NEWCOMB, NY (Sep. 28, 2017)—The Open Space Institute (OSI) today announced the opening of two interpretative trails at the Tahawus property in the Adirondacks. The trails will guide visitors from the northern parking area, through the Village of Adirondac, and down to the 1856 Blast Furnace, and feature educational panels along the way.
The Tahawus property, located in the Town of
Newcomb in Essex County, NY, was once the site of major mining and smelting
operations in the 19th century.
Attracting 10 million visitors annually, the
High Peaks Wilderness Area is the best known, most heavily used, and largest
wilderness in the Adirondack Park. Many of those visitors pass through the
Village of Adirondac and the OSI property which protects the headwaters to the
Hudson River and serves as the southern gateway to the High Peaks.
In September 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was visiting the Tahawus hunting and fishing club when he received a piece of stunning news: President McKinley, struck by an assassin’s bullet, was dying in Buffalo. It was from Tahawus that Roosevelt embarked on his famous “Midnight Ride to the Presidency,” setting out in a buckboard wagon to North Creek Train Station.
Recognizing the historic and environmental importance of the land in the heart of the Adirondack Park, OSI acquired the 10,000-acre Tahawus tract in 2003. OSI then transferred most of the property to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, retaining 258 acres for educational, historic and recreational purposes.
Since then, OSI has been working steadily to make sure the area will remain safe for users on the trails by removing dilapidated structures and implementing a more efficient plan for parking. The trails are accompanied by interpretative panels to better inform the thousands of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who visit this site about the rich history of the land.
“OSI is committed to ensuring that visitors to the Village of Adirondac enjoy a scenic and informative experience,” said Kim Elliman, President and CEO of OSI. “The interpretative trails are the next step towards achieving this plan and will provide visitors with a new way to understand the site and its historic connection to the Hudson River.”
Today, thanks to OSI, the College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Adirondack Architectural Heritage, the Town of Newcomb, Art of Wild, George Cannon, and the generosity of The Prospect Hills Foundation, The Walbridge Fund, and the Overhills Foundation, visitors to the property are able to learn more about the history of this scenic landscape.