Ledger Block - Revision history

MWanner: Ledger Block HSL Bldg inventory

2026-10-09T12:34:56Z

Ledger Block HSL Bldg inventory

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:34, 9 October 2026
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	'''Sources:'''		'''Sources:'''
	* [[~~PRHP00000509_IF_0010151_03347_000032~~.pdf\|~~National Register of Historic Places Building Inventory (pdf)~~]]		* [[File:Ledger Block HSL Bldg inventory.pdf\|thumb]]

	===Comments===		===Comments===

MWanner: image sizes

2026-08-18T00:10:16Z

image sizes

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	[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]		[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]

	[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]''. ]]		[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]]

			[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]'' ]]

	'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway]]		'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway]]
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	'''Architect:'''		'''Architect:'''

	'''Other information: '''The 1895 [[~~Sanborn maps\|~~Sanborn map]] shows no building on the north corner of Woodruff and Broadway. The 1899 map shows a building at what would become 23 Broadway labelled "IOOF Hall 3" and "B&S." The 1903 map shows buildings at both 23 and 27 labelled "Meat" and "Liquors." The 1908 map, the first to use the modern street numbers, shows #27 as "Clo" (clothing?) and # 23 as "Liquors" and "Milly" (probably <millinery), and adds a "25" between the two. The 1916 map is the same as 1908, though it omits "Liquors." The 1924 and 1931 maps label both simply as "S" (store?).~~<br><br>~~The Saranac Lake [[~~village directories\|~~village directories]] list "Katherine Hoctor, Ladies Apparel" from 1925 through 1954, residence at [[Hoctor Cottage\|134 Park Avenue]].		'''Other information: '''The 1895 [[Sanborn map]] shows no building on the north corner of Woodruff and Broadway. The 1899 map shows a building at what would become 23 Broadway labelled "IOOF Hall 3" and "B&S." The 1903 map shows buildings at both 23 and 27 labelled "Meat" and "Liquors." The 1908 map, the first to use the modern street numbers, shows #27 as "Clo" (clothing?) and # 23 as "Liquors" and "Milly" (probably <millinery), and adds a "25" between the two. The 1916 map is the same as 1908, though it omits "Liquors." The 1924 and 1931 maps label both simply as "S" (store?).

			The Saranac Lake [[village directories]] list "Katherine Hoctor, Ladies Apparel" from 1925 through 1954, residence at [[Hoctor Cottage\|134 Park Avenue]].
	-----		-----

	A little more than a year before [[~~William Loomis\|~~William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[~~R. Eugene Woodruff\|~~R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[~~William Ledger\|~~William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.		A little more than a year before [[William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.

	It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[~~Burt and Goodspeed Millinery\|~~Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[~~Everett's\|~~Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.		It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.

	Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[~~Mary Ledger\|~~Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.		Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.

	[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Paul Smiths College \|Post Script, February 1, 1950]]Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".		[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|400px\|Paul Smiths College Post Script, February 1, 1950]]

	~~But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to~~ Mr. H. ~~Getting caught implies being~~ a ~~fugitive~~, ~~or at least having~~ something ~~to hide~~. ~~Neither condition applied to~~ Mr. H. ~~In fact, one person remembers that Mr~~. H. ~~never locked~~ the ~~door on~~ the ~~little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because~~, ~~after weeks of resisting temptation~~, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose's Parish Hall\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook\|Alderbrook]].		Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".

	The subject of [[~~Prohibition\|~~Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."		But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to Mr. H. Getting caught implies being a fugitive, or at least having something to hide. Neither condition applied to Mr. H. In fact, one person remembers that Mr. H. never locked the door on the little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because, after weeks of resisting temptation, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose of Lima Church\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook]].

			The subject of [[Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."

	Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.		Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.

	[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|1908 [[Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[Wikipedia:Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.		[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|500px\|1908 [[Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]

			About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[Wikipedia:Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.

	The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.		The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.
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	The price of a suit is forgotten. A quart of Teacher's Highland Creme was $9.50.		The price of a suit is forgotten. A quart of Teacher's Highland Creme was $9.50.

	[[File:Lake Placid News, August 3, 1934.jpg\|~~left~~\|thumb\|\|Lake Placid News, August 3, 1934]]Because Mr. H. was not arrested, he had no criminal record. Because he had no criminal record, it was possible for him to obtain a liquor license when Prohibition ended. And, because he could obtain a liquor license, Mr. H. and a friend founded a local beverage distribution company which is healthily doing business to this day. So, Mr. H. quit the tailor shop and went on doing, now with Uncle Sam's blessings, what he had been doing all along.		[[File:Lake Placid News, August 3, 1934.jpg\|400px\|thumb\|\|Lake Placid News, August 3, 1934]]

			Because Mr. H. was not arrested, he had no criminal record. Because he had no criminal record, it was possible for him to obtain a liquor license when Prohibition ended. And, because he could obtain a liquor license, Mr. H. and a friend founded a local beverage distribution company which is healthily doing business to this day. So, Mr. H. quit the tailor shop and went on doing, now with Uncle Sam's blessings, what he had been doing all along.

