Charles Brumley, author of "Guides of the Adirondacks: A History" presented a lecture as part of Hamilton Environmental Action Group's Green Week celebration on April 25. Brumley, a guide from the Adirondack State Park, discussed the history and preservation of the park, focusing specifically on the history and evolution of Adirondack guiding and guide boats.
Brumley exhibited both candid and posed photographs from the late 17th century which depicted different types of Adirondack guides, including woods and waters guides and mountain guides. He discussed the various responsibilities of the guides, and what tourists did while on a tour in the Adirondacks during this period. Brumley also presented slides that illustrated the evolution of Adirondack guide boats, the equipment needed to guide, and the history of lean-tos.
He also discussed the history of the Adirondack Park. By the early 1800's, 80% of the total U.S. population were farmers; because farming was such a popular way to make a living, and the Adirondacks did not offer much opportunity for farmers, many settlers trekked to the Ohio region before settling in the Adirondack Park, Brumley explained.
The Civil War greatly changed the population and the tourism in the Adirondacks,. Because the Civil War had such a great impact on the industrialization of the North, more people were able to work in factory or manufacturing jobs versus farming. This meant that people who as farmers were unable to take a vacation were now able to take a paid vacation. Many people sought vacation in the Adirondack Park, and after the Civil War, the park greatly expanded its tourism sector. The settlement and expansion happened so quickly that by the Adirondack Park achieved park status in 1892, the area had already been settled, Brumley explained.
This exponential growth did negatively affect the reason in some ways, however, Brumley said. "Adirondack guides' jobs were in placed in serious jeopardy," he stated. They could no longer guarantee tourists that they would be able to hunt or fish on guides, as the sheer number of people hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks was making such sports very difficult. By the late 1890's, Adirondack guides created an "organized club, almost like a union" to help promote conservation and establish hunting and fishing rules for the park, Brumley explained.
Hamilton Environmental Action Group works to raise awareness of environmental issues at Hamilton College. The group strives to involve the community in our effort to tackle local and regional environmental issues.
-- by Emily Lemanczyk '05
