Huntington Great Camp – Camp Pine Knot, Racquette Lake, NY (1895)

by Nancy Armitage

High up in the Adirondack Mountains, in upper state New York you can smell the fresh clean air. One can see the crystal clear blue waters of the stunning Raquette Lake. Raquette, it was the Huntington family’s destination for relaxation and fun. Think the wonderful movie, “On Golden Pond” or the camp scenes in the Netflix series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” to visualize the beauty.

The Huntington property is now call “Huntington Memorial Camp”, or “Camp Huntington” originally built by William West Durant in 1877. Camp Pine Knot was actually Wm. West Durant very 1st camp that he built himself. Durant invented a unique style of artisan mountain cabins & log cabins, using every bit of the wood from the forest trees. On other artistic cabins at Camp Pine Knot, you can see the bark of the trees decorating the outside walls of the cabin. Some cottages & the Huntington’s “Chalet”, they used smaller twigs & tree branches to make a outside porch railing. Functional, beautiful, & poetic!

The Collis P. Huntington family visited “Camp Pine Knot” on Racquette Lake annuall. They would travel north in the summer, usually in the month of August. To get out of the terrible heat & humidity of New York City. Lake living is a place of tranquility, to get away from the city life. For the Huntington’s, it was a serene place for Collis P. Huntington could get away from his work (Southern Pacific Co.) in NYC & SF. This mountain property was sold to Collis P. Huntington in 1895. There are records that stated Archer Huntington their son, would travel up to Camp Pine Knot in July many times but was recorded in (1904), also. Document: HEH Coll. HEH MS10968 uncat (E. Burke Holladays Journals)

There are a grand set of lakes in the Adirondack Mts. There is Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Long Lake, Lake Eaton, Blue Mt. Lake, & Raquette Lake. These lakes cover 4,927 acres of land. Lake Raquette is the largest of all these lakes, running about 44 ft. deep; at the maximum of 96 ft.

In the 1890’s, 5000 acres of mountain & lake property was purchased by a group of wealthy Americans: Collis Huntington (Camp Pine Knot-Raquette Lake), A. C. Vanderbilt (Sagamore), J. P. Morgan (Camp Uncas) , & Mrs. Lucy Carnegie – Andrew’s mother (Camp North Point- Racquette Lake) with others, bought the camp (s) for $100,000.00 from Mr. W. W. Durant, who had created it. The Adirondack camps with all it lakes, woods, streams, & pine trees. It was said that they had the very best fishing (rainbow trout & lake bass) & hunting (deer & bears) around.

Early in the 1880’s, Collis P. Huntington invested heavily to make Racquette Lake. He felt it could be a new “Newport, Rhode Island”, for the rich & wealthy retreat per the New York Times at the time. He even built the Racquette Lake Railroad (at Arabella Huntington’s insistence) to arrive at a train station at Racquette Lake. Because of the very difficult journey up to Racquette Lake.

Smoked Trout Pate

1 whole smoked trout, skinned & deboned, minced

1 small (6 oz). cream cheese

1 / 2 c. sour cream or creme fraiche

1 t. horseradish

pinch cayenne pepper

3 t. green onions, minced

1 T. dill or parsley

Serve on white bread toasted rounds, melba toast, or water crackers. Mix together in a medium bowl. Spread on buttered toast or make sandwiches or canapes on cracker with dill on top. You could also make this with smoked salmon. Recipe: adapted recipe from a friendly fisherman.

Camp Pine Knot was a Great American Camp in the grand Adirondack Mountains. The main mountain lodge was called “Pine Knot Lodge” or the “Chalet”. It was a very large piece of Huntington property, it had 341 acres & had many (2 doz.) different buildings plus stables. It included a farm with vegetable gardens, also a stable of cows, goats, & chickens, too.  

There was fishing, canoeing, hunting, hiking or picnicking in the fresh air. Sounds quite invigorating to me!

