ADK Journal

Sharing Adirondack History Through the Eyes of a Child (at Heart!)

Story and Photos by Gary VanRiper

Gary VanRiper, age 1, at the historic theme park, Land of Makebelieve, Upper Jay, NY

Arto Monaco’s Land of Makebelieve set childrens’ imaginations into hyperdrive

We are slowly emerging from the dead of winter marching toward the first day of spring.

I don’t do any mountain climbing during this season. I just practice the daily physical grunt work required to stay in climbing shape to hit the trails in warmer weather. The emphasis during the long stretch of long winter nights was usually shared between coaching high school basketball and reading, researching, and writing. With basketball cancelled this season, it has provided extra time to search for more children’s books set in the Adirondacks to add to the collection. Just this week I discovered Nancy Drew had another adventure in the region – and learned about multiple titles from this series that, decades ago, was second only to Tom Swift in its popularity!

This is also the time of year (for twenty-one years now) when the writing of our own children’s books set in the Adirondacks takes place – accompanied by yet more research. With each story revolving around an actual person, place, or thing in the Adirondacks, it is not unusual to end up searching through vintage postcard images to help set something chosen to write about in its proper time and place. For our first book, it was the historic mailboat that for years served the Fulton Chain of Lakes. We brought one of the first mailboats out of retirement for the story. The postcards aided not only in the boat description but also helped our artist with the cover illustration. In the third book, The Lost Lighthouse,

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Miss America, one of the historic mailboats that served the Fulton Chain of Lakes

The lighthouse at Alger Island was a great historic landmark to feature in a story

The ‘new’ Arrowhead Hotel in Inlet was built in 1914 and removed in 1963. Artifacts still surface from time to time near the lakefront

This is a view of Fourth Lake as was seen from the Arrowhead Hotel in Inlet. The location is now known as Arrowhead Park.

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we read that at one time there were two lighthouses along the Fulton Chain. The lighthouse near Alger Island still stands. But what happened to the other one? We decided it would be fun to offer a possible solution to that mystery. When our characters learned about the Land of Makebelieve that once drew thousands of visitors with young children to Upper Jay, they decided to create their own story town in the forest and invite their friends! Journey into the Land of Makebelieve was a special tale to write since my parents had taken me there in 1955 when both the theme park and I were just a year old!

And then there was the former Arrowhead Hotel in Inlet that stars in a story in our collection of five short stories. The original hotel was lost in a fire in 1913. The ‘new’ Arrowhead

Hotel was built the following year and stood until it was removed in 1963. Artifacts from the hotel still occasionally surface along the lake area where the hotel once stood. We know the spot in the hamlet today as Arrowhead Park.

With six more weeks of winter until the official start of another spring season, and depending on what the groundhog has to say, be sure to remain active in mind and body. Enjoy your favorite hobbies and activities. Stay safe and stay well! •

Gary VanRiper is an author, photographer, and pastor at the Camden Wesleyan Church. He has written 19 children’s books with his son, Justin.

Learn more at: www.adirondackkids.com