The Adirondack guide was crucial to the development of the Adirondacks as a popular tourist destination. From the mid-1800s, growing numbers of sportsmen were interested in experiencing the wilderness and the hunting and fishing opportunities provided by the Adirondacks. But a city-bred sportsman needed an experienced woodsman to get him out into the wilderness in comfort and safety. Guides at the boathouse of Paul Smith's Hotel, August 8, 1884. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, October 5, 2002

Plattsburgh Press Republican, August 2007
1 Mr. Lynch, 2 Sylvester Newell, 3 Henry Smith, 4 Jimmy Skiff, 5 Henry Kendall, 6 Douglas Martin, 7 Mr. Jennett, 8 Frank Hobart, 9 Tony Redwood, 10 Ed. Noyes, 11 Johnny Redwood, 12 Paul Smith Jr., 13 ?, 14 Ahaz Hayes, 15 Lewis Smith, 13 ?, 17 Alex Hazard (colored), 18 Ed. Dustin, 19 Fred Martin, 20 George Moody, 22 Al Otis, 23 Myron Otis, 24 Ab. Tyler, 25 Henry Chase, 26 John Wincher, 27 Lovell Newell

Guides at the boathouse of Paul Smith's Hotel, October 2, 1885.
Photographed by A. W. Durkee, in A. L. Donaldson's A History of the Adirondacks

Stearns Williams, 2 - Phil King, 3 - Phineas Bennett, 4 - Fred Otis, 5 - George Martin, 6 - Charlie Jenkins, 7 - Ahaz Hayes, 8 - John Rork, 9 - Lester Abbott, 10 - Al Otis, 11 - Sylvester Newell, 12 - Will Kent, 13 - Henry Smith, 14 - Orrin Otis, 15 - Albert Ricketson, 16 - Jim Carney, 17 - Myron Otis, 18 - Tom Redwood, 19 - Ed Noyes, 20 - Eli Sweeney, 21 - Henry Chase

In addition to hunting and fishing, guides were useful to TB patients seeking the fresh-air  cure.  Marc Cook, a reporter for a New York city newspaper who sought such a cure in 1880, details the many services a good guide could be counted on to provide, from building a platform tent and other outbuildings, to building beds, chairs, tables, etc.  See his book, The Wilderness Cure, pp. 42-57.

See also

The modern babes in the wood: or, Summerings in the wilderness 1872 By Henry Perry Smith Pgs 440 & 443

GUIDES. If the names of any guides are omitted in the table appended, it should be attributed to unintentional oversight. Guides charge for services from $2.50 to $3 per day. They furnish a boat, an ax, perhaps hatchet and auger, and carry all the luggage over the portages — though gentlemen will naturally assist them somewhat in this laborious operation. Guides, too, do all the cooking and attend to all the domestic duties incident to camp life. It is customary for two individuals to employ one guide between them—thus reducing the cost one half.

Boats may be hired independent of guides at 50 cents per day. The expense of living, while in the woods, need not exceed $2 for each person per week; and even this figure may be considerably reduced. The proximate cost of a journey to the Adirondacks, and a sojourn for any period therein, may be easily estimated from the above data.

ST. REGIS LAKE GUIDES. H. Martin, G. Martin, F. Martin, D. Martin, C. Martin, Steve Turner, M. Sawyer, M. St. Germain, Jim Cross, F. Holbert, J. McLaughlin, J. Hall, E. Hall, A. Brown, J. W. Miller, J. Baker, J. Rogers, P. King, C. Quarters, W. Moody, E. Patterson, S. Warner, L. St. Germain, J. Hayes, E. White, G. Maloney, O. Coville, S. Otis, C. Dwight, J. Manley, Geo. Skiff, T. Labounty, A. Labounty, F. St. Germain, Ed. Robarge, D. Sweeny, J. Patterson. P. O. Address, St. Regis, Franklin Co., N. Y, or Bloomingdale, Essex Co., N. Y.

