A town shrouded in history
Small towns dot the Adirondacks, a region once marked by a booming mining and timber industry. One hundred years ago, Towns popped up seemingly out of nowhere in places like Newcomb, Lyon Mountain and Ausable Forks.
Today, these towns have shrunk in size. In the absence of big industry, tourism remains one of the only things drawing people in. The pandemic has caused an influx of visitors to the High Peaks, in addition to the rising popularity of completing the 46 High Peaks challenge. But remote towns far from the High Peaks don’t see the profit.
In this issue of DoNorth we choose to focus on the hamlet of Lyon Mountain, a town with a rich and varied history, yet home to less than 300 people. The Iron Ore Market offers locals a place to order a sandwich and grab a beer. A firehouse and a baseball field sit next to each other in the center of town. Lyon Mountain and Chazy Lake offer fun outdoor recreation.
Here, a rich history of mining and baseball can be found. Beneath the fields and mountains lie mines once filled with iron ore. Less than 100 years ago Lyon Mountain was a hub for jobs and opportunity. People from all over the world lived, worked and died in Lyon Mountain. Immigrants were the foundation of the place.
Lyon Mountain had its own baseball team, the Miners, that played every Sunday. People filled the stadium coming from areas all over Clinton County to watch the Miners play. The town was thriving until the mines closed down, ending the main source for jobs and changing the way of life. Still, Lyon Mountain stands in the face of adversity, a town determined to survive.
By Sierra McGivney