	Curiously, the Ledger Block was repossessed by Ruth Ledger (then living in St. John's Convent, New York City) for $11,000 in a foreclosure action in February, 1939. In September, 1940, she sold it to [[~~Patsy Lario\|~~Patsy Lario]] and [[~~Jerry Cavallo\|~~Jerry Cavallo]], owners of the [[~~Belvedere\|~~Belvedere]], a Bloomingdale Avenue restaurant and bar that had once been a [[~~stagecoach\|~~stagecoach]] stop. The Ledger Block remained the property of various Larios and Cavallos until [[Joseph P. Cavallo\|Joseph P.]] and [[~~Edna Ann Cavallo\|~~Edna Ann Cavallo]] sold it to [[~~Philip S. Feinberg\|~~Philip S. Feinberg]] in May, 1979. Feinberg, a nephew of [[~~Isadore Feinberg\|~~Isadore Feinberg]] (see [[~~Egler Block\|~~Egler Block]]) , is president of [[~~S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance\|~~S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance]], which he moved into 23 Broadway in 1966.		Curiously, the Ledger Block was repossessed by Ruth Ledger (then living in St. John's Convent, New York City) for $11,000 in a foreclosure action in February, 1939. In September, 1940, she sold it to [[Patsy Lario]] and [[Jerry Cavallo]], owners of the [[Belvedere]], a Bloomingdale Avenue restaurant and bar that had once been a [[stagecoach]] stop. The Ledger Block remained the property of various Larios and Cavallos until [[Joseph P. Cavallo\|Joseph P.]] and [[Edna Ann Cavallo]] sold it to [[Philip S. Feinberg]] in May, 1979. Feinberg, a nephew of [[Isadore Feinberg]] (see [[Egler Block]]) , is president of [[S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance]], which he moved into 23 Broadway in 1966.

	There was a small barber shop on the Woodruff Street side (twenty cents for a haircut from Mr. Premo in the 1930s). The rest of the building is apartments. [[~~George Toupin\|~~George Toupin]] and his wife [[Gertrude Toupin\|Gertrude]] (see [[Harrietstown Town Hall]] and [[~~Ayer Block\|~~Ayer Block]]) were tenants in one of these apartments in 1915.		There was a small barber shop on the Woodruff Street side (twenty cents for a haircut from Mr. Premo in the 1930s). The rest of the building is apartments. [[George Toupin]] and his wife [[Gertrude Toupin\|Gertrude]] (see [[Harrietstown Town Hall]] and [[Ayer Block]]) were tenants in one of these apartments in 1915.

	The Ledger Block has been thoroughly altered over the years and almost no original exterior features are visible.		The Ledger Block has been thoroughly altered over the years and almost no original exterior features are visible.

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	[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]''. ]]		[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]''. ]]

	'''Address:''' 20-22 [[~~Broadway\|~~Broadway]]		'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway]]

	'''Old Address:''' 23-27 Broadway		'''Old Address:''' 23-27 Broadway

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	[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]		[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]

	[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[~~Canaras\|~~Canaras]]''. ]]		[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]''. ]]

	'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]		'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]

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	Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.		Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.

	[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|1908 [[~~Sanborn map\|~~Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[Wikipedia:Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.		[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|1908 [[Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[Wikipedia:Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.

	The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.		The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.

MWanner: Text replacement - "Harrietstown Town Hall" to "Harrietstown Town Hall"

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Text replacement - "Harrietstown Town Hall" to "Harrietstown Town Hall"

