IST 605: Hiking in the Adirondacks and Local History

Kanze, E. (2014). Adirondack roots : life and wildlife in the wild, wild East (1st ed.). Excelsior Editions.
This guide gives the reader an overview of life in the Adirondacks from the author’s perspective and unique experiences. The source is intended to give an in-depth glimpse into life in the Adirondack mountains and show the social life and customs involved in Adirondack living. The source also discusses wildlife that can be found in the Adirondacks and information and the natural history of the Adirondacks. This source will be useful to anyone looking for a more generalized overview of life in the Adirondacks, along with a natural history.

Angus, C. (2002). The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty : Wilderness Guide, Pilot, and Conservationist (First edition.). Syracuse University Press.
The Adirondacks are well known for their wilderness guides, who have become the subjects of local folklore as well as famous figures in Adirondack history. Clarence Petty is a wilderness guide who was a lifelong advocate for the protection of the Adirondacks. This book describes his history in the Adirondacks, including information about conservation from the twentieth century to present. This source is a more current reference for local history, and covers a broader overview of Adirondack history while discussing Clarence Petty’s life. The source also covers several local regions in the Adirondacks that have not been mentioned in the other sources so far, including Cranberry Lake and Saranac Lake.

Null, J. A., & Null, J. A. (2017). The Adirondack architecture guide, southern-central region. Excelsior Editions.
This architecture guide discusses different forms of architecture in the Adirondacks with pictures to show the various building types. The book also includes eleven essays based on the experience of local residents and professionals showing where, why, and how different structures were created. The source also includes a map showing water features, coordinates, trails, and roads. This guide is comprehensive and includes over 700 sites and seven thousand miles, so it will be useful for anyone looking for a map or architecture of the Adirondacks.

Starbuck, D. R. (2018). Archeology in the Adirondacks The Last Frontier. University Press of New England.
Archeology in the Adirondacks: The Last Frontier provides a historical overview of the Adirondacks through archeological findings. Archeological topics covered in this book include Native Americans, forts and battlefields, farms, tourism, forts, and a variety of other topics. This source provides a deeply complex look into Adirondack history and is especially useful for showing how the Native Americans lived and a lot of their background history. There are also images and maps of excavation sites included. This source will be highly useful for anyone who is interested in the early history of the Adirondacks. The source even includes underwater archeological findings for those interested in this topic.

Razzano, J. (2015). Goodman mountain: tribute to courage, beacon of hope. The New York State Conservationist, 70(1), 18-.
This source discusses the history behind Goodman Mountain and how the trail itself came to be. The story behind Goodman Mountain and how the name of the trail was decided is surprisingly detailed, and involves Andy Goodman, an Adirondack from Tupper Lake, whose life was tragically taken in an ambush by the Ku Klux Klan shortly after volunteering to help an African American church that had been bombed in Mississippi. The article discusses the impact of Andy’s volunteer work, the tragedy behind his murder, his commitment to civil rights, and his legacy. This source will help to show the role that people in the Adirondacks played in progressing civil rights, and it will also provide a description of Goodman Mountain, a popular mountain in the Adirondacks.

Pitts, E. I. (2022). Beaver River country: an Adirondack history (First edition.). Syracuse University Press.
This source provides an in-depth history of Beaver River Country, which is another name used to refer to the Adirondacks. Some topics discussed in this book are tourism in the Adirondacks and what brought people there, different trails and hotels, clubs, rangers and fire observers. Historical landmarks such as Stillwater Reservoir and Beaver River Station are also highlighted. Overall, this source is a strong guide to the history of the Adirondacks, specifically focusing on early history and the area surrounding the landmark Beaver River. This source is also a good overview of the experience of locals throughout history, and it provides a glimpse into the history of the Adirondacks as a whole.

Cenkl, P. (2010). Nature and culture in the northern forest region, heritage, and environment in the rural Northeast (1st ed.). University of Iowa Press.
This book provides a set of essays that will provide relevant background information about the Adirondack region. This resource is a good starting point for research about the local history and wildlife of the Adirondacks. The fourteen essays provide a variety of perspectives on the Adirondacks and an interdisciplinary approach to education on the subject. In addition, the essays span a multitude of locations across the Northeast. One downside is that this set of essays does not focus on the Adirondacks alone, but on the Northeastern region as whole.

Yardley, F. (2018). Finding true North: a history of one small corner of the Adirondacks. State University of New York Press.
This book, titled Finding True North: A History of One Small Corner of the Adirondacks, won an award titled Silver Winner, for Regional Nonfiction, 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in 1968. The book discusses a couple who moved to the Adirondacks in 1968 and lived on property in Saranac Lake, and the authors discusses their adventures in the Adirondacks. The authors also take the opportunity to delve into local history, from the 1800’s to present day. This award-winning source is available in ebook form and reveals the history surrounding the region of Saranac Lake and the Adirondack region. The book is also current as it was published in 2018, which means that it will have up-to-date information about local history.