In the Mid 1800's The Fulton Chain of Lakes had long remained a wild area. This was a spot favored for fishermen and hunters from the counties to the west. There was an early attempt to run a road through the area which had been made while Charles Frederick Herreshoff of Rhode Island occupied the Brown Tract, straddling the Herkimer-Hamilton County line. With no doubt at all, the most famous hunter and trapper in the area was Nat Foster a native of Windham County, Vermont, who moved to Salisury, Herkimer County in the 1890's. Already Nat gained a reputation as an Indian killer, stemming from a dislike for Indians gained at the age of fourteen.
Folks like to tell up Inlet way about the encounter that Nat Foster had with an Indian on Third Lake Creek. He was at the forks of the Creek and was stooping over his trap when suddenly an Indian appeared with a wild shriek of triumph. In a split-second, Nat pulled his rifle and shot the red skin dead. At Limekiln Falls, Foster camped for the night while running his trap lines. He awoke, suddenly to see the dark shadows of a wolf pack just beyond his glowing campfire. Nat leaped to a nearby rock and as the animals pressed fiercely forward, fired at them again and again. They retreated only to return two hours later. Nat then continued to blast away with his rifle. The next morning he counted twelve wolf carcasses.
* 1 From "Trappers of New York by Jeptha R. Simms, published 1871 at Albany by J, Munsell.
Herreshoff who died December 19, 1819, was placed in the dam at the foot of Fourth Lake to insure continuous waterpower to his mills below. The lake's surface was raised two feet. At the head of the lake, where the Village of Inlet was later to rise, there stood a grove of white pine.
Fred Hess Inlet's Founder arrived in the 1870's. Born in the Black River Valley, he was a natural woodsman. Hess built a bark shack on Cedar Island in Fourth Lake primarily to oblige an ailing friend who sought health in the Adirondacks, and found just that. Before long, Fred had built a sawmill on Sixth Lake, and started several lager structures at the head of Fourth Lake.
The founding of the settlement at Inlet is credited to Hess, when he first came permanently to the area. He was 52 years of age. The Hess location on Cedar Island was in the direct path of the oncoming sportsmen. One guest followed another and before long Fred Hess was running the Cedar Island House. Hess sold his Cedar Island House to Joseph Porter in 1895. Joseph a New Haven meat packer, who then hired a manager so he could have time to recreate. The former proprietor Hess, next opened the original Arrowhead Hotel, which was eventually destroyed by a fire. Still later he opened Hess Camp, which was run for some time by Philo Wood.
In his guide to the Adirondacks of 1894 Edwin R. Wallace had 0nly lavish praise for Fourth Lake. Several islands grace this lake: Elba, Big Bear, Dollar, and Gull Islands. Praise was heaped on the other lakes of the area beautiful in their wilderness. Later Wallace deplored that "Sixth and once lovely Seventh Lake" now present a scene of desolation. A dam has been placed at the foot of the former. He also remarked "A line of rowboats or (Guide Boats) between the Fulton Chain and Raquette Lake will connect the steamer Fulton at the head of Fourth Lake. A more romantic and delightful excursion can hardly be conceived. For about $3.00. "
Improvements came, as the settlers began to trek into the mountain area, it looked for a time as if many of the families of Lewis County were Inlets new residents. The guide Abner Blakeman and Katherine Scraffard His wife' were from the town of Greig, Lewis County as were Delmarshes, the Clinton Jones, the Fred Kirchs, the Charles O'Hare's, the Roy W. Rogers, the Frank Tiffany's, the Christopher and Everett Van Arnams, the Joseph Wellington and others. Also from Lewis County was Duane Norton from Castorland. The Charles Puffers and Frank Williams from Watson, and Willistons and Philo C. Wood from Turin.
From Indian Lake, Hamilton County, came the Wellington Kenwells, the Paynes, the Lewis, the Porters, and the Thibados.
In short order, the Town of Inlet was approved. The first town meeting was set for the second Tuesday in January 1902, the hotel of C. A. O'Hara. Appointed to preside were O'Hara, Frank B. Tiffany and Clinton l. Jones. The new division left Morehouse with but 91 residents to Inlet's, 301. It had 300 residents in the winter, 3000 in the summer. Hamilton County had gained its ninth and last town.
It all started when people began moving into that hither to uninhabited area far to the north of Morehouseville around Fourth Lake. Soon they were moving right on toward the end of Fulton Chain as though they did not realize that the place was forest-filled and without convenience of any kind. They were calling the community they had started at the head of Fourth Lake "Inlet". Morehouse, Supervisor Kreuzer consulted legal counsel about creating an election district in the northern Part of the town. Known as the Inlet of Fourth Lake, and roadwork in the northern section was Begun.
Residents of the Inlet area were beginning to serve on the Morehouse Town Board. The inevitable result, agreeable to both parties, was to create the Town of Inlet by an act of the State Legislature. Inlet started functioning as an independent town on January 14, 1902.
