19th century Smith was born August 20, 1825, in
Milton, Vermont. When he was 16, he left home and found work as a boatman on a canal boat on
Lake Champlain; in his spare time, he went hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks, which at that time was largely wilderness with some Native American settlements. In time, Smith became known as a prominent hunting and fishing guide in the
Loon Lake region. In 1848, he rented a house on Loon Lake which he ran as a small hotel for loggers and hunters, aided by his mother and father. In 1852, Smith bought near Loon Lake on the North Branch of the
Saranac River for $300. Here he built "Hunter's Home", a primitive hotel with one large living room and kitchen, and ten small sleeping quarters; the bar was self-service—a barrel of whiskey with a dipper in a corner of the living room. It was popular from the start with the doctors, lawyers and other professional men from eastern cities with whom Smith had developed a relationship as their hunting guide. In 1858, some of Smith's guests suggested him to build a more comfortable hotel, one to which they could bring their wives; one offered to loan Smith the money to build it. Smith bought on
Lower Saint Regis Lake, southwest of Loon Lake, for three hundred dollars. There, he built a hotel with seventeen bedrooms and furnishings that, while simple, were luxurious compared to others in the area. It opened in the summer of 1859. Smith was an excellent host, a charming story teller with a quick wit, and he was known for treating everyone as equals. He was also a shrewd businessman, and his wife, Lydia, whom he had married in 1859, excelled at managing the entire operation. Smith's real estate transactions were legendary as the northern Adirondacks became increasingly desirable as a resort destination. In one transaction, he bought for twenty thousand dollars, and sold for the same price. At one point he owned . When he sold land, it was generally to his wealthy clientele, many of whom built
Great Camps on the nearby lakes, using lumber from Smith's mill. The hotel expanded steadily to 255 guest rooms, and featured a bowling alley, a large casino, several dormitories for guides and other help, and a stable for 60 horses. At the same time, Smith was involved in lumbering operations, developing a sawmill, and retail stores and shops. He established the area's first electric company, with hydroelectric plants on the
St. Regis River at
Keese Mill, and on the Saranac River at
Franklin Falls and in the village of
Saranac Lake. He built roads, and developed electric boats, recharged at his electric plant, to deliver passengers to their camps on
Spitfire and
Upper Saint Regis lakes. He installed telegraph lines, a stock ticker wired directly to the
New York Stock Exchange, and finally, a telephone system.
20th century , which now serves as the village offices. In 1906, Smith built an electric railroad line south to
Lake Clear, to connect with the
Mohawk and Malone Railway. Together Smith and
Louis Marshall were prominent supporters in gaining the "Forever Wild" Amendment to the New York State Constitution, to preserve
Adirondack Park. It went into effect on January 1, 1895. Guests of the hotel included US Presidents
Benjamin Harrison,
Grover Cleveland,
Theodore Roosevelt and
Calvin Coolidge, as well as
P. T. Barnum,
E. H. Harriman,
Whitelaw Reid,
J. P. Morgan and
Anson Phelps Stokes. Smith died on December 15, 1912, at the
Royal Victoria Hospital in
Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, after two consecutive kidney operations; he was 87. He and his wife had three sons: Henry, who died at age 29; Paul Jr., who died in 1920; and Phelps Smith, who continued managing the hotel until it burned down in 1930. When Phelps Smith died, his will provided funds to start
Paul Smith's College, which was built on the site of the hotel. The first class was matriculated in 1946. ==Gallery==