Here is the list of all Camp Pine Knot buildings:

There was “Pine Knot Lodge” – also called the.. “Large Swiss “Chalet” (the Main Lodge – a 2-story lodge) the Huntington Cabin was the largest cabin, it could sleep 20 people comfortably downstairs. It had 2 large verandas & one on the 2^nd floor this lodge was also called the “Hermitage house log cabin”

Small Cottage: on the left side of Swiss Chalet was the “guard keeper house”

“Recreation Hall”: the building with the “W” on the gable on top of the Porch, built by Wm. West Durant. A 2-story hall with screened-in porch & Adirondack tree wood make up the 2 gables with a large “W”.

Kitchen “Summer Dining Room” & Kitchen Building with Breezeway

Two building connected by a breezeway/walkway, built in the 1890’s. The summer Dining Room with a high pitched roof & lots of windows for a lake view while eating. Document: photo is on Adirondack Museum website: http://www.adirondackpastperfectonline.com on #P007567.

Servant’s Cabin: where the Huntington’s servants or farmers or gardeners stayed or the servants of Huntington’s guests that were staying at Pine Knot Lodge. 

“Inglenook” Cabin: one of the numerous cabins

Trapper’s Cabin : Trapper of bears & large animals & wildlife.

Durant’s Cabin:  Durant & his family had happy times in this homey cabin in the 1870’s, 1880’s & 1890’s. It was also called the “Durant’s Cottage” also called “Mrs. Durants Cottage” (5 or 6 gables with stain-glass diamond shaped windows / 7 stairs up to a small veranda). The Durants lived in it before the Huntington’s purchased the property.

Caretaker’s Cabin: The Caretaker for the Huntington’s Pine Knot Lodge and property was John A. Moore. He stayed on the property year round: winter & summer, autumn, & spring. 

Guide’s Cabin/Telegraph Office: [the Huntingtons hired a Mountain “Guide” to take the family & guests for walks & hikes. If the Huntingtons wanted to hunt or fish the guide was there to help. City children don’t know much about wildlife & someone needs to teach them the ways of the forests & be mindful of the animals & wildlife. Also, to protect families from wild animals especially bears. The telegraph office was the only way of communication in the 1890’s. Mr. Collis P. Huntington was an very important businessman of the trains & ships/ferries across America – the President of Southern Pacific Co. He had 50,000 employees working at Southern Pacific Co. all over America; but their main offices were in New York City and San Francisco. If his New York City office needed to get ahold of the boss – Collis & vice versa.]   

Pump House (water): [pump running water for showers & the kitchen]

Blacksmith shop: [blacksmith making horseshoes for the horses, nails for making buildings, & making hardware for doors on cabins, etc.]

Carpenter’s Shop: [all the buildings & other projects were made by the carpenters on the property. When the Huntingtons needed to fix cabins, make handmade chairs with wood reeds, or a large project like The Huntington’s wooden Houseboat]. Or if Mrs. Huntington wanted a table made for an Alfresco dinner – the carpenters would make it for her, & often the guides would to teach guests how to make things with wood.

Carriage House (for the horse & buggy)

Kirby Cabin

Privy (the Bathroom)

Durant’s Privy (bathroom)

Camp Pine Knot Boathouse or Boat Landing (canoes & kayaks, 1888)

The Huntington’s Houseboat: called “Barque of Pine Knot: 20 ft. x 60 ft. – A 4-room bark wood cabin built on a log raft. It was used to escape from the dreaded “black fly” in the springtime but mostly in summertime June & July. Black flies are often found in swarms and are located in wooded areas and will bite humans which are painful and itchy. This houseboat was fully equipped with a kitchen, bath, & running water. 

