Postcard captioned "265 Lezak's Store on the Roosevelt Highway at Ray Brook, N. Y."
Courtesy of Mark FridenAddress: 108 Ray Brook Road
Old Address: Ray Brook Road
Other names:
Year built:
Lezak's Store was located in Ray Brook, a few doors toward Saranac Lake from the railroad station there.
Dorothy Eveline Lezak graduated from Saranac Lake High School, Petrova School, in 1934.
Private Frank J. Lezak (1925-1977) of the US Army was wounded in action in World War II. He was buried in the St. Bernard's section of Pine Ridge Cemetery.
Buried in the St. Bernard's section of Pine Ridge Cemetery are: Augusta Lezak (1887-1957) Frank M. Lezak (1886-1958) Joseph Lezak (1910-1914)
Lezak's Store from the railroad side, 2023Adirondack Daily Enterprise, April 13, 1972
Trail of McKinley Pine Grows Colder
RAY BROOK—A trail grown cold since 1928 failed to indicate the whereabouts of the famous McKinley Pine named after the president of the United States who often spread his ‘fisherman's' lunch and ate under its generous branches at the beginning of the century.
The State of New York is endeavoring to locate its prize trees, both coniferous and deciduous in various localities so that they can be entered in the record book.
The McKinley Pine which was visited by lab technician Joe Kurung and Dr. Harry Bray, Hospital superintendent, many times in the 1920's is difficult to find today. Mr. Kurung retired microbiologist and an ex-patient who came here in 1900 felt that the tree was about 200 yards off the road and somewhere between the old Lezak store and the first Ray Brook hospital buildings. It would lie between Route 86 and the old entrance road to the hospital grounds.
The snow in the woods is nearly gone and a hard crust permits good walking. This Enterprise reporter with Mr. Kurung spent Wednesday afternoon in the forested area where the tree is presumed to be but it could not be found. The tree was huge then said Mr. Kurung so it would certainly qualify as one of the biggest around today.
He described it as having a triple butt and said it was well known as the "McKinley Tree” in his first years at Ray Brook. The president, who was staying at Harder's Ray Brook House spent many hours fishing in Ray Brook and the tree was a favorite spot of has when he wished to stretch out and relax.
Lee Emigh who was state hospital steward for years was also aware of the location of the McKinley Pine but could not shed any light on how to reach it. He has been hospitalized recently and unable to go into the woods.
Doctor Bray who enjoyed walking often asked Mr. Kurung to accompany him as he liked someone to talk with. The two men often hiked to the presidential tree because there was a well worn trail leading to the pine at the time.
The Conservation Department is cataloguing the prize trees in each quadrant of the state but snow and cold have prevented anything but, brief observation forays in Franklin and Essex Counties.
Some extremely large pines grow at Cold Brook, the biggest white pine recorded to date in the present campaign is 13 feet 3 inches in girth and is located at Constableville, N. Y.
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