This page was created in 2025 and is operated by Tupper Lake History, an independent collector of local ephemera since 2013 who is dedicated to preserving and sharing the storied past of Tupper Lake, New York. This page is open to the public for the addition of new pages and contributions to existing pages.

About Tupper Lake

Main Street (Park Street) Tupper Lake, 1921

Tupper Lake is a town of approximately 5,000 residents, centered at the junction of Routes 3 and 30 in Franklin County. This wiki covers the entirety of the Towns of Tupper Lake and Piercefield, the southern portion of Upper Saranac Lake, isolated hamlets of the former New York Central Railroad, and a few other miscellaneous communities. Tupper Lake sprang up practically overnight in 1890, and the village quickly became the lumber capital of the Adirondacks. It was home to the Santa Clara Lumber Company Mill, which had the largest bandsaw in the world and twice broke the world record for board feet of lumber sawed in a day. When the "Big Mill" closed in 1926, Tupper Lake remained prosperous with the recently opened Sunmount Veterans Administration Hospital and the Oval Wood Dish Corporation Factory. Tupper Lake was also home to many popular hotels leading into the mid 20th century. Big Tupper Ski Area opened in 1962 and brought even more tourism and revenue to the town. Unfortunately, the town experienced a decline when Big Tupper closed in 1999, and eventually the O.W.D. was closed in 2008. Big Tupper reopened under volunteer effort for a short period in the 2010s but has remained closed since. However, Tupper Lake became home to The Wild Center Museum in 2006, which remains a staple tourist attraction in the community to this day. In 2024, a new chapter began in Tupper Lake as the Big Tupper Ski Area was purchased by two entrepreneurs with the intent of restoring it to its former glory. Additionally, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad has restored weekend passenger service to Tupper Lake, and new platforms have been built at the Tupper Lake Station. The Adirondack Rail Trail is also expected to be completed to Tupper Lake in 2025, linking the three Tri-Lakes communities.