1 small Out-Board Motor boat (Super-Elto)

Minnewana Cabin (2-log cabin –1 chair veranda) 

The Mother’s house (a u-shaped cottage with 5 stairs lead to front door)

Cottage with Big Picture window (9 panes): sunflower house with 3-5 gables

Guest house cottage: 1 chair veranda with 5 steps to front door

Log cabin “Bachelors Cottage”: a rustic cottage (morning glory flowers covering small veranda in black and white photo)

The Maids House: the Huntington’s maids had their own cabin

The Valet’s Cottage : Mr. Collis Huntington’s “gentlemen’s valet’s” cottage

Water tank tower or water tower

The wood shed “the Wigwam” (1890)

“Deerlands” Cottage: 2- story cottage with a veranda in the woods; on the wood veranda was artistically made rustic architecture

Kennemate: A large square gazebo covered dining-room & kitchen building with a covered breezeway

Document: HEH Coll. MS 38/6 uncat. (Mrs. Arabella D. Huntington estate paper/property owned 1924) at the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA;  Photographs from the Adirondack Museum

Raquette Lake – Train Station – Raquette Lake Railway – It open to the public in July of 1900. Collis Huntington worked hard with Teddy Roosevelt to make it happen. Collis died in August of that year. The train stations for this railway in the mountains were Clearwater, Rondaxe, Bald Mountain, Fairview, Skasowane, Eagle Bay, Uncas Road, & Raquette Lake. Information on http://www.adirondackalmanack.com

Huntington Camp Lakeside Feast: The entertaining at Camp Pine Knot was more casual then their Huntington Mansion in New York City. Most likely dinners had 3 or 4 courses with Soup or Salad, Entree of Game or Chicken or Fish with vegetables & Dessert. They didn’t have the large servant staff (like No. 2 and Throggs Neck) to do multi-course meals at this location.

1st course: Lake crawfish, smoked oysters on the half shell to start

Soup course: Venison Chili, Salmon Bisque, Vegetable-Meatball Soup, Mushroom soup, Carrot Soup, Chicken Noodle, French Onion Soup, Irish Lamb Stew, Tomato Bouillon, Clam Chowder,

Fish course: Salmon , Smoked Trout, Smoked Salmon, Lake Bass,

Chicken Course: Chicken croquettes (1890’s), Capons of Chicken in Wine Sauce, Chicken in French Tarragon Sauce, Quail with Mushroom sauce

Entree: Game Course venison or venison stew, Rabbit, Lamb Roast, Prime Rib with Mashed Potatoes & Creamed Spinach

Vegetables: Italian Ratatouille with squash, tomatoes & onions, Summertime Corn on the Cob, Mushrooms, Succotash

Dessert: Myrtle berry pie (mixed berries & cinnamon), Lemon Cake, Apple Cobbler or Apple pie, German Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Adirondack Mountains Cider & Cinnamon [Donuts] “Fried cakes”.

Adirondack Venison Chili

2-3 lb. Venison meat, grinded with a meat grinder, saute

2 lb. Italian sausage, sauteed

1 lb. breakfast sausage, sauteed

drizzle olive oil

2 white onion, minced & sauteed

2 qts.whole tomatoes, minced

2 cans kidney beans, drained

1 small can tomato paste

1 c. Northern white beans, drained

1 bottle of Guinness Irish Ale or 1 c. red wine (Claret or Burgundy)

3 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

dried oregano & cumin

cayenne or chili pepper (season to taste)

Grind venison in meat grinder. In a large frypan, saute venison meat & sausages & add garlic. Add breakfast sauce, and onions both minced. In a large stockpot, add tomatoes chopped with tomato juice, & tomato paste, add beans & smash some of them. add beer or wine. Season with herbs & spices. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve with bread rolls or biscuits & salad. Recipe adapted from a mountain chili.

Huntington steamship to get across the Racquette Lake to Camp Pine Knot:

Steamship: “W. W. Durant” (2019)

Old Steamship name (1890’s) : 2-decker passenger steamer / steamboat named the “Adirondack” run by the Fulton Chain of Lakes

This lovely mountain property was so quiet & yet you can hear the whisper of the wind through the trees. You can smell the pine needles crunching under your boots. Lake living is a peaceful & tranquil way to get away from New York City life. It was a remote place the C. P. Huntington family played bridge & had picnic lunches by the lake at Camp Pine Knot. They took walks, and canoed (Archer was a bird watcher), fished, smoked the fish, & & took boat rides around the lake. 

