Mary MacKenzie's sweeping history begins with the hardy farmers from New England who first settled North Elba in 1800. Some of them became hoteliers as tourists discovered the enchanting scenery. Free African Americans settled here, too, and the famous abolitionist, John Brown. These were self-reliant Adirondackers, people of courage and conviction. But Lake Placid's story also includes dashing actors and producers from the silent movie studios who found the rugged scenery perfect for their rousing epics. Sports heroes careened down the bob-run and ski slopes where members of the Lake Placid Club virtually invented winter sports in America, culminating in two Winter Olympics! And MacKenzie includes stories of local heroes, North Elbans of disctinction, all told in her delightful style: precise, confident, and with a touch of Garrison Keillor's sense of small town humor.
