The Adirondack Telephone Company provided the first telephone service to the Saranac Lake area. It was organized by pharmacist F. M. Bull.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, April 24, 1885
Adirondack Telephone Association.
A telephone company has been formed at the enterprising village of Saranac Lake, named as above, for the purpose of affording telephonic communication between the numerous business centres and summer resorts of that region. The central office will be at the drug store of Mr. F. M. Bull, of Saranac Lake, and the circuit will embrace Paul Smith's, Bloomingdale, Lee's and Trudeau's Camps, Big Clear Pond, (Joe Baker's), Ehrick's, Martin's, Miner's, (the taxidermist), Alexander's, the Sanitarium, Lake Placid, and perhaps other points. The poles are all out and on the ground, and will be set as soon as the frost is out. Mr. Bull was in Plattsburgh this week, making arrangements for the materials, and it is expected that by the first of June the wire (some 25 miles) will be up and in operation.
We cannot give exact arrangements at Saranac Lake. In addition to the central office at the drug store, there will be an office at Spaulding's and Miller's stores.
Query: How long before the Adirondack circuit will be connected with Keeseville and Plattsburgh? A private line of the Rogers company connects Ausable Forks with Lower Jay; a line of Messrs. Prime continues it to Upper Jay, and Mr. Weston is about to continue it to Keene, and the Cascade House, (Edmunds Ponds,) only six or eight miles from Lake Placid. Perhaps some arrangement can be made with these private owners, and we presume the Northern New York Telephone Company can be induced to continue from Keeseville to the Forks. It would then only require to connect Cascade House with Lake Placid, and the circuit would be complete. Connection might also be made by running a line from Saranac to Paul Smith's, via Chase's and Wardner's.
Franklin Gazette, October 9, 1896
At an early hour last Thursday morning fire was discovered in the office of the Adirondack Telephone company at Saranac Lake, caused by the crossing of telephone and electric light wires. The telephone office was situated in the new Harding block and it is supposed that the fire had been in progress nearly an hour when discovered. The fire department by hard work extinguished the flames, although the block was badly damaged. Postmaster Harding and family, who reside upon one of the upper floors, had their household effects injured by smoke and water but were fortunate to escape the total destruction of the building. The loss on block is $3,000 fully covered by Insurance.
Malone Farmer, September 13, 1905
The Franklin Telephone and Telegraph Co., which has heretofore operated the telephone system at Saranac Lake, has passed under the direction and control of the Hudson River Telephone Co. The present Saranac Lake system was first organized as the Adirondack Telephone Co. with a capital stock of $5,000. This was afterwards increased to $12,000 and last fall to $35,000. It began to do business with 50 instruments and has increased 300 and the rentals now amount to $6,000 per year. The Hudson River Co. is now constructing & new circuit to Lake Placid.