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	Curiously, the Ledger Block was repossessed by Ruth Ledger (then living in St. John's Convent, New York City) for $11,000 in a foreclosure action in February, 1939. In September, 1940, she sold it to [[Patsy Lario\|Patsy Lario]] and [[Jerry Cavallo\|Jerry Cavallo]], owners of the [[Belvedere\|Belvedere]], a Bloomingdale Avenue restaurant and bar that had once been a [[stagecoach\|stagecoach]] stop. The Ledger Block remained the property of various Larios and Cavallos until [[Joseph P. Cavallo\|Joseph P.]] and [[Edna Ann Cavallo\|Edna Ann Cavallo]] sold it to [[Philip S. Feinberg\|Philip S. Feinberg]] in May, 1979. Feinberg, a nephew of [[Isadore Feinberg\|Isadore Feinberg]] (see [[Egler Block\|Egler Block]]) , is president of [[S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance\|S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance]], which he moved into 23 Broadway in 1966.		Curiously, the Ledger Block was repossessed by Ruth Ledger (then living in St. John's Convent, New York City) for $11,000 in a foreclosure action in February, 1939. In September, 1940, she sold it to [[Patsy Lario\|Patsy Lario]] and [[Jerry Cavallo\|Jerry Cavallo]], owners of the [[Belvedere\|Belvedere]], a Bloomingdale Avenue restaurant and bar that had once been a [[stagecoach\|stagecoach]] stop. The Ledger Block remained the property of various Larios and Cavallos until [[Joseph P. Cavallo\|Joseph P.]] and [[Edna Ann Cavallo\|Edna Ann Cavallo]] sold it to [[Philip S. Feinberg\|Philip S. Feinberg]] in May, 1979. Feinberg, a nephew of [[Isadore Feinberg\|Isadore Feinberg]] (see [[Egler Block\|Egler Block]]) , is president of [[S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance\|S. Curtis Hayes Real Estate and Insurance]], which he moved into 23 Broadway in 1966.

	There was a small barber shop on the Woodruff Street side (twenty cents for a haircut from Mr. Premo in the 1930s). The rest of the building is apartments. [[George Toupin\|George Toupin]] and his wife [[Gertrude Toupin\|Gertrude]] (see [[~~Harrietstown Town Hall\|~~Harrietstown Town Hall]] and [[Ayer Block\|Ayer Block]]) were tenants in one of these apartments in 1915.		There was a small barber shop on the Woodruff Street side (twenty cents for a haircut from Mr. Premo in the 1930s). The rest of the building is apartments. [[George Toupin\|George Toupin]] and his wife [[Gertrude Toupin\|Gertrude]] (see [[Harrietstown Town Hall]] and [[Ayer Block\|Ayer Block]]) were tenants in one of these apartments in 1915.

	The Ledger Block has been thoroughly altered over the years and almost no original exterior features are visible.		The Ledger Block has been thoroughly altered over the years and almost no original exterior features are visible.

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	[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]		[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]

	[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras\|Canaras]]''. ]]'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]		[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras\|Canaras]]''. ]]

			'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]

	'''Old Address:''' 23-27 Broadway		'''Old Address:''' 23-27 Broadway

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← Older revision		Revision as of 18:48, 23 December 2025
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	* [[PRHP00000509_IF_0010151_03347_000032.pdf\|National Register of Historic Places Building Inventory (pdf)]]		* [[PRHP00000509_IF_0010151_03347_000032.pdf\|National Register of Historic Places Building Inventory (pdf)]]

	## Comments		===Comments===

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	Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.		Most of the arrests were made by the New York State Troopers. The village police tended to look the other way unless someone were particularly blatant or troublesome. Those adjectives did not apply to Mr. H.

	[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|1908 [[Sanborn map\|Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[~~http~~:~~//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~~Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.		[[File:1908 Sanborn.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|1908 [[Sanborn map\|Sanborn map]] showing the Ledger Block]]About the village's attitude toward prohibition, it must be remembered that Saranac Lake was right on a prime smuggling route from Canada to Albany and New York City. There were some big time operators (the best known being [[Wikipedia:Dutch_Schultz\|Dutch Schultz]]) using the place as a way-station and lots of small time operators emulating them. Furthermore, there was a considerable market for illicit beverages.

	The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.		The many hotels in and near the village were responsible for a really tremendous amount of business for those who dealt in liquor. Add to this the thirst of the well-to-do at their camps as well as the thirst of the village working-man — not to mention the thirst of the patient feeling the return of vitality — and top it off with the thirst of any town in the midst of a boom and the result was a nearly unquenchable demand for the bootlegger’s product and a trenchant unwillingness on the part of just about everyone to uphold the law or cooperate with the enforcers of the law.

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← Older revision		Revision as of 13:41, 23 December 2025
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	A little more than a year before [[William Loomis\|William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[R. Eugene Woodruff\|R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[William Ledger\|William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.		A little more than a year before [[William Loomis\|William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[R. Eugene Woodruff\|R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[William Ledger\|William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.

	It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[Burt and Goodspeed Millinery\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[Everett~~%27s~~\|Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.		It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[Burt and Goodspeed Millinery\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[Everett's\|Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.

	Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[Mary Ledger\|Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.		Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[Mary Ledger\|Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.
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	[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Paul Smiths College \|Post Script, February 1, 1950]]Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".		[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Paul Smiths College \|Post Script, February 1, 1950]]Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".

