Miner working in Pit #2 of Barton Mines. Barton Mines originated in Johnsburg in 1878 after Henry Hudson Barton discovered that crushed garnet glued to paper made excellent sandpaper. Large garnet deposits were found on the side of Gore Mountain. Garnet mining was incredibly important to the Johnsburg economy, but mining was a hard life. Miners made little […]
Workers at Hoopers Mine posing on a break. Circa 1900. North River, NY. Photo courtesy of the Johnsburg Historical Society.
Garnet mining. 1920. North River, NY. Photo courtesy of the Johnsburg Historical Society.
A man using a mule to haul ore at a garnet mine. Circa 1915. North River, NY. Photo courtesy of the Johnsburg Historical Society.
Garnet mining pits in North River. Circa 1915. North River, NY. Photo: Johnsburg Historical Society.
Men cutting ice and hauling it away using a horse and sled on lower AuSable Lake. Circa 1910-1930. Near Keene, NY. Courtesy of the Keene Valley Library Archives.
Young dockhand (and future fishing guide) Joe Garnsey with two clients showing off a day’s catch. Clayton, NY. Circa 1950. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey
Guide Roly Garnsey cooking a traditional shore dinner on Grindstone Island. Shore dinners were traditionally served on guiding trips after a morning of fishing. They had three courses – first, a salt pork sandwich, then the fish caught that morning (cooked in the grease from the salt pork) and then thick french toast with maple […]
The Bertrand Hotel was a popular destination for summer tourists, who would often stay the whole summer. While staying in Clayton, they would hire guides like the Garnsey family to take them fishing. This picture shows three tourists after a day of fishing with their guide (back left). Clayton, NY. Circa 1970. Photo: Personal archives […]
Fishing guide Joe Garnsey (standing inside the boat) and two clients competing in the WISE fishing tournament on the St. Lawrence River. Thousand Islands region, NYS. 1978. Photo: Personal archives of Jeff Garnsey.
