The First Thursday in October, 1905, eleven men met at the old
Harrietstown Town Hall basement in Saranac Lake.
They met under lantern light and sat on empty beer or soda cases
and formed the Club. The morning following the meeting, the men planted
whitefish in Lonesome Pond. Those planting the fish were William
Melvin, William Stearns and Al Bernard. Melvin fell in the pond and the
others had to pull him out!
For a year the Club met in the back room of John Hogan's
Drugstore which later became Charlie Green's Grocery. It was voted that
first night that the dues would be 10 cents for the first year and one
dollar per year thereafter!! The first President was John Morgan and it
was agreed to meet the first Thursday of each month, which we are still
doing today.
Meetings were held in numerous places to include Gladd's Camp in
Franklin Falls until present property was acquired in 1928. The range
room and and kitchen additions were completed in 1948 just in time to
serve as a schoolhouse for a few months when the Old Colby School
burned to the ground.
On May 4, 1947 the Adirondack Conservation Council was organized
at our Clubhouse and its first president was Ed Worthington. After
World War II, skeet shooting became popular and the Club was the site of
many international meets. Throughout the years the club has represented
the interests of the organized sportsmen and women of the Saranac Lake
area, on a local, state and national level.