SARANAC GUIDES. G. Ring, W. Ring, J. Grover, H. Colbeith, Lute Evans, R. Reynolds, J. Reynolds, F. Reynolds, Martin Moody, W. Hough, A. J. Baker, J. Slater, W. Slater, B. Moody, Ransom Reynolds, P. Robbins, Cort Moody, Jesse Corey, C. Corey, R. Nichols, H. Annis, D. Moody, Harvey Moody, James McClelland, W. Martin, Stephen Martin, J. Vosburgh, J. Solomon, C. Brown, Ed. Brown, M. Brown, Geo. Mussin, F. Moody, Ed. Otis, Geo. Otis, J. Hughes, W. Nye, J. Hanmer, F. Morehouse, H. Kent, H. Douglas, J. Benham, W. Benham, L. Moody, D. L. Moody, Tid Moody, F. Nicholson, D. Cronk, F. Brown, H. Braman, J. Willson, J. King, Geo. Wake, T. Hayley, C. Roberts, John Dukett, M. Mayhue, H. Solon, W. Morehouse, S. Torrence, L. Dudley, Geo. Sweeny, M. Clough, Henry Wood, A. McKensie, R. Moody, Jas. Filbrooks, A. Robbins, C. Hecox, Samuel Dunning, D. Dunning, R. Reynolds, J. Lunt. P. O. Address, Lower Saranac Lake, Franklin Co., N. Y.

Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of New York, 1886

Pledge of Saranac Hotel-Keepers and Guides.

We, the undersigned, hotel proprietors, guides and residents of the Adirondacks, having learned with regret that some vandal has been committing depredations upon the State hatchery property at Little Clear pond, do most heartily condemn such a dastardly outrage, and do pledge ourselves to use every lawful means to bring such perpetrators to speedy and condign punishment.

Saranac Lake, January 1, 1885

Milo B. Miller, proprietor, Saranac Lake House. J. A. Morehous.
Edgar Trembley. Charles Manning.
H. H. Miner, Taxidermist Sylvenus Marrou.
L. Evans, Boarding-house. E. L. Trudeau.
John Eyglefield. B. Woodruff.
F. G. Hallock, guide. C. M. Walton.
George W. Musson, guide. Reuben Reynolds.
Aaron Goldshmitt. R. A. Morhous.
R. E. Woodruff, proprietor the Berkeley Joseph B. Lamoy, guide.
Horace Peck. Thomas Dewey
Stephen Merchant. Z. A. Wilson.
Wm. A. Walton. John W. Slater, guide.
Dan McKillip. A. W. Gudley, guide.
George E. Johnson, guide. C. F. Wicker.
R. M. Banker. Edwin E. Sumner, guide.
Edwin Goodell. Eugene Allen, guide.
Aaron Hays, miller. T. Edmund Krunbholz.
Philip McMannis, guide. Allen Bunnell.
John Bergen John H. Lunt, guide.
George W. Fayzett, guide. George Sweeney, guide.
Latour & Platto, stage line. F. H. Bassett.
F. M. Bull, druggist. W. P. Moody, guide.
A. S. Wright, builder. William Fortain.
S.C. Martin. Thomas Parker, guide.
George Niesereu. Daniel Ames, lumberman.
Orlando Blood. Charles C. McCaffrey, guide.
Ryland Blood. Leonard Nokes.
J. P. Blood. John Benham, guide.
George A. Berkley. James H. Peck.
T. N. Spaulding, merchant. Millard F. Otis, guide.
Peter Segun. Fayette Moody, guide.
C. H. Kendall, proprietor, Riverside House. Hosea B. Colbath, guide
Malcolm Smith. H. L. Lobdell.
James B. Miller, stage line. E. W. Harrison.
Andrew J. Baker. Byron P. Ames, guide.
Jason Vosburgh. Wallace Slater.
Rant Reynolds. Dan. Kennedy.
Will Manning. Simeon Torrance,guide.
M. J. Norton, proprietor, Adirondack Cottages, Saranac lake, N.Y. J. D. Alexander, proprietor, Alexander House, Saranac lake.
Pat Carey. George Williams Jr.
George Washer. Milton C. Pattan.
A. Parsons, guide. Charles Wilkins.
William H. Hinds. Marshal Brown, guide.
Warren J. Slater, guide. William Stearns, guide.
Charles Hays, guide. Henry Davis, guide.
Lowell Brown, guide. Jesse Corey, proprietor of Rustic Lodge House, Upper Saranac lake.
John King, guide. O. M. Boutwell.
Mayne Whitman. Orton O. Terry.

