Winter Carnival, 1898 through 1920

Note: On February 17, 1897, the Pontiac Club held a one-day fancy dress "Winter Carnival" that featured a hockey game in the afternoon with about 200 people in the stands and a fancy costume skating party in the evening with about 300 people in attendance. While this event was clearly the root from which the Winter Carnival sprang, it is not generally considered to be the first Winter Carnival. ¹

1898 - February 1 & 2 (Tuesday and Wednesday). "The first mid-winter carnival of the Pontiac Club of Saranac Lake", quoted from The Adirondack Enterprise Winter Carnival Supplement of March 14, 1898.

Called "The Pontiac Club Carnival"
Parade with decorated sleighs
Ice Tower
Skating Races and Exhibitions
Two Fancy Dress Costume Parties on Ice
Cross-Country snowshoe Races
Infantry Band from Plattsburgh
Queen: Hazel Fowler
Grand Marshal: Tuffield Latour
Blizzard conditions curtailed participation and attendance
Horse Racing on Ice held January 18-20
Hockey Match on the 21st

See also: 1898 Winter Carnival Program

Malone Palladium., January 6, 1898

It has been decided to hold an ice palace and carnival at Saranac Lake Jan. 21 and 22, following the annual ice races. An ice fort will be built on a point of land opposite the Pontiac Club house, and it will be illuminated by electricity and fire works. The proposed programme includes a parade of decorated sleighs, opening of ice palace and illumination, fancy dress skating carnival, exhibition of skating, snowshoe and skating races, grand fireworks display and storming of ice palace.

Plattsburgh Daily Press, February 2, 1898

Saranac Lake

Jan. 31.—Sunday the mercury dropped to thirty below.

The whole town is on the qui vive. The streets are filled with balsam, bunting and colored lights. The castellated fort has a medieval look, and the donjon by the Riverside, which is to be brilliantly illuminated, will be a few attractions of the great fete.

Mr. G. Whitman has had his store moved down to the Pontiac Club House, where he intends to sell confectionary, fruits and dainties during the carnival.

Plattsburgh Sentinel, February 4, 1898

Saranac Lake Carnival.

The carnival at Saranac Lake had to be postponed one day on account of the big buzzard. However the evening festivities were carried out as arranged for.The ring was brilliant with skaters infancy costume, and the exhibition by the two professional skaters, Marchesi and Horning, of Utica, elicited much applause. The 21st Infantry band from Plattsburgh, after an all day's trip, reached Saranac Lake in time to play at the rink, and their music delighted the fifteen hundred people present The program for Wednesday was carried out as first planned and the sports which were to take place Tuesday will occur Thursday

1899 - First week of February. The Second Winter Carnival ²

Ice Fortress
Parade
Tobogganing
Hockey Matches
Skating Contests

1900 - January 30, 31 and February 1 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) [Malone Farmer, dated Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1900 -- thanks to Michele Tucker.]

Grand parade of sleighs and floats
Storming of the ice palace
Exhibitions of speed and figure skating
Hockey Matches
Skating Races
Fancy Dress Skating
Masquerade Skating
Coasting, Tobogganing, Snow Shoeing

1901 - January 29, 30 & 31 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Parade with decorated sleighs
Ice Fortress illuminated by electricity
Hockey Matches
Skating Races
Fancy Dress Skating Events on ice
Featured small, leather-covered program about two inch square
On December 17, 1900 the temperature dropped to 28 below zero, snow is three to five feet deep. ³

Malone Farmer, February 6, 1901

Saranac Lake's Fourth Annual Carnival a Grand Success.

