Mining half-track
The Adirondack Musuem in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y., is a tour de force of a historical museum of the entire 6,000,000 acre Adirondack Park.
Mining half-track
You must go there yourself for the details, but in summary, large parcels of land were "bought" from the Indians. Then the land was logged and fished and logged and mined and hunted and logged.
By the mid 1800s the forests had become so damaged by over-logging that the state constitution was amended to include this provision: "The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve (meaning The Adirondack Park) as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed." Along with the law was a map with a blue line surrounding some six 
Lake view
million acres of land to be protected: the Adirondacks.
There was and is conflict between those who live there and want to use the land as they see fit and those who live elsewhere and want to control the use of the land and keep it pristine.
Gradually the state has bought up many parcels of land and put it under some kind of protection. One large parcel recently acquired was donated by the Nature Conservancy.
Mining is now nearly all gone, and logging has been greatly reduced. Tourism is slowly on the upswing.
Tourists come to the Adirondack Park for camping, snowmobiling, hunting, hang-gliding, fishing, canoeing, hiking, boating, skiing and all other mountain pursuits. Small towns along the few roads through the park contain a 
Rustic furnishings
variety of tourist accommodations, from cottages on lake shores to giant hotels. Many of the old tourist buildings were originally constructed by corporations like the paper companies who began development by building dormitories for their employees.
We stayed in a cottage which has been held by one family for three generations, enjoying the quiet surroundings and the beautiful views over Long Lake. Last night after dark a boat with four people glided up to the dock next door, where a man with a pole drew them close to climb out. Only the light from his lamp illuminated the scene.
As we drove to the museum we passed many other hotels and cabins, all of 
An Adirondack porch
them individually owned. Aggressive advertising is not part of the mountain vacation scene. These are difficult mountains to explore by car due to the scarcity of paved roads over an immense area. And the state is not planning new roads, so the Adirondacks will remain remote.
The Adirondack Museum has some twenty-five to thirty buildings. The primary exhibits are the past, present and future of logging; the Adirondack Experience; and boats and boating.
Many of the smaller buildings are examples of historic use of the Adirondacks including various forms of camps and cabins including rustic furnishings. The Adirondack chair was born here, of course. The well-to-do have been coming to the Adirondacks literally for centuries; Native Americans have 
Handmade boat
lived here for millenia.
The museum boasts a large collection of boats used in the Adirondacks, especially canoes and the guideboat which was developed here.
We talked with two guides, both of whom are lifetime residents of the Adirondacks. One of them, a man who plays guitar and writes songs when he is not at the museum, told us about his great-grandfather who hastened up Mount Marcy, the highest mountain here, to find Teddy Roosevelt and deliver to him the message that William McKinley had been shot. Here is the Wikipedia account of Roosevelt's rushed journey to Buffalo to be sworn in as President:
When we weren't at the museum we drove along the mountain roads, past beautiful, varied countryside, hills and valleys just turning color and dozens of lakes. The few commercial establishments are idiosyncratic, and maps for hikers and wilderness explorers feature highly among items for sale. Large privately owned "camps" remain part of the mountain scene.
When McKinley expired
We came to an elaborate stone monument at the side of the road. It said: Near this point while driving hastily from Tahawus Club to North Creek at 2:15 a.m. Sept 14 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States as William McKinley expired in Buffalo. Perhaps a little romantic (he had to be sworn in first) but it links a charismatic President with this lovely region.
This was our first extended visit to this lovely area. We had passed through on our way to other destinations. We missed a treat! The Adirondacks have much to offer in terms of natural beauty and the chance to think hard about the state of the planet and human use of it. The year-round residents, working with treasures like the Adirondack Museum, are giving visitors the opportunity to learn to love this unique part of America.