Old Address: 34 Algonquin Avenue
Other names: Deutches House (1908 Directory), The Duchess (1910 Directory), Elkwood Inn (apparently a mistake shown only on the1917 Health Survey map)
Year built: Before 1905
The Elk Inn was operated by Mary and Valentine Eppe. A liquor license was held by Mary in 1905 and 1907, and Mary is shown as the lot owner on a subdivision map. Valentine pleaded guilty to selling liquor on a Sunday in 1905. Mary died in 1916; she may have sold the property shortly before her death.
Malone Farmer, August 15th, 1917
Ed Lamy, the celebrated Saranac Lake trick skater, has taken a bride. She is Miss Jane Counsella, 1 of New York. They were married Aug. 7th at St. John's Catholic church in Paterson, N. J. Mr. and Mrs. Lamy are now running the Elk Inn, but will resume exhibition skating at Pittsburgh, Pa., this fall.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 18, 1987
RANDOM TALES
By ROGER TUBBY
Beer for Governor Smith
While a young art student, Anne Wendel was vacationing one summer in Saranac Lake during prohibition, she played piano with a small dance band started by Christy Mathewson, Jr., Gene Keet, and Tim Whiteing.
One night coming home from Lake Placid Tim said he wished he knew where to find some beer. Governor Al Smith of New York was staying at Saranac Inn on Upper Saranac Lake and his men had been looking for some beer for him. Tim thought if he could tell them where to find beer, he'd get in good with the Governor.
Anne allowed as to where it might be found, at Elk Inn (across from what is now the Algonquin Bar on the Tupper Lake Road). She had shopped in the store there and had ridden Inn horses.
So they went to Elk Inn and were served beer by the proprietor, Mr. Lester.
Two days later Anne was passing the Inn and Mr. Lester called to her and said Governor Smith's representatives had stopped by and bought some beer for the Governor. The next year the Governor rented a house next to the Inn and evidently, Anne says, "enjoyed a happy summer." Incidentally, that house is now the home of Trooper Francis Ryan. She doesn't know what reward, if any, Tim Whiteing got out of being a finder of that supply of beer.
Marie Leis Pearce, Henry P. Leis: The Man from Saranac Lake, Chapter VI, pp. 5, 6
"The triangular piece of land to the south of the school house lot was owned by Mary Eppe in my childhood. There was a large house and barn built towards the back of this piece of property. I'm not sure who built this but I believe that Mary was perhaps a widow when we were growing up. I believe there had also been a bowling alley coming out towards the street. This was no longer used in my day but a small wing was attached to this which contained a "Mom &, Pop" type neighborhood grocery store. It stocked staples and some other items such as bread, lunch meats and dairy products. When we were left home alone (which happened fairly frequently), mother would give us money so we could go over and get something for our lunches. It also possessed a wonderful "penny-candy" counter. I can still remember our figuring out how to get meat and bread for sandwiches and still have enough for two or three pieces of candy. My special favorite was a coconut concoction made up to look like a strip of bacon.
By the time that we were in high school, a Dr. Worden and his wife had purchased the place and made it into a luxurious private psychiatric hospital. He was a psychiatrist who had tuberculosis, I believe. [...] Later this hospital was made into the Algonquin School, which was a residence home for problem children. It burned later.
Comments
Footnotes
1. Lamy's wife's name is generally understood to have been Jane "Dottie" Hutchinson