The Morehouse Town Board held a special meeting on December 13,1898 directed Supervisor Kreuzer to obtain legal counsel regarding the creation of an election district in the northern part Of the town known as the Inlet of Fourth Lake. Others called the place "the head" to designate its location on Fourth Lake.
At the Central Hotel in Morehouseville the annual town meeting of March 21,1899 Clinton H Jones of Fourth Lake was elected a justice of peace. Taxation without representation was not to be allowed. By September 5, 1899 the new election district had been created to include all that part of the town that lies north of the south branch of the Moose River. The Town Board appointed as inspectors of Election for Election District No. 2. Republicans Frank E. Tiffany and Evert J. Van Arnam and Democrats Charles A. O'Hara and Arch G. Delmarsh.
The first election in No. 2 was held 1899 at the hotel of Charles O'Hara then known as the Inlet Inn.
Completion of the main highways through the area become the prime objective. A special town meeting on April 3,1902 decreed a change from labor system. Decision was simultaneously reached to spend $8,000.00 to finish the highway between Sixth Lake and where the new road intersects what is known as Durrant Road.
All twenty-four voters agreed on the money system of highway taxation and on constructing the highway running from Eagle Bay easterly around the northerly end of Fourth Lake to Six Lake Dam and bridges there on and to borrow not exceeding $10,000.00 on credit of the town.
An engineer was to be engaged for survey of a proposed highway from Sixth Lake Dam to Seventh Lake on September 10,1904 and negotiations with the property owners involved began. A highway for winter use was authorized on October 15,1904.
An iron sixty-foot bridge, with abutments at least eighteen feet high was authorized over the Inlet between the Church and the head of Fourth Lake on October 23,1904.
There were six hotels in 1905. Arrowhead, Hess Camp*, Cedar Island House, Neodak, Rocky Point Inn, Seventh Lake House, Harts cottages on Fourth Lake.*2 The postmaster was George F. asst. Delmarsh.
Canadian-born Dr. R. G. Wallace, 38 of Eagle Bay was the physician.
Guides were of importance in the resort community, eight in number.
In 1903, Ed Daquatte took over as proprietor of the Hess Camp, Inlets first Hotel. On the night October 24, 1905, the lights suddenly went out in the hotel. They were operated from a "gas house" and Ed took his lantern to the source of supply. Acetylene gas was leaking from the tanks and had filled the service building when Duquette opened the door, the explosion, caused when his lantern ignited the gas, threw the twenty-five-year-old hotelman twenty feet, wound him around a beech tree and ripped all but his belt and his shoes from his body. Ed's hair was burned to a crisp and that every bone in his body was crushed. Ed Duquatte died within a short interval.
In mid July 1906. Chester Gillette of Cortland N.Y. was captured at the Arrowhead Hotel and locked up at the Woods Hotel convicted of the murdering of Grace Brown of Otselic, N.Y. at Big Moose Lake. Their story was later told in fictionalized version by Theodore Dreiser in his best-selling novel, An American Tragedy. Gillette died in the electric chair in Auburn Prison on March 30, 1908 at 6:15 A.M.
Dr. S. Nelson of Old Forge was appointed health officer on September 28,1908. He was succeeded on March 11, 1913, by Dr, Robert S. Lindsay of Old Forge.
*1 Before 1915 The Hess Camp was renamed Woods Hotel, which still is now existing as the Historic Woods Inn.
*2 Total population in 1915 was 168 living in 37 houses or hotels.
There was a state wide epidemic of infantile paralysis, which caused special precautionary measures by the Town Board of Health on August 24, 1916. William Payne was appointed special sanitary officer at five dollars per day to assist in enforcing the health rules of the town. He was to guard the entrance to the town of Eagle Bay.
Churches came early to the town. The Presbyterian Church was built around 1903, " The Church of the Lakes". St. Anthony's Church was completed in the spring of 1915. Last to be started was the Community Church On the Hill in 1965.
Electricity came to the town on April 27, 1922.
Announced on February 27, 1925 that formation of a fire Hose Corporation which was incorporated the Inlet Volunteer Hose Company on March 18,1925.
Charles W. Puffer operated the sawmill in 1925.
Mary's Gift Shop was opened by Dan F. and Mary Decker on October 25, 1930. W. Lewis Armstrong registered his business on April 3, 1931 as "Army's Garage and Service Station". And on November 1, 1938 the Inlet Supply Company was registered by Herman J. Williston.
In the 1940's-and 50's Inlet became known for Camping and Hiking and Boating as well as for the two out standing summer residences as seen from the lake, "Paownyc and Albedor", both located on Fourth Lake between Eagle Bay and Inlet.
On December 8,1962 the voters of Inlet approved the Arrowhead Hotel property's purchase by the town. They held a few meetings there and later tore it down. The town then constructed a ball diamond, public beach & Town hall, * public parking lot, playground, and tennis court.
In the Late 1960's and early 1970's Inlet joined with Old Forge in building a network of recreatioal snowmobile and cross country ski trails to bring visitors to the area year round.
