Speculator, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Speculator, New York
Village
Location in Hamilton County and the state of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Hamilton
Town	Lake Pleasant
Incorporated	1925
Area
• Total	47.20 sq mi (122.26 km2)
• Land	44.61 sq mi (115.54 km2)
• Water	2.60 sq mi (6.72 km2)  5.50%
Elevation	1,739 ft (530 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	406
• Density	9.10/sq mi (3.51/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	12164
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-70123
GNIS feature ID	0965973

Speculator is a small village located in Hamilton County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 406 people lived here. It's known for the Speculator Mountain, which is 904 meters (2,966 feet) tall and stands just south of the village.

Speculator is special because it's the only village in Hamilton County that has its own local government. It's part of a larger area called the town of Lake Pleasant. The village is at the end of a lake also named Lake Pleasant. Locals sometimes call the village "Four Corners" because two main roads, NYS Route 8 and NYS Route 30, cross in the middle of its business area.

The village of Speculator is located inside the beautiful Adirondack Park.

History of Speculator

Early Native American Life

Long ago, Native Americans lived in the Speculator area. We know this because old arrowheads and spearheads have been found near Lake Pleasant. Many historians believe that tribes like the Mohawk and Algonquin used this area for hunting and fishing.

These tribes usually came to the Adirondack Mountains only during the warmer months to hunt. Their main villages were in the Mohawk and Hudson Valley regions. Around the late 1700s and early 1800s, a Mohawk man known as Captain Gill lived near Lake Pleasant. He was a guide for the first settlers, showing them the best places to hunt and fish. Captain Gill was also famous for telling stories about the Iroquois Nation, like the legend of the Flying Head.

From Newton's Corners to Speculator

The small settlement by Lake Pleasant was originally part of the town of Lake Pleasant. In 1864, a man named Joel Newton built a store and a hotel in the center of the settlement. He also helped set up a post office, and the area became known as "Newton's Corners."

Joel Newton's building burned down in 1870. Later, in 1872, the post office reopened in a different store. In 1882, Henry Dunning built a new hotel where Newton's old one used to be, and the post office moved there. Finally, in 1896, the community got a new name: "Speculator." It was named after the mountain you can see across the lake.

Becoming an Official Village

By the late 1800s, Speculator was becoming a popular spot for tourists. Local business leaders wanted to make the village even better. In 1925, with support from the people living there, Speculator officially became an incorporated village. This meant it could have its own local government, with a mayor and trustees.

The village bought a small water system and made it bigger. They also built a power plant at Christine Falls. By 1926, Speculator had electricity, which was a big step forward!

The Age of Tourism

Tourism really grew in Speculator between the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Whole families would spend their summers enjoying the fresh mountain air. More hotels, stores, and homes were built to welcome them.

Around the 1850s, people from the cities started coming to the Adirondacks to hunt and fish. They hired local guides who would provide food and simple shelters called lean-tos. Later, many hotels and boardinghouses opened in Speculator and Lake Pleasant. Private summer camps and cottages also became popular. Some famous camps included Camp-of-the-Woods, Camp Setag for girls, Kamp Kun-ju-muk for boys, YMCA Camp Agaming, and Deerfoot Lodge for boys.

After World War I, famous athletes even came to Speculator to train. Boxers like Gene Tunney, Max Schmeling, and Max Baer trained here for their championship fights.

The Age of Lumbering

In the early days, small sawmills in Speculator made lumber for local use. After the Civil War, larger lumber companies started to form. They built big mills near places like Glens Falls.

At first, logs were floated down the upper Hudson River to the mills. Later, logging moved to Lake Pleasant and the Sacandaga River. The Sacandaga River, which flows out of Lake Pleasant, was used to float logs to the bigger companies. Many local farmers worked as lumberjacks in the winter. They also sold potatoes, meat, and dairy products to the lumber companies.

The lumber companies bought huge areas of land for their timber. Some of this land was later left behind and became state-owned. This was the beginning of the Adirondack Park, which was officially created in 1892 to protect the natural beauty of the area.

Geography of Speculator

The village of Speculator covers about 122 square kilometers (47.2 square miles). Most of this area is land, but about 6.7 square kilometers (2.6 square miles) is water.

Interestingly, a small part of the village is separated from the main area. This part is in the northern section of the town of Lake Pleasant. It's not clear why this separated piece of land exists, and you can't reach it by road. The closest road to it is NY 28.

Speculator Mountain, which is 904 meters (2,966 feet) high, is located just south of the village. You can see it from most parts of Speculator.

Lake Pleasant and Sacandaga Lake are to the west of the village. The Sacandaga River starts flowing from Lake Pleasant at Speculator.

The main roads, NY 8 and NY 30, meet and combine in the village. The entire village is part of the Lake Pleasant Central School District.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 348 people living in Speculator. The village had 163 households and 94 families. About 17.2% of households had children under 18. The average age of people living in Speculator was 48 years old.

Tourism and Fun in Speculator

Speculator calls itself the "All Season Vacationland" because there's something to do all year round!

There's a public beach right in the village on the north side of Lake Pleasant. You can park for free across the street from the beach. Next to the parking lot, there's a baseball field, a basketball court, and a large covered picnic area. There's also a nature walk behind the picnic area.

Speculator Mountain, which gave the village its name, is just south of the village. You can see it from many places in Speculator. Oak Mountain is home to the Oak Mountain Ski Center, which is a great place for skiing and snowboarding, located just north of the main intersection.

Important Landmarks

The Grace Methodist Church Complex is a historic building in Speculator. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, which means it's recognized as an important historical site.

See also

In Spanish: Speculator para niños