“Durant Days” Weekend event (even in 2019) the Adirondack Mts.& many lakes still holds “Durant Days” Raquette Lake Adirondack experience a weekend Durant Days on August 2-4, 2019

Night: campfire, stargazing,

Winter: Ski the mountain, ice fishing, big hike around the lake, bird watching

Mrs. Arabella Huntington Plateware at the Huntington Camp Pine Knot

Mrs. Huntington owned lots of transferware plates and bowls: Red Transferware, Blue Transferware. I found a actually plateware pattern at the Adirondack Museum: “Heartsease” (Blue transferware) by Cauldron, that the Huntingtons used at Camp Pine Knot. 

Red Transferware Pitcher

Blue Transferware Plateware: Cauldron was the maker “Heartease”

Wedgewood Brown Animal Plate ware (Deer & Buffalo ) is a possibility (we know Mrs. Huntington had a large Wedgewood plate ware set 100 pieces in NYC) but we don’t know which pattern of Wedgewood. Mrs. Huntington also love Spode or Spode “Woodland” is a possibility also.

Gardens at Camp Pine Knot on Racquette Lake, NY: 

Gardens & Vegetable Garden with Summer sweet tomatoes, peas, carrots, celery, French green beans, onions, corn, & sunflowers

Herb Garden: parsley, sage, rosemary, baby chives, green scallions, French tarragon, & wild fennel.  

Food at Camp Pine Knot, Adirondack Mts. and Racquette Lake:

Breakfast: Flapjacks with Maple Syrup, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Fried Potatoes & Onions, Hot Coffee, Cinnamon Rolls, Freshly squeezed Orange Juice

Luncheons: Tea Sandwiches (Egg Salad, Chicken Salad, or Tuna Fish), Trout pate with Water crackers, Deli-meat Sandwiches, sausage or egg sandwich or cheese sandwich or tomato and mayonnaisse sand wich.

Dinners: Soup, Salad, Fish, Game, Cheese, & Dessert

Collis P. & Arabella Huntington Mansion Location/address (CPK): 

Fact sheets:

Camp Pine Knot Acres:

Raquette Lake, Adirondack Mts.

Upper State New York

Called one of the “Great Camps of Adirondack Mts.” (341 acres)

Owner: Mr. & Mrs. Collis P. Huntington (Arabella) (1895-1924) ; when Arabella died (1924) the property went to her son, Archer M. Huntington.  Camp Pine Knot was built by Wm. West Durant in 1877; property sold to: Collis P. Huntington in 1895. Archer Huntington also bought 15,000 acres called Came Arbutus with his wife, Anna Huntington.

The Collis P. Huntington family & entourage were “In-Residence” (CPK): usually in the month of August every year to get out of the terrible heat & humid of NYC. The Huntingtons brought with them their butlers, footmen, Ladies Maid, Gentlemen’s Valet, Cooks, Kitchen Maids, & Social Secretaries.

Means of travel (Camp Pine Knot): 

For the Huntington family & entourage it was long & difficult trip from New York City to Camp Pine Knot. Mrs. Arabella Huntington complained that if Collis didn’t build a train to get up the Adirondack Mts., she wasn’t going up there anymore; they called it “Mrs. Huntington’s threat”. To build this Raquette Lake Railway, it was stressful project & the locals did not want a train passing through their quiet mountains. Arabella said to her husband, if Collis can build a train clear across America, he can surely build a train in the Adirondack Mts. With the help of Governor Teddy Roosevelt, Collis Huntington did build his Adirondack Mt. Railroad to travel north which they called “Raquette Lake Railroad Train”. They carried up coal in the wintertime & passengers in the summertime. There was an official post office at the Minnowbrook Camp. The Raquette Lake train station had a garage/warehouse for the wealthy men’s private railroad cars (Vanderbilt, Carnegie, & Huntington). In the summertime, two trains ran daily, one a sleeper car. In the wintertime, a train came 3 times a week. Information on http://www.adirondackalmanack.com (histories of Henry Harter, Ruth Timm, & Harold Hochschild. )