St. Regis Lake and Bloomingdale.

Paul Smith, proprietor of Paul Smith’s. E. G. Ricketson, boat-builder.
David Robar, guide. Zebulon Robar, Sen., guide.
J. M. Wardner, proprietor, Rainbow Lake Hotel. Zebulon Robar, Jr., guide.
H. B. L. Smith, supervisor, Brighton. D. E. Martin, guide.
George G. Skiff, guide. Thomas Weller, guide.
M. L. Baldwin, proprietor, Crystal Spring House Benjamin Monty, guide.
Harry Barnard. A.A. Swenyer, guide.
Herbert Town. Ed. W. Dustin, guide.
H. H. Tousley, St. Armand House. C. H. Jenkins, guide.
Joseph Baker, proprietor, Mt. View House. John Jenkins, guide.
Frank M. Wardner, guide. George Jenkins, guide.
B. F. Hobart, guide. W. P. Jenkins, guide.
E. L. Patterson, guide. Joseph L. Newell, guide.
J. N. Patterson, guide. John E. Redwood, guide.
E. M. White, guide. Thomas F. Redwood, guide.
A. F. Porter. John F. McLaughlin, guide.
C. C. Town. Edson T. Corbin, guide.
Joseph Otis. Albert S. Otis, guide.
Henry Torrance. George H. Rork, guide.
Augustus Tottance. Fred. W. Rork, guide.
George W. Butts. W. H. Chase, guide.
Thomas N. Clark. Lovell Newell, guide.
Scott W. Chubb. Warren Cross, guide.
G. W. Miller, boat-builder. Henry Hobart, guide.
William Hough. John Brereton, guide.
Henry Hall. Irving Jaquis, guide.
Herbert Town. George D. Knowles, town clerk, Brighton.
Cornelius Dewy, proprietor, Hill's Hotel. Elbridge Delameter, guide.
Gardner Maloney, guide. Warren Sprague, guide.
E. J. King. Edward Rork, Jr., guide.
Duck Derby. Myron J. Otis, guide.
Frank Walton. John Whitcher, guide.
John Rork, guide. Jack Mathews, guide.
John Otis, guide. William Betters, guide.
A. K. Wilcox, guide. Henry Hazzard, guide.
Samuel Newell, guide. Lorenzo Chase, guide.
Guy Rand, guide. Abijah Reynolds, guide.
John W. Hinxson, guide. Amasa Washburn, guide.

 

1893 Annual Report of the Forest Commission of the State of New York, volume 1, p.352

MEACHAM GUIDES.

Meacham Lake - Osgood River - Hayes Brook - St. Regis River - Madawasca - De Bar Mountain - The Saranacs.

William H. Sprague, James H. Bean, R. H. Maynard, Lyman DeBar, R. R. Woodruff, Andrew Rogers, George Laware, Fremont Fuller, Lucien Trim, E. P. Perkins, Charles M. Haskins, Halsey Sprague, Matthew Johnson, George Selkirk, Eugene Smith.

