Born: July 9, 1898
Died: February 1980
Married: Martha Durgan
Children: Claude, Jean, Harry
Ross C. Freeman was a son of Harry and Lillian Freeman. He lived most of his life in Coreys, a small community on the Indian Carry between the Raquette River and Upper Saranac Lake. He began at a young age hunting to provide meat for logging camps near Axton. He ran a lodge and cottages mainly for the summer tourists whom he guided for trout (lake and speckled) and in the fall for deer. He guided Mr. Remington" (typewriter family) and other parties from the northeast. He built Raquette River Lodge and other buildings on Upper Saranac Lake. He was also a trapper of beaver, mink, fox, muskrat and other fur-bearing animals. He used guideboats. He was well acquainted with Noah Rondeau, the Cold River hermit. Because of his knowledge of the lands bordering the Raquette River and High Peaks, he was called many times, even at night, to help locate lost hunters. He was registered with New York State as an Adirondack guide.
by Claude Freeman, November 1992
Tupper Lake Free Press, February 13, 1980
Ross Freeman dies Feb. 6th; lifelong resident of Coreys
Ross C. Freeman, 81, a lifelong resident of Coreys, died Wednesday afternoon, February 6, at Saranac Lake General Hospital after a long illness.
The Rev. Richard Chatterton officiated at services at 11 a.m. Friday at the Fortune Funeral Home, Saranac Lake. Interment will be in Coreys Cemetery in May.
He was born July 9, 1898 at Coreys, the son of Harry and Lillian Duckett Freeman. For a time he was employed by the New York State Conservation Department as a special guide and game protector in the area. He was also a caretaker of summer camps and a building contractor, and erected many homes and camps in the Coreys area, including Indian Carry Cottages, which he built and had operated since the early 1930s. Mr. Freeman retired in 1962.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake; a life member of Saranac Lake Lodge 1508, Elks, and an honorary member of the Nomis Club.
Surviving are his wife, the former Martha Durgan, to whom he was married in 1934; a daughter, Mrs. Gary (Jean) O'Dell of Pulaski; two sons, Claude C. and Harry R. Freeman of Syracuse; a sister, Mrs. Alice Zimmermann of Coreys: four grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Friends wishing to remember him may make donations to the Cancer Society or the Saranac Lake or Tupper Lake Rescue Squads.
Plattsburgh Daily Republican, March 23, 1934
Bloomingdale
[…]
Mrs. Phoebe Wardner entertained a group of 53 friends and relatives at her home The Rest-U-Well Cottage on Vine street, Tuesday evening. Mrs. Wardner was 71 years old. A musical program interspersed with readings was presented.
[…]
Her guests were […]Mr. and Mrs. Harry Freeman, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Petts and Ross Freeman of Lake Clear; […]
Tupper Lake Free Press and Herald, September 25, 1952
From a long story about a party of lost campers:
The people whose house the girls reached drove them to Bartlett's Carry and then to Ross Freeman's at Corey's and Gene who operates Raquette Falls Lodge put-putted them the six miles up river to the Falls, where they joined the other girls about midnight. In the meantime, Gene had heard from the cook about what the girls had started to do and got in touch with State Conservation Department, which started an Intensive search east of the river with no success. By the time the girls showed up a forest ranger and others were extremely anxious."
