LG offseason — Oct.-Dec. 1889

Maury Thompson
2 min readJan 3, 2023

--

Baseball season at Lake George in 1889 extended into the tourism off season.

“A game of baseball, between the Lake George and French Mountain Clubs, was played at the latter place Saturday, resulting in a score of thirteen in favor of the home nine. A return game will be played at Lake George on Saturday,” The Morning Star reported on Nov.11.

At the return game, Lake George defeated the visiting French Mountain team 38–10.

“Messrs. Charles Morey and Napolean Bissonette of the Barton Camping Club, Troy, will go to the club house on Recluse Island, Lake George, Monday, for two weeks’ hunting and fishing. Other members of the club will join them later.” — The Morning Star, Nov. 8, 1889

The usually quiet offseason would be filled with construction racket.

“An unusually large amount of building is being done at Lake George this fall, and quite a number of Glens Falls mechanics are employed at various points in the locality,” The Morning Star reported on Nov.12.

Construction had begun on Oct.25 for an addition on the Arlington Hotel that would include a new kitchen and a larger dining room, with several additional sleeping rooms on an upper floor, and installation of a steam-hating system.

Renovation was underway at The Trout House in Hague, The Morning Star reported on Nov.21,1889.

George R. Fish leased the Locust Grove Hotel at Bolton for another season, The Morning Star reported on Oct. 19.

The cold set in as the calendar changed to December.

The temperature dipped to zero on Dec. 4.

“Quite a casing of ice has formed about the shores at the head of Lake George,” The Morning Star reported on Dec. 5.

Cold weather brought a pause to some construction.

“Winter having fairly set in and the ground frozen to the depth of several inches, further work on Lake George Assembly paths and roads will have to be abandoned until spring,” The Morning Star reported on Dec. 6.

The steamer Horicon was undergoing “extensive repairs and improvements” over the off season.

“The work was commenced a few days ago, and about fourteen men now employed in overhauling the boat,” The Morning Star reported on Dec.9.

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

--

--

Maury Thompson
Maury Thompson

Written by Maury Thompson

Freelance history writer and documentary film producer from Ticonderoga, NY

No responses yet