Saranac Lake people feel well satisfied over their fourth annual carnival which closed Jan. 31. The streets, business blocks and private residences vied with each other in their profusion of flags and gay decorations, and here and there a miniature ice castle added to the picturesque and pretty sight, while a wealth of evergreen trimmings heightened the effect. The grand parade occurred Tuesday at 2.30 P. M. Jan. 29, consisting of floats, and decorated sleighs headed by the Saranac Lake Cornet Band, with Fred Graves as leader, while Elmer Lobdell acted as marshal of the day. The floats that attracted most attention were the one containing little Miss Hazel Fowler as “Carnival Queen,” with a retinue of pages, a Log Cabin, and The Country Dance, while “Prof. Fuller,” editor of “Fuller's Gleaner,” was conspicuous in costume and occupied a decorated sleigh, Wednesday evening a grand masquerade ball was given in the town hall, Spencer's orchestra of Malone furnishing the music. The ball was largely attended, many of the costumes of the ladies being elaborate and unique in design.

On Tuesday the Malone hockey team went down to defeat by the local team. Wednesday Huntingdon, defeated Valleyfield 8 to 4. Thursday Saranac Lake beat Plattsburgh 7 to 6. The Pontiac Club on Lake Flower was the objective point for fancy skating, snow shoeing, tobogganing and hockey. The palace was a most brilliant spectacle in the evening, with innumerable electric lights twinkling from every part of it. Mr. John F. Nilsson, of Minneapolis, Minn., did the fancy skating each evening, which attracted much attention. A beautiful evergreen arch, over Broadway, decorated in red and white, bunting, which cost $150 to erect, attracted much attention. The grand finish occurred at the storming of the ice palace Thursday evening, which was witnessed by a large concourse of people. The display of fireworks was one of the most brilliant ever seen in Saranac Lake and lasted nearly an hour.

In conclusion it might be well to add that the music by the Saranac Lake Cornet Band was universally praised. The weather was carnival weather, being at zero or a little above. About 60 tickets were sold at the Malone station.

Following the 1901 Carnival, the Board of Trade decided to have the festival every other year, due to the high cost of producing a Winter Carnival. The Board of Trade sponsored 1901 through the 1960s, after which time Winter Carnival formed it's own organization of volunteers (the Winter Carnival Committee ) ⁴)

1902 – No Carnival. There does exist a copy of a flyer designed by William Distin, with date of 1902, listing events, but there is no evidence that a Winter Carnival actually took place.

1903 - February 3, 4 & 5 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Parade
Ice Fortress
Fireworks
Profuse evergreen decorations and bunting
Hockey Match
Fancy Dress Skating Event
Acrobatic Skating Exhibition

1904 – No Carnival

1905 - January 31, February 1 & 2 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Parade with decorated floats
Ice Fortress
Skating Races under auspices of the Pontiac Club
Hockey Matches, etc

Malone Palladium, February 9, 1905

The carnival at Saranac Lake last week is said to have been one of the most successful ever held there. The parade on Tuesday was witnessed by a very large crowd, about 1,500 people from out of town being present. There were 64 floats in the line, besides numerous decorated sleighs, etc. Prizes were awarded as follows: Floats—First, Trombly & Carrier; subject, "Jack Frost." Second, The Adirondack Guides' Association: subject, "A Hunter's Camp." Decorated sleighs—First, J. A. Galloway; second, C. L. Sherrill. The float awarded second prize will be exhibited by the guides' association at the coming sportsman's show in New York. The sports were all good; and the different events closely contested. The skating races between Nilson, Sinnirud, Baptie and Davidson, professionals, were one of the features of Thursday, and drew large crowds. Nilson won the half-mile and three-mile events, and the mile race was won by Baptie. There were at least 2,000 persons present to witness the storming of the ice palace on Thursday evening, the closing event of the Carnival, The spectacle was one worth going many miles to see, the palace being illuminated throughout with colored lights, and when the assault took place the air was filled with fireworks, presenting to the gaze of the onlookers a scene that moved the vast audience to tumultuous applause. Saranac Lake citizens have every reason to feel proud of the carnival of 1905.

Ticonderoga Sentinel, February 9, 1905

CARNIVAL A GREAT SUCCESS.

The Most Successful Ever Held at Saranac Lake. Closed Thursday.

One of the most successful carnivals ever held at Saranac Lake came to a close Thursday evening with the storming of the ice palace. Nilsson, the champion skater, gave a clever exhibition of trick skating before a crowd of nearly two thousand people. The grandstand was not large enough to accommodate all the spectators.

