Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Friday, May 1,1992
Oldest residents recall the SL of yesteryear
From severe snowstorms, to cure, cottages, to growth of village, they've seen it all
By KATHLEEN SCOTT VAUGHN
Enterprise Staff Writer
SARANAC LAKE — As Saranac Lake celebrates its one hundreth year, it should be remembered that there are some residents who have grown right along with the village.
As part of the centennial celebration, the village's Centennial Committee prepared a list of 39 people, all over the age of 90, who are the village's oldest residents. Some of the residents were able to cite the many changes that have occurred in the village over the years and why they chose to live here.
James H. LaPan, 91, was born on Margaret Street in the village Dec. 20, 1900. After over 90 years, the home still stands today, according to LaPan. He grew up on Main Street in a house which had been located near where the Lake Flower Apartments now can be found.
LaPan is a well-known name around Saranac Lake, as his family left its mark in the village. LaPan Highway was named after his brother, George, who died in 1957 in a car accident. Many people remember the LaPan Oil Company, which was owned and operated by several of his brothers.
Or some might think of the wholesale grocery business, John LaPan Sons, Inc. which LaPan managed and was part owner of along with his brothers until the early 1980s. The business sold groceries and fresh fruit to such places as the St. Regis Hotel, Hotel Saranac and Drutz's Fine Foods.
LaPan said he spent much of his childhood playing baseball on Main Street, which was a common pastime for children then, since there were only two cars in the village. He and his four brothers and one sister spent their summers swimming in the Saranac River near their home.
LaPan also spent eight years as a village trustee. "Things were very different then," said LaPan, explaining that the village was a much quieter place back then. But he added that the village was facing a lot of the same problems today as it did then, especially constructing and renovating infrastructure.
"I used to know every single person in this town. Now I don't know hardly anybody. It's a terrific difference," LaPan added.
Today LaPan still plays an active part in the community.
He is very active in the Adult Center and is a member of St. Bernard's Church and has served in various capacities there. He is also a member of the Elks Club. His most vivid memory of the village's past is many years ago when the first fall snowstorm came on Oct. 10. About two feet of snow fell that day and the ground was covered until Easter. "It must have snowed about every day. That was something to remember," he commented.
Another of the village's oldest residents, Ethel Ward Jeans, also recalls Adirondack winters being much more severe years ago.
"We don't have the severe winters we used to have," Jeans commented.
She said the main difference in the area from many years ago is that there are more people living in the area and the changes in climate.
Jeans, 94, was born in Ellenburg Depot and grew up in Gabriels and Onchiota. She moved to Connecticut when she married and lived there for 60 years. But when her husband retired, they moved back to the village together.
"I like the mountains" said Jeans as the reason she chose Saranac Lake as a retirement site.
Bessie Hanmer, in her 90s, was born and raised in the village and never once thought of leaving, she said. 'It's my home. It's where I was born," she said.
Hanmer grew up in a family with five brothers and sisters, many of whom were involved with in the boat-making business. Most famous in her family, perhaps, is her brother Willard Hanmer, who today is well-known for the guideboats he created.
She said her father was a great boat builder and taught all of the children about boat-making. "We all had a little hand in it," said Hanmer.
"He taught my brothers but Willard was the best," she added.
Hanmer herself is known around the village for her work as a nurse working with tuberculosis patients. She worked at Will Rogers and Stonywold in the capacity and also worked as the Lake Placid Club for a time.
When Elizabeth Fletcher, now 90 and living at Uihlein Mercy Center, was 14 years old she moved to the village from Sugarbush to live with her aunt and uncle. In the village, Fletcher found work as a chef in several local restaurants such as Downing and Cane's and Chance's.
But, like Hanmer, she made a living primarily from the tuberculosis industry, she said. She also spent much of her time working at the many tuberculosis cure cottages that were located in the village, taking care of TB patients living here.
"Sometimes we would get a half day off," she remembered about working at the cottages. "My cousin and I would hitchhike back to Sugarbush for a visit," she continued.
"In every way it (Saranac Lake) has changed," said Fletcher. She said the village has grown tremendously since its incorporation.
But she said one thing has remained the same over the years: "People are very nice to you. People are very friendly and accommodating," she commented.
Clara Holt, 91 moved to the village in 1924 from New Brunswick, NJ to find a job in the Adirondacks. She had been working factory jobs in New Jersey for $10 a week. However, when she moved to the village she was able to find several jobs, at least three, she said.
"I made a lot more money here," she commented.
