The perfect cover of The God of the Woods has been taunting me all summer. I’m very much a seasonal reader and this is a summer camp book, but it’s still 90 degrees in Kentucky, so I went with it before I got into my true October reads.
Maybe normal people read a book or watch a show without having to research a million things and their minds going in a million directions. If so, I’m not what you call normal. I love connecting dots and a good theme, so that’s what I’m doing here. This one… “camp” theme.
Unsolved Disappearance in the Adirondacks
The Melvin family was gathering at their family compound, Santanoni, in the Adirondack Mountains for one last time before they put it on the market. It was July 1971. The Melvin brothers had bought the nearly thirteen thousand-acre estate in 1953 and it would be used for family vacations for the next twenty years.
Eight-year-old, Douglas Legg, family member of C. Melvin, was described as a young outdoorsman who was familiar with the land. He was going out for a hike with his uncle on July 10, 1971, when Melvin noticed poison ivy on the trail and sent Dougie back to put on long pants. According to the New York State Police site, they were only 150 yards and within sight of the main camp. He passed his older brother and cousin around 3:30 pm about 50-60 yards from the main lodge. No one ever saw him again.
His father reported him missing that same day and an extensive search began. Over the next month, thousands of searchers gathered in the town to search for the missing boy. The full-scale search would end on August 1 with no signs of the young boy. No foul play was ever suspected.
Great Camps
In the late 1800s, wealthy Gilded Age entrepreneurs were looking to escape city life. The idea of a countryside retreat was appealing, especially after the publication of William H.H. Murray’s Adventures in the Adirondacks, in 1869.
Great Camps were incredible estates that accommodated family, friends, and staff of the super-wealthy. These compounds included several structures including lodges, dining halls, cabins, boat houses, game rooms, stables, and more. They were often self-sustaining, running on locally sourced water and food.
The first of these camps was Pine Knot on Raquette Lake, financed by banking and railroad executive, Thomas Durant. His son, William West Durant, would build the camp over thirteen years, using local building materials and developing a new style of architecture blending rustic and European styles that we now call Adirondack rustic. He would go on to build several other estates in the area owned by families such as the Morgans and Vanderbilts.
Today, many of these camps are available to guests for overnight stays and tours.
Historic Adirondack Great Camps That You Can Visit
Check out my Pinterest board for more photos from Great Camps.
Links for a camping weekend
Free People Movement Cool Down Beanie in Winterberry
L.L. Bean Signature Cotton Fisherman Short Cardigan Sweater
Forsake Rosie Mid Women’s Waterproof Sneaker Boot
Trek Light Positive Vibrations Blanket
Pendleton Beacon Serape Crew Socks
Able Avery Weekender
The Backyard Palate Smoked Steak Queso (I’ve tried this & it’s amazing)
Since I started writing this post the weather has changed due to Helene and it’s feeling a lot more like fall. I hope you’re safe and cozy where you are.