	But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to Mr. H. Getting caught implies being a fugitive, or at least having something to hide. Neither condition applied to Mr. H. In fact, one person remembers that Mr. H. never locked the door on the little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because, after weeks of resisting temptation, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose~~%27s~~ Parish Hall\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook\|Alderbrook]].		But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to Mr. H. Getting caught implies being a fugitive, or at least having something to hide. Neither condition applied to Mr. H. In fact, one person remembers that Mr. H. never locked the door on the little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because, after weeks of resisting temptation, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose's Parish Hall\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook\|Alderbrook]].

	The subject of [[Prohibition\|Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."		The subject of [[Prohibition\|Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:17, 27 April 2026
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	[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]		[[File:Ledger Block.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|The Ledger Block, 2009]]

	[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[~~Canaras\|~~Canaras]]''. ]]		[[File:Ledger Block 2.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery occupied the ground floor shop of the Ledger Block (c. 1905). Library of Congress]].[[File:Grace Lattrell.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Grace Lattrell in the 1928 ''[[Canaras]]''. ]]

	'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]		'''Address:''' 20-22 [[Broadway\|Broadway]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:41, 23 December 2025
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	A little more than a year before [[William Loomis\|William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[R. Eugene Woodruff\|R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[William Ledger\|William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.		A little more than a year before [[William Loomis\|William Loomis]] purchased the lot for his building, [[R. Eugene Woodruff\|R. Eugene Woodruff]] sold the lot on the other corner of Woodruff Street and Broadway to [[William Ledger\|William Ledger]], a local feed merchant. The date of transfer was April 13, 1895. The price was $2500 — quite high for the time.

	It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[Burt and Goodspeed Millinery\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[Everett~~%27s~~\|Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.		It can only be assumed that the Ledger Block was erected shortly after the purchase of the land upon which it stands. This was the normal pattern throughout the District in those decades of hectic development. The Block is composed of a pair of buildings joined at a central common wall. Both were in existence c. 1905 when photographs show the [[Burt and Goodspeed Millinery\|Burt and Goodspeed Millinery]] in the southern building (23 Broadway) and [[Everett's\|Everett's]] men's shop in the northern building (25 Broadway). Everett's would later move to 45 Broadway where it would remain until going out of business in the mid-1970s.

	Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[Mary Ledger\|Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.		Sometime around the end of WWI, a man we shall call Mr. H. came to Saranac Lake where his brother was curing from tuberculosis. In May, 1930, [[Ruth B. Ledger\|Ruth B. Ledger]], the only heir of William and [[Mary Ledger\|Mary Ledger]], sold the Ledger Block to Mr. H. and his brother.
Line 24:		Line 24:
	[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Paul Smiths College \|Post Script, February 1, 1950]]Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".		[[File:Post Script, February 1, 1950.jpg\|right\|thumb\|\|Paul Smiths College \|Post Script, February 1, 1950]]Mr. H. has been called a grand man, a generous man, a gentle soul, and a good tailor. The testimonies are convincing. One cannot doubt that he was all of these. But there is something more. Those numerous people who remember Mr. H. and who (except for his descendants) had personal contact with him remember him as "the bootlegger". He was not just "a" bootlegger. There were more than a few of those in the area. He was "the" bootlegger — "the only one", as one friend put it, "who never got caught".

	But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to Mr. H. Getting caught implies being a fugitive, or at least having something to hide. Neither condition applied to Mr. H. In fact, one person remembers that Mr. H. never locked the door on the little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because, after weeks of resisting temptation, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose~~%27s~~ Parish Hall\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook\|Alderbrook]].		But "caught" is probably not the correct word. "Arrested" would be more accurate description of what never happened to Mr. H. Getting caught implies being a fugitive, or at least having something to hide. Neither condition applied to Mr. H. In fact, one person remembers that Mr. H. never locked the door on the little barn where he kept his stock. It is an especially vivid memory because, after weeks of resisting temptation, some friends of this then youngster stole as many bottles of whiskey as their plus-fours would hide to take to the dance in [[St. Rose's Parish Hall\|St. Rose's Parish Hall]] at [[Alderbrook\|Alderbrook]].

	The subject of [[Prohibition\|Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."		The subject of [[Prohibition\|Prohibition]] in Saranac Lake and the village's response to it is a subject worthy of a separate study in itself. Suffice it to say that Prohibition was not taken very seriously here. Those who did take it seriously hated it. According to the man's son, one prominent merchant "hated Prohibition so much that he'd bail out every bootlegger that he'd heard got arrested and not take bond."