Winter was slow to release its icy grip on this community in March of 1932. Racquette Pond was still completely ice-locked except for a crater-like opening 200 yards off shore from Demars Blvd. near today’s pumping station. Here, raw sewage flowing through a pipe before being discharged out into the lake had melted the ice, not unlike some volcanic thermal hot spot. The shark-like dorsal fins of large fish (well fed?) cleaved the water’s surface as the fish cruised endlessly back and forth indulging themselves in this warmer, highly oxygenated environment.
The earlier months of that winter had been exceptionally mild, and conditions had been disastrous to the local lumbering and woods operations. This had idled many residents already hit by the desperate economic times of what would be called the Great Depression (1929 – 1941). The dejection prevailing in the community at this time was lessened somewhat by the prospects of an exciting village election.
For the first time in 15 years, the Democratic party of the village
would be represented on the ballot with the names of candidates for the
two village positions that were “up for grabs.” The positions were those
of village trustees, with Albert Deshaw and Henry Rule – incumbents nominated
by the Republicans, and Frank Woods, local laundry owner, and Napoleon
Grenier, Faust grocer – the Democratic opponents. Adding interest to
this election, and central to this column’s intent to provide historical
background on our municipal park, was the proposition to purchase a site
called the Santa Clara tract for the development of a public park. That
proposition, as it appeared on the ballot, read as follows:
“Shall the Village of Tupper Lake raise by tax upon the taxable
inhabitants and property of the Village of Tupper Lake in the county
of Franklin and State of New York the sum of five thousand dollars
($5,000) for the purpose of purchasing a parcel of land in the Village
of Tupper Lake?”
Details of the parcel are sketchy but it would appear, from what I can find out, that the parcel consisted of land extending from the “Big Mill” (present day Grandstand) along Lake Street and the waterfront to a point at the junction of Cliff and present day Martin Street. Also note that in consideration of the purchase of this more desirable tract, the remainder of the Santa Clara tract bounded by Demars Blvd. and the pond to the O.W.D. property line would be deeded to the village by the Santa Clara Co.
The records do tell us that the proposition was defeated by the small plurality of 20 votes of a total of 556 votes cast as follows: yes – 251, no – 271, spoiled – 12, black – 22.
Oh yes, the Republicans swept through to victory with substantial majorities in that same balloting. It would be the largest total vote in a municipal election since the incorporation of the village with 1,071 voters going to the polls. So what happened that caused the proposed park purchase to be defeated? Ellen Shaw’s father, Mr. Paul Martin, was the mayor at that time, and it was his opinion that misunderstanding as to the location of the proposed section to be developed had clouded the issue. Mayor Martin also felt that objections were raised because of the seller’s demand to reserve a 140-ft. strip of land along Demars Blvd. and also because of a clause in regard to water rights was not deemed acceptable to the voters (Mr. Martin, who lived in a handsome home on the corner of Mill and Lake streets, was the owner with his brothers Irnie and Henry of Martin Bros., a modern, upscale grocery store and meat market located on Park St. He would become Town of Altamont Supervisor for 14 years until his retirement in 1948).
The following Sept. 15, 1932, the village acquired a new six-month option. The new option would stipulate that “the cement foundations and gang saw now standing (1932) on the site where the Santa Clara Company’s ‘Big Mill’ functioned for many years shall remain as a perpetual monument to the early founders of the village. Storing, driving or sorting logs, pulpwood, etc. will not be permitted on that portion of Racquette Pond conveyed under the proposed transaction.”
The new option would also withdraw the reservations objected to in the original purchase offer and more clearly define the location boundaries and uses of the purchase.
Next column: A special election offers the voters a second opportunity to purchase the Santa Clara tract.