Emporium Forestry Company Maps

Adirondack Experience

Emporium Forestry Company Maps Property map, Emporium Forestry Co. 1921 - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

123

Historical Context

The Emporium Lumber Company was originally formed in 1892 in Pennsylvania. The success of the company led to expansion in New York State. The sawmill in Conifer, New York opened in 1911 and the Grasse River Railroad, a primary means of transportation for the logging business, followed soon after in 1913. The railroad was used to haul cut lumber and traveled between New York Central Station at Childwold, New York, and the Emporium Forestry Company operation at Cranberry Lake, New York. The Emporium Forestry Company was dissolved in 1950.

Scope of Collection

The maps in this collection depict the development of land in the Cranberry Lake area to support the Emporium Forestry Company's timber harvesting operation from 1866 to 1958. These maps show the plotting of the Grasse River Railroad, the development of the town of Conifer, the purchase and sale of land, and proposed reservoirs created by damming local rivers.