I read somewhere that the Adirondacks are the oldest mountains in the world. Supposedly they do not display the spectacular heights that many others do because the eons have worn them down. The mountains are not the only things that have changed over time.

I was introduced to the Old Forge area eighty years ago and I have lived to see its luster and captivation dim for me. But that’s just me. I can still see why it beguiles and intrigues millions of others. My perception of present day situations, regions and cultures does not necessarily demean them in any way. It just means that I am far too old and set in my ways.

The scenes, experiences and perceptions today’s residents and visitors view no longer convey to me what was once the true Adirondacks, in my opinion. Today there are only three venues where the culture and true meaning of Adirondack life as I knew it can be found. The first is visiting the Old Forge Historical Association, across from the Post Office, the second is reading about it. The third is a visit to the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake.

Admission to the Old Forge Historic archives is free and there are many local outlets such as the library where one can both view and read about Adirondack history. There are many good accounts that give the reader a clear and unvarnished picture of early Adirondack life. Now is the time to learn about it before special interests groups alter the view any further to serve their personal agenda.

Time and space permitting I will present a few books that I feel convey the true spirit that once was the Adirondacks.

One is Ruth Timm’s, “Life in the Adirondacks.” It chronicles the life and times of early Hamilton County and the Raquette Lake, Blue Mountain, Long Lake areas in particular. It is illustrated with photographs depicting people and life in the early days.

Another that I highly recommend is the story of early Big Moose life. It is one of the most complete and comprehensive accounts of the founding of the railroad from Utica to Malone. It was written by Big Moose native William R. Marleau and is titled “Big Moose Station.” Much of the writing is founded on personal knowledge and from the view point of a genuine Adirondacker.

“Moose River Diary” was written by Judy Jones and is focused on the Moose River Settlement. The settlement was a cluster of homes, sawmills and a center for the harvesting of hemlock bark that was used in the early tanning of leather. It is an account of the settlement and pathway to the Herkimer County region and the Old Forge, Mckeever area.

William (Jay) O’Hern has authored seven books on life in the Adirondacks and the neighboring Tug Hill Plateau. His latest endeavor, “Life in a North Woods Lumber Camp” was written by Thomas C. O’Donnell and edited with biographical and historical commentary by O’Hern. It chronicles his life growing up in an 1881 logging camp. Although its setting is in Michigan it parallels life in the same period and circumstances as existed here in the Adirondack logging camps. What makes it unusual is it describes the roles women and children played in a field almost exclusively dominated by men. The author’s mother’s idea of raising her family in a lumber camp had to be ground-breaking. It should be of special appeal to women readers.

Martin Podskoch’s “Adirondack Fire Towers: Their History and Lore” is another book I highly recommend to those interested in learning more about the region. Fire towers were an integral and necessary component in protecting the six million acres of both private and state forest lands from fire. The rangers and forest fire observers were some of the most colorful characters the area molded. Their tales of dealing with wildlife, tourists and fires makes for some interesting reading.

I have not read Martin Podskoch’s latest book which tells of the history of the CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps but it too is a part of Adirondack history. Started in the thirties to address rampant unemployment young men were enlisted to work at all manner of conservation projects. At the start of WWII those that met the physical standards were inducted into the various branches of the service. Their hard work, such as starting tree plantations, stream improvements and truck trails, still stand as monuments to the effectiveness of the program. Many of the camps that were built to house the men were converted to house prisoners of war.

The Adirondacks were rife with all types of characters that could be found few other places. Many of them were recluses such as Louis Seymour who was better known as French Louie. There are several books that qualify as classics about the Adirondacks and its people but none more famous than the book “Adirondack French Louie, Early Life in the North Woods,” by Harvey L. Dunham. Louie lived a solitary life back on the shores of West Canada Lake in the early 1900s. He seldom ventured out of the woods but when he did, he cut a wide swath through the Town of Ohio and the Village of Speculator.

Noah John Rondeau was another famous hermit who lived back in the Cold River area. His life story is enshrined in at least three books. One, “Noah John Rondeau Adirondack Hermit,” was published in1969 by Maitland C. De Sormo. William O’Hern wrote the other two, one named “Life with Noah” in 1997 about stories and adventures of Richard Smith and Noah. The other was published in 2009 and was called “Noah John Rondeau’s Adirondack Wilderness Days.” All are well worth reading.

Classics that go way back are the “Adirondacks Fulton Chain — Big Moose Region, The Story of a Wilderness” by Joseph Grady and another is “John Brown’s Tract: Lost Adirondack Empire” by Henry A. L. Brown and Richard A. Walton. They may be harder to come by than the others I have listed above but delve deeper into the earliest history of the region.

Guides were an integral part of the founding of the Adirondacks and a book by Charles Brumley, called “Guides of the Adirondacks: A History” lists all of the known guides and a short synopsis of some of the early ones. An addendum to the label: “A Short Season, Hard Work, Low Pay” sums up the general view of life in the region by the majority of the residents, yesterday and today.

Some things never change, regardless of time, even here in the Adirondacks.