P. O. Address : Duane, Franklin, Co., N. Y.

 

Malone Palladium, March 7, 1895

The annual convention of the Adirondack Guides' Association was held at Saranac Lake recently, and was the largest in the life of the organization, about 200 delegates being in attendance. State Treasurer A. B. COLVIN was elected president, THOMAS REDWOOD, of Keese's Mill, vice-president, and JOHN H. MILLER, of Saranac Lake, secretary.

New York Times , August 4, 1907

Fishing and Motor Boating on the Lakes the Principal Occupations for Adirondack Pleasure Seekers

… Fishing and motor-boating are as ever the chief sources of lake amusement. The catches have been surprisingly large, taking into account the frequency with which the waters are fished. And when the catches are inconsequential the guides are an entertainment in themselves. Combine the cumbersome dialect of the Pennsylvania Mennonites with the uneven speech of the Down-East Yankee, the blending of a drawl with the guttural expression, and the two, irregular enough when apart, are a near approach to the speech of the Adirondack guides. It is at once a language to demoralize the purest and confound all efforts at understanding. It is as queer as anything one ever heard—withal as queer as the guides themselves. For, be it known. Lower Saranac guides have been formed in their own individual mold. They are loquacious, self-confident, opinionated, gossips of the most pronounced type, and each is Jealous of the other. Everybody's business is their business, and they absorb more trivial and inane chatter than do the correspondents of the yellow journals in such populous divorce centres as Sioux City and Aiken. Families who remain safely in their homes for nine months in the year, undisturbed by insidious busy bodies, can be made the subject of more manufactured comment in the three months of the Saranac Summer season than they can dispel in the three months that are introductory to the holiday season. The North Woods pilots are not entirely devoid of humor of the rustic sort, but it is not spontaneous and bears no relationship whatever to wit. They are unlike the hunters and trappers of other isolated sections of the United States, contain no savor of the untamed portions of the West, no smack or tang of the remote Canadian north. They have adhered to the original modeling of their kind, and, in the variety of their devious mental processes, they range further from their own habitations than the average man is prone to go. At Lachine trappers and guides will regale the uninitiated with impossible stories of game, relating monstrous exploits in the capture of forest denizens, or, mayhap, will relate some anecdotes of the woodspeople themselves. Lower Saranac guides deal wholly in personalities, and what they do not know about the visitor they manufacture.

Lake Placid News, October 29, 1944

Twenty-five Years Ago [1919]

Local guides are now wearing the insignia of the new guides register. All guides are required to register now to provide better cooperation with the conservation department in the protection of game and fish. Application forms list the guides' qualifications on cooking, swimming, boat management, ability to make and carry packs, past experience and territory with which he is familiar. Certificates of character, ability and experience are also required.

Tupper Lake Herald, March 12, 1920

REGISTERED GUIDES

Hereafter when the vacationist visits the Adirondacks or any other place within the forest preserve of New York State he will not only be able to get circulars published by the conservation commission describing the various sections, but at the same time may secure a list of guides registered by the conservation commission. By registering guides the state proposes to make available a class of competent men to show the recreationist around, but at the same time to protect him, protect the forests against fires and protect the wild game.

The following men are registered guides of Franklin county:

Ralph Bombard, Moody. William Bump, St. Regis Falls. Fred Cheney, St. Regis Falls. Leon J. Clark, Box 244, Faust. Lloyd M. Clark, Knollwood Club, Saranac Lake. Edward J. Clohosy, Tupper Lake. Ormon Doty, Rainbow Lake. James Lindon Farmer, St. Regis Falls. George B. Huntington, Moody. Frederick C. Knapp, Moody. Levi T. Lamon, Moody. Claudius R. Lamy, Saranac Lake. William LeBeau, 10 Jenkins street, Saranac Lake. Daniel Meacham, 88 Chili avenue, Rochester. Joel James, Meacham, St. Regis Falls. Edward M. Richardson, Tupper Lake. William H. Sabin, Faust Evan H. Williams, 76 Lake street, Saranac Lake,

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