Saranac Lake, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saranac Lake, New York
Village
Lake Flower, from Riverside Park
Nickname(s):  The Capital of the Adirondacks
Saranac Lake, New York Location in New York Adirondack Park
Country	United States
State	New York
Counties	Franklin, Essex
Towns	Harrietstown, North Elba, St. Armand
Government
• Type	Mayor and Board of Trustees
Area
• Total	3.16 sq mi (8.18 km2)
• Land	2.91 sq mi (7.54 km2)
• Water	0.25 sq mi (0.64 km2)
Elevation	1,545 ft (471 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,887
• Density	1,678.80/sq mi (648.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	12983
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-65233
GNIS feature ID	0964482

Saranac Lake is a village in New York, United States. In 2020, about 4,887 people lived there. It is the biggest community in the Adirondack Park. The village gets its name from three nearby lakes: Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac lakes.

Saranac Lake is special because it covers parts of three towns and two counties! These are Harrietstown, St. Armand, and North Elba (towns), and Franklin and Essex (counties). The village itself is not directly on the shores of the three Saranac Lakes. However, the northern part of Lake Flower, which is a wide section of the Saranac River, is inside the village. The village is about 9 miles (14 km) west of Lake Placid. Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, and Tupper Lake are known as the Tri-Lakes region.

History of Saranac Lake

The area where Saranac Lake is now was first home to Iroquoian-speaking people for hundreds of years. The Mohawk people used this land for hunting.

European Americans first settled here in 1819. The first family to arrive was the Jacob Smith Moody family. In 1827, Pliny Miller and Alric Bushnell built a logging facility with a dam and sawmill. The village grew around this spot. The first school was built in 1838. In 1849, William F. Martin built one of the first hotels in the Adirondack Mountains. It was called "Martin's" and was a popular place for hunters and social gatherings.

The village of Saranac Lake, with Lake Flower below and Lake Colby above, seen from Scarface Mountain.

Dr. Trudeau and Cure Cottages

In 1876, Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau came to Saranac Lake from New York City. He had tuberculosis (TB), a serious lung disease. At that time, doctors believed that fresh, dry, cold air could help patients. Dr. Trudeau found that the mountain air made him feel better. In 1884, he started his Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium. It began with a small cottage called "Little Red." This was the first "cure cottage." It was built on Mount Pisgah.

More patients, including the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson, came to the area. Dr. Trudeau's sanitarium became very well known. Later, the Trudeau Institute, a medical research center, grew from his work. It now studies how our bodies fight off diseases.

Will Rogers Memorial Hospital

A man named William S. Fowler owned land near Saranac Lake. He built several "cure cottages" for people with TB. In 1919, an insurance company bought the land and made it a private hospital for their workers.

In 1925, the property was sold to the National Vaudeville Artists, a group for stage performers. Many vaudeville performers came to Saranac Lake for treatment. They built a large hospital called the Tudor Building, which is still there today.

After World War II, new medicines (antibiotics) were found to treat TB. This meant that mountain hospitals were no longer needed as much. In 1936, the Tudor Building became the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, named after the famous entertainer. Later, the hospital closed because it was too old. The building was used for different things, like a nightclub and apartments. In 1980, it was used as the press center for the Winter Olympics. Today, it is a retirement home for older people.

A tuberculosis "Cure Cottage" where patients rested in the fresh air.

Growth and Development

Telephone service came to Saranac Lake in 1884. Railroads also arrived, connecting the village to other cities like Plattsburgh and New York City. These trains brought both visitors and helped transport lumber from the area.

Saranac Lake officially became a village on June 16, 1892. Dr. Trudeau was chosen as the first village president. Electricity came in 1894, using water wheels to make power. The village also started public schools, fire departments, and police departments.

In 1892, a Canadian lumber businessman named John Rudolphus Booth brought skis to Saranac Lake. He introduced the sport of skiing to the area!

For about 60 years, Saranac Lake was famous as a top place to treat tuberculosis. Many doctors and patients came from all over the world. This helped the village grow from a small town of 300 people in the 1880s to a busy "little city" of 8,000.

Many buildings in Saranac Lake, even downtown, had porches for TB patients to rest.

Famous Visitors

Many famous people visited Saranac Lake. Author Mark Twain vacationed on Lake Flower in 1901. During the Prohibition era (when alcohol was illegal), smugglers brought liquor from Canada. Even gangster Legs Diamond visited his brother, who was being treated for TB. Entertainer Al Jolson and President Calvin Coolidge also visited often.

