The Town of North Hudson is in south central Essex County 63 miles south of Plattsburgh. It has two hamlets: North Hudson and Underwood. The town was established in 1848 from the Towns of Moriah and Schroon. The Name was derived from its proximity to the Hudson River. North Hudson is the second largest town in Essex County comprising 183.2 square miles of which, 68,055.76 acres are owned by the State of New York as part of the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
History
Settlers arrived in the early 1800s. The area was blessed with valuable pine and hemlock timber, and the hemlock bark was used in the tanning of leather. What is now the Blue Ridge Rd. saw many successful farms, mainly producing potatoes.
Because North Hudson was on an extremely busy stagecoach line, taverns and hotels became very profitable. Since the town has an extensive stream system water power kept numerous sawmills running.
Over the course of the 19th Century tourism began to take hold in North Hudson. Elk Lake and Underwood began to attract people from other parts of New York State as summer getaways. It was told (although never verified) that the Underwood Club was the location for some silent movies.
For over 47 years (1952-1998) North Hudson proudly boasted the popular theme park called Frontier Town, which featured stagecoach rides, horse rides, cowboy actions shows and rodeos.
North Hudson is now visited by hunters, fishermen, snowmobilers and hikers. The town’s principal peaks are Grace Peak (formerly Dix Mountain) and Nipple Top. There are numerous lakes and ponds in North Hudson, including; Elk Lake, Boreas Ponds, Clear Pond, Deadwater Pond, Johnson Pond and Wolf Pond. With NYS owning over 68,000 forever wild acres, North Hudson will always be a place for nature lovers
With breathtaking views and a myriad of outdoor activities, North Hudson is a destination for all seasons.
Material courtesy of Joe Provoncha, Town of North Hudson Historian.
Visit the Schroon-North Hudson Historical Society website.
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Earl B. Parker Diner, 1965-1968
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Earl B. Parker Diner
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Earl B. Parker Diner
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Bruce's Store, Blue Ridge Road, 1966
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Wildwoods Gas Station, c. 1935
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Eagle's Grey Goose Restaurant, 1954
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Indian Ridge Tea Room, c. 1930
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Jordan's Roadhouse, 1937-1944
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Schroon River Store (date-unknown)
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Won-Der-View Lodge, 1952
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Bar at Won-Der-View, 1949
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Whipples Restaurant, 1951
