Who is known as the father of todays Forest Ranger Force?
The seeds of wilderness preservation may well have sprouted in Theodore Roosevelt will visiting with his family in 1871 at Paul Smith’s Hotel on St. Regis Lake. He was twelve years old at the time. Thiry years later on another visit to Mt. Marcy, he received notice that President McKinley was dying from a gunshot wound in Buffalo. Teddy was rushed through the night south along today’s Rt.28N to North Creek where he took the oath of office for the Presidency of the United States. On the state level s Governer of New York, he was a strong advocate for greater forest service protection. As President he was instrumental in establishing our National Park System.
