click here to read my most recent previous Lake George history post.