A game of hockey between the Pontiac club and Huntington, Quebec, team resulted in a tie. The professional races resulted as follows:
Half-mile: John Nilsson, first; Norval Baptie, 2nd.; Peter Sinnirad, 3d.
One mile: Baptie, 1st.; Nilsson, 2nd.; Davidson, 3d. Time, 2:53 1-5.
Three mile: Nilsson, 1st.; Davidson, 2nd.; Sinnirud, 3d. Time, 8:59.
The county race was won by Ed Lamy of Saranac Lake, and the obstacle race by J. Liscomb of the same place.

1906 – No Carnival

1907 - January 29, 30, 31 & February 7 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, Thursday)

Parade with floats and decorated sleighs
Illuminated Ice Palace
Fireworks
Decorated homes and businesses
Children's Fancy Dress Skating
Trick and Acrobatic Skating Exhibition
Hockey Match
Button depicting Ice Palace

King: Dr. E. R. Baldwin; Queen: Mrs. Mary Baldwin (First married couple as King and Queen)

Malone Palladium, February 7, 1907

The Saranac Lake Carnival.

Last week was a gala one at Saranac Lake. The carnival which was held there was a great success and attracted great crowds of people each day. The houses and business places were handsomely decorated, and the spirit of fun and frolic was in evidence everywhere in town. The prize for the beat decorated house was awarded to J. L BLAIR and the second to Dr. TREMBLY; for decorated business places, the FOWLER block, decorated by W. S. FOWLER, won first prize, and F. H. MCKEE second; for decorated sleighs. F. LOWE received first prize, and Mrs. G. A. BOMBARD; second for the finest decorated float first prize was awarded the Knights of Columbus for their float of the “Voyage of Columbus.”

In the skating races NORVAL BAPTIE won all the events, while MORRIS WOOD the champion amateur skater, made good his right to the ..title in the amateur events. EDMUND LAMY, of Saranac Lake, a young skater of considerable prominence, pleased his friends by skating next to WOOD in the amateur events, in some of which he gave the champion a hard tussle for first honors.

The decorated floats were the finest ever seen at Saranac Lake, and elicited words of high commendation from all who viewed the parade.

The storming of the beautiful ice palace was of course, a feature of the carnival, and it certainly was a charming sight. All in all Saranac Lake people have every reason to feel proud of the carnival of 1907.

1908 - No Carnival

Gift of the Florence Wright Tuberculosis Postcard Collection.

1909 - February 2-5 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)

Parade with 50 floats
Ice Fortress
Hockey Game
Exhibition of Fancy Skating
Masquerade Ball at the Opera House, etc.

The Ice Palace, Children's Carnival, Fancy Dress Carnival, International Amateur Championship Skating races Hockey Games, Fancy Skating, concluding with brilliant pyrotechnic display on the last night. ⁵

1910 - No Carnival

1911 - January 24, 25 & 26 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Parade with horsedrawn and motor-driven floats
Court of Winter float had Miss Minshull as Queen
Marshaled by L.B. Magill with Arthur D. Moir and W.B. Lusk as aides
Coasting contest
Children's and Adult’s Fancy Dress Carnival
Buildings extensively decorated with bunting and greenery
National outdoor Amateur Skating Championships
Fancy Skating Exhibition
Hockey Match
Ice Palace
Fire Works

1912 - No Carnival

1913 - January 28, 29 & 30 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday). The parade formed at Bloomingdale Avenue north of the railroad crossing to the old NYCRR Station to Mills Avenue to Ampersand Avenue to Broadway to Main Street to Riverside Inn; counter-march on Main Street to Church Street to River Street to Main Street to Berkeley House and dismiss.

Horse-drawn Floats, also oxen
Ice Palace
Fire works
Skating Races
Children's Fancy Dress Carnival
Hockey Matches
Figure Skating Exhibitions
Acrobatic skating
Coasting Contest
International Outdoor Amateur Speed Skating Races

1914 - No Carnival. There was a skating Gymkhana, including Barrel Jumping.

