Tupper Lake History Museum to celebrate the opening of its new home

This is one of dozens of historic photographs you’ll find on display in the museum. This one is of “the Klondike Saloon,” one of the first businesses to spring up after the great fire which leveled much of the uptown area. The caption reads: “The scene which greeted Tupper Lake’s pioneer businessmen on the morning of July 30, 1899 was a grim one. For a short time there was talk of abandoning the uptown village site and building downtown. With few exceptions Tupper residential property had survived the big fire, however, as had the “Racket Pond House”- later the “American House” on Lake Street (across from the present day Raquette Pond Car Wash) and the “Hotel Altamont” (southwest corner of Park Street and Wawbeek Ave.), so shelter was not pressing a problem. Lumber was plentiful and cheap at the local sawmills. Business was brisk and the despair of the morning after the fire was quickly replaced with optimism. Rebuilding started almost at once led by the crude and temporary little one-room unpainted board shack put up by businessman Paul Prespare put up on the later Holland House site (corner of Park and High streets), labelled “Klondike Saloon,” the beverages of which may have helped contribute to the return of optimism and confidence in the future. Photos of the Park Street business district several years after the fire show Park Street pretty much restored and back in business as usual, according to long-time Tupper Lake Historian, the late Louis J. Simmons in his book, “Mostly Spruce and Hemlock.”

The Tupper Lake History Museum finally has a permanent home and the museum leaders are planning a grand opening of the new place and ribbon-cutting on Saturday, July 6 from 1p.m. to 3p.m.

The ribbon-cutting, with remarks by museum officials and local leaders is set for 1:30p.m.

There is much to celebrate with the completion of the museum’s new multi-room quarters in the former gas station building at 291 Park Street, across and just east of the Adirondack Federal Regional Credit Union.

Tupper’s once fledgling museum has a history that dates back nearly 20 years to 2005 when it was founded by the late Arthur Richer. His nephew, Michael, helped him collect local artifacts in those early years. Initially the growing collection was stored at the Richer Farm.

The first museum here was in the former Hull family home on Water Street. Its next location was on the second floor of the Town of Tupper Lake’s old Junction fire station on Pine Street, where it operated for more than a decade.

A number of local men and women, many from downtown Tupper Lake, worked alongside the two former funeral directors to ready the collection for exhibit in those quarters.

Among them were Dian Connor, for many years the museum board president, and others like Jeannette Keniston, Gail Auclair, Fleurette Rolley, Shirley Lavigne and others. Mrs. Connor and Mrs. Keniston continue to serve on the current board of the museum, as vice president and treasurer, respectively.

The founding board members were Judy Frey, Chalice Dechene, Mike Richer, Bob and Joyce Earle, Bill Frenette, Herman and Irene Charland, Gail Auclair, Shirley Lavigne and Art and Pat Richer.

During the years in the old fire station the two-story building encountered a number of mechanical and structural problems, the severity of which convinced the town board about eight years ago that the best path to take was for the museum leaders to find other quarters.

With no place to go and with many museum pieces to store until a suitable place could be found to exhibit, the Next Stop! Tupper Lake board, headed by Dan McClelland and Kathleen Lefebvre, offered temporary space to them in the great room of the train station that the town committee and later not for profit organization built, beginning in the early 2000s.

There the museum volunteers built some wonderful historical exhibits, under the vaulted 30 foot high ceilings in the spacious depot. The museum operated in the historic train station for two summers, greeting visitors from all across the nation and Canada.

Two years ago the Adirondack Railroad Preservation Society, which was selected by the state Department of Transportation to be the operator of trains for a new tourist service from Remsen and Utica to Tupper Lake, needed the train station space for its operation and its passengers.

Museum leaders were left again with the unfortunate circumstance of finding a new home.

Under the direction of a new chairwoman, former town councilwoman and long time science teacher here, Kathleen Lefebvre, the board set about on a plan to find a permanent home, once and for all.

All the artifacts were placed in temporary storage again.

After a year of ambitious fundraising which produced many donations from supporters here, the museum board purchased the empty gas station at 291 Park Street, with the help of a mortgage.

Seed money for the campaign was a $12,000 donation from Next Stop! Tupper Lake, and donations flowed from there. Chairwoman Lefebvre and board member Joe Kimpflen spent many hours on grant applications to augment the fundraising campaign.

Prior to the campaign Mr. Kimpflen and the chairwoman won accreditation from the New York State Department of Education to be an official museum and from the federal internal revenue service was secured 501-3c, not for profit status, which make all all donations to the museum tax-deductible.

One of the board members, Jim Lanthier, donated almost a year of his time and carpentry talent to renovate most the entire quarters into the showpiece visitors will see when this visit. Contractors Ed West and Brandon Moeller were also hired to help. Ed did many electrical improvements and Brandon laid several laminate floors.

In recent months museum board members and volunteers worked tirelessly many days a week to build the new exhibits in the place.

Working under the direction of Mrs. Lefebvre were Joe Kimpflen, Mary Richer, Dian Connor, Jeannette Keniston, Marlene Hyde, Dan McClelland, Laurie Amell, Patty Reandeau and Jim Lanthier. Bob “Popcorn” Duhaime helped too with the exhibit building.

Marlene and her husband, Tom, and their technicians at their Hyde Fuel Co. helped in the building’s completion in many ways. For two years between the time the museum left the train station and moved into its new home this spring, the couple donated the space to store all the artifacts in company-owned buildings.

Tom and Hyde Fuel also donated and installed a Monitor heater in the renovated great room, picked up and installed the new museum sign out front, and hung it between posts and planters. Tom Hyde and his crew removed an old exhaust hood and vent and the accompanying Ansul fire suppression system from the years the place was a Mexican restaurant. In recent weeks Hyde Fuel Co. workers removed the fan cover from the building’s roof and repaired the hole in the roof. Hyde Fuel Co. and Mr. and Mrs. Hyde also donated an air conditioning system with heater unit which will warm the public place in winters and cool it in summer. In recent days too Ken Stoll and his local firm did electrical upgrades to permit the recent cooling and heating upgrades to the building.

The new museum opened informally on Memorial Day weekend and during June it was open limited hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

This summer in the months of July, August and early September the new showplace will be open five days a week, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10a.m. to 4p.m. At the new site, like was done at the three earlier locations, the place will be staffed by enthusiastic volunteers- eager to help visitors learn of Tupper Lake’s mixed and rich heritage. Already over 20 exhibits mark the path of the community from the late 1800s to today.

Admission is free and everyone is most welcome to visit. Details of the place can be found at tlhistorymuseum.org or the museum can be visited on Facebook. The new museum was created and now operates on community support, so donations are always welcome.