Starting in 1936, scientist Albert Einstein had a summer home in Saranac Lake. He often sailed on Lake Flower. During World War II, he was at Knollwood Club on Lower Saranac Lake when he heard about the atom bomb being dropped on Hiroshima.

In 1954, Saranac Lake hosted the world premiere of the movie The Silver Chalice. Actor Paul Newman made his first movie appearance in it. Some of the movie stars, like Virginia Mayo, visited the village and were in the winter carnival parade.

Today, Saranac Lake is a popular place for tourists. Many historic buildings are still standing, and 186 buildings in the village are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fun Things to Do in Saranac Lake

Robert Louis Stevenson's Cure Cottage, now a museum.

Saranac Lake is a beautiful place with many things for visitors to do. Much of the village is along Lake Flower, which was created by a dam on the Saranac River.

You can go canoeing and boating on the lakes and rivers. There are also many trails for hiking and climbing. In the summer, the village has free concerts in Riverside Park and Berkeley Green. Camping is also very popular in the Saranac Lake area.

Winter Carnival

In winter, people enjoy cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and snowmobiling. Saranac Lake is famous for its annual 10-day winter carnival, which has been held since 1897! Each year, the carnival has a different theme, like "Adirondack Wildlife."

The carnival's main attraction is the amazing ice palace. It's built with huge blocks of ice taken from Lake Flower and lit up with colorful lights. There are also parades, with marching bands and funny groups like the "Lawn Chair Ladies." Each year, a Winter Carnival King and Queen are chosen from local residents who have helped the community.

Arts and Culture

Saranac Lake has many art galleries and the only year-round professional theater in the Adirondacks. There are also monthly art walks and a Plein Air festival, where artists paint outdoors. The group Saranac Lake ArtWorks includes many local artists and art businesses.

Historic Saranac Lake is a group that works to protect the village's old buildings. They have restored Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau's old Saranac Laboratory, which is now a museum.

The Adirondack Carousel is a special indoor carousel. All the animals on the carousel are Adirondack wildlife, like whitetail deer, moose, loon, bobcat, trout, otter, and even a black fly! Local artists carved and painted them.

Famous Artists Who Lived Here

• The famous composer Béla Bartók spent summers in Saranac Lake and wrote some of his best music there.
• The writer Robert Louis Stevenson (who wrote Treasure Island) spent a winter in a cottage in Saranac Lake in 1887. His cottage is now a museum.
• The cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who draws the Doonesbury comic strip, grew up in Saranac Lake. He is the great-grandson of Dr. Edward Trudeau.

How Saranac Lake Gets Around

The Adirondack Scenic Railway Station in Saranac Lake.

• The Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK) is about 7.3 miles (11.7 km) northwest of the village. It has flights to New York City and Boston.
• Adirondack Trailways buses serve Saranac Lake, connecting it to the Greyhound Lines bus system.
• There is also local bus service and taxi services.
• The Adirondack Scenic Railroad used to run tourist trains from the village to Lake Placid. However, train operations stopped in 2017. Now, parts of the old railway are being turned into a walking and biking trail.

Geography of Saranac Lake

Saranac Lake is located at 44°19′34″N 74°7′51″W / 44.32611°N 74.13083°W / 44.32611; -74.13083. The village has a total area of about 3.0 square miles (7.8 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

The village is where the towns of North Elba and St. Armand (in Essex County) meet Harrietstown (in Franklin County).

Major roads like New York State Route 3 and New York State Route 86 cross in the village. The closest big city is Montreal, Quebec, Canada, about 103 miles (166 km) to the north. Plattsburgh is 50 miles (80 km) northeast, and Albany is 148 miles (238 km) south.

Climate

Saranac Lake has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. It is known for its very cold winters. The average annual snowfall is between 100 and 125 inches (254 and 318 cm).

Plants and Animals

Saranac Lake is in an area with lots of trees, mostly Hardwoods and Spruce trees. The spring flowers usually bloom around May 11, and the leaves change color in the fall around October 1.

Sister Cities

Saranac Lake has two sister cities, which means they have special friendly relationships:

• Entrains-sur-Nohain, France
• Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, Canada

Images for kids

• 

  The village of Saranac Lake, bottom, with Lower Saranac Lake, above, from Baker Mountain. Lake Flower is at lower left.

• 

  Knollwood Club on Lower Saranac Lake, a place visited by Albert Einstein.

• 

  The Saranac River runs through the village.

• 

  Broadway, with Main St. at left.

See also

In Spanish: Saranac Lake para niños