Chateaugay Record and Franklin County Democrat, January 29, 1915

SARANAC LAKE CARNIVAL

The Carnival at Saranac Lake will be held on February 2, 3 and 4. On Tuesday a grand parade of tableau floats will be one of the attractions; on Wednesday, international outdoor skating, giving an exhibition of figure and acrobatic skating by some of the most renowned skaters in the world, one of which will be the well-known Edmund Lamy. Sixty-one floats for the opening day have been listed. One of the novel features of the parade will be a spectacle of the four nations now engaged in the European war. The Ice palace will stand on Pontiac Bay on Lake Flower, Fancy skating carnivals and a hundred other attractions will take place during the three days which will be brought to a fitting climax by the storming of the ice palace and a display of fireworks. The Malone Lodge of Elks have made arrangements to run an excursion on Feb 4^th, leaving Malone at 9a.m., arriving at Saranac Lake at 1 o’clock. Returning the special train will leave Saranac Lake at 10:45 in the evening. The fare for the round trip from Malone will be $1.40.

A large force of men were put to work last week building the ice palace that will be one of the principal attractions of the Mid-Winter carnival. It was decided by the ice palace committee to erect the structure on the shores of Lake Flower instead of upon the summit of Slater Hill, where it has stood in former years.

Although the committee was aware of the many advantages of the hill top location, they were moved to their decision to change the location by a number of considerations, chief of which were the large number of teams and men it took to haul the ice up the long, steep hill, and also by the fact that there has been some criticism in the past by visitors to the winter fete, that the palace was so far away from the rink that they were unable to inspect it closely.

This year, however, it will face the grand stand at the Pontiac rink, within easy reach of all. The plans for the palace call for a castle of medieval design with a heavy central tower fifty feet high. This will be fifteen feet in height, and the building will have a front of one hundred and thirty feet. Directly in front of the palace and extending its entire length, there will be an ice wall six feet high. Architects who have viewed the plans say the palace will prove one of the finest ever erected there.

1915 - February 2, 3 & 4 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) - See Adirondack Enterprise, February 4, 1915

Ice Palace
Fire works
Parade, also Children's Parade
International Amateur Outdoor Speed Skating Championships
Decorated sleighs in parade
Skating Exhibitions
Curling
Barrel Jumping Exhibitions
Acrobatic skating
Children's Fancy Dress Skating Carnival
Hockey Matches
Bunting used extensively to decorate buildings
Francis B. Cantwell, Marshall

1916 - February 8-10 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) - No Carnival. There were skating races and Barrel Jumping February 8-10.

1917 - January 30, 31 & February 1 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

Parade of decorated floats
International Amateur Outdoor Speed Skeed-skating Championships
Fancy Dress Ice Carnival
Coasting Races
Ice Carnival for children
Hockey Matches
Bobsled and Single Sled Races
Slide was a runway of ice down the side of Baker Mountain to the level of Moody Pond
Curling Competition
Marshals of Parade: Andrew W. Callanan and Francis B. Cantwell

1918 - February 7 & 8 (Thusday & Friday) - No Carnival. There were ice skating races February 7 & 8

1919 - February 11 & 12 (Tuesday & Wednesday) - No Carnival. There were skating races, February 11 & 12; also Barrel Jumping, ski jumping, and ski-joring. No buildings decorated, etc.

1920 - January 27, 28 & 29 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)

See also 1920 Winter Carnival Program

Program says "12th mid-winter Carnival under direction of Saranac Lake Carnival Association"
Decorated sleighs and automobilesNational Amateur outdoor Speed Skating Championships
Acrobatic Skating
Figure Skating
Hockey Match
International ski jumping Championships at Miller Hill near the Riverside Inn
Children's Fancy Dress Carnival
Mardi Gras Dance
Ice Palace
Fire works

See also:

Comments:

1. Footnotes

1. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 2, 2007
2. New York Times, February 19, 1899
3. New York Times, December 18, 1900
4. Brief History of Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, Margaret E. Peer, May 1977
5. 1909 Program