"Graham's book describes land-use planning from the earliest days, when the Adirondacks constituted only the vaguest of images in the public mind, through the 'park-making' process of the 1970s. Anyone and everyone even remotely interested in the Adirondacks, in the history of wild lands, and in the politics of land-use planning should read this book."—William K. Verner, editor of Adventures in the Wilderness
"Graham has written a lively and informative political history for a general audience, and The Adirondack Park is a welcome addition to the literature in environmental history"—Journal of Forest History
Description
The Adirondack Park offers a deeply researched account of how one of America’s most iconic wilderness regions became the complex public–private landscape it is today. Frank Graham, Jr. traces the Park’s evolution from its 19th‑century origins—when concerns over deforestation and watershed protection first pushed New York State to act—through the decades of debate, legislation, and activism that shaped its modern identity.
Graham brings to life the political battles among conservationists, local residents, state officials, and developers, revealing how competing visions of land use and environmental stewardship collided and, at times, found uneasy compromise. The book explores the creation of the Forest Preserve, the “Forever Wild” clause, the rise of the Adirondack Park Agency, and the ongoing tensions between preservation and economic needs.
Clear, vivid, and rich with historical insight, this work remains one of the most authoritative narratives of the Park’s political landscape.
Table of Contents
I. The Great Northern Wilderness
II. Early Visitors
III. Philosophers in the Woods
IV. "Adirondack" Murray
V. The Rusticators
VI. Camps and Castles
VII. The White Plague
VIII. Parks for America
IX. Verplanck Colvin and the Idea of a Park
X. A Constituency for the Adirondacks
XI. The Fragile Mountains
XII. The City Intervenes
XIII. Looting the Parks
XIV. An Adirondack Park
XV. Forever Wild
XVI. The Forester
XVIl. Golf and Game
XVIII. Taking the Forester out of the Forest
XIX. The Constitution Ascendant
XX. A Wilderness Philosophy
XXI. Bobsleds and Truck Trails
XXII. Dams in the Mountains
XXIII. Judge Froessel's Amendment
XXIV. A Modest Proposal
XXV. Toward a Single Park
XXVI. The Legislative Battle
XXVII. The Spirit of '76
XXVIII. Challenge in the Courts
About the Author
Frank Graham, Jr., was field editor for Audubon magazine and a freelance writer specializing in nature and conservation. He is the author of several books including Since Silent Spring, Where the Place Called Morning Lies, and Potomac: The Nation's River.
Series: New York State and Regional studies
6.125 x 9.25, 332 pages, 20 black and white illustrations
October 1991