The Huntington’s long trip to Adirondack Mt. to The Great Huntington Camp

The long journey north to Camp Pine Knot on Racquette Lake from New York City was difficult. It took several trains & boats/ferries to get there: From New York City or Throgg’s Neck Huntington “Homestead” Estate – a steamship from Huntington’s dock then up the Hudson River to Albany, then board a train (Delaware & Hudson RR line) from Albany to Saratoga Springs, NY. Then, they changed trains to the Adirondack Scenic Railroad train to North Creek to the very last station Raquette Lake Train Station. Later at Raquette Lake, the “Adirondack” steamship would carry them across the Raquette Lake to Camp Pine Knot, then horse & buggy to get the Huntington Family luggage, food & provisions with their entourage, to their the mountain cabins at Camp Pine Knot. And lots of plateware, Mrs. Huntington probably bought at Saratoga Springs, NY.

It was a long trip to the Adirondack Mts, it’s a possibility that they stopped overnight in Saratoga Springs, NY. The Huntingtons loved the horse races; in fact, the Huntington horses raced at Saratoga Springs. It is my opinion, that the C. P. Huntingtons (Collis & Belle) stayed overnight in Saratoga Springs & went to the horse races, saw some friends. Also, Arabella would have been tempted to buy some fine bone plateware at the famous Saratoga China Co. in Saratoga Springs, etc.  Also, I found document from the Huntington “Homestead” estate in New York City at Throgg’s Neck, Westchester Co. Mr. Sullivan (the man the took care of the Huntingtons horses) paid “entry fees” for their horses at Saratoga Springs, NY. Document: HEH Coll MS 53/2 uncat 1902-6 (Huntington “Homestead” Estate Throggs Neck papers, NY) 

Employee of Camp Pine Knot (CPK): John A. Moore, Caretaker of Camp Pine Knot Raquette Lake, Adirondacks, NY Document: Surrogate’s Court Co. of New York – Last Will & Testament of Arabella D. Huntington at Huntington Library, San Marino, CA 

Huntington Property description (CPK): “Camp Pine Knot” 340 acres of land & several dozen different buildings on the property:

the Huntington’s Houseboat: “Barque of Pine Knot” 20 ft x 60 ft.:  a 4-room bark cabin built on a log raft, used to escape from the dreaded black fly in the spring, houseboat was fully equipped with a kitchen, bath & running water. Document: Surrogates Court County of New York of Arabella D. Huntington (Sept 1924- December 31, 1926 – schedule G page Camp Pine knot mentioned

Raquette Lake Railroad Train Station (For Raquette Lake area) built by Collis P. Huntington & his railroad

How large the properties were at Camp Pine Knot, Raquette Lake, NY Long Lake Hamiton Co. Township No. 40 Designated “Totten & Cronfields?:

Buildings & Boat House      9.75 acres $1,200.00 Value in the years 1924-26

Pine Knot [Property]       75. Acres $ 26,400.00 

Hemlocks          10 acres $ 4,600

McLaughlins Cottage     27.25 $ 2,100.00

Depot Lot  [Train]         .22 $ 600.00

Kirby Cottage        1. Acre $ 400.00

J. F. Durant Property     77.25 acres $ 1,300.00                

               Total : 200.47 acres      

In the town of Arietta, Hamilton, Co. NY Township #6  owned by Collis & Arabella Huntington:

Lot 43     1.95 acres                         $502.00 Value in 1924-26

Lot 50     40 acres                           $240.00

Lot 51     40 acres                           $240.00

Lot 58     40 acres                           $240.00

Lot 59     19. Acres                           $114.00

Total acres:  140.95 acres  Raquette Lake, NY Document: HEH Collection HEH 37/1-18 (uncat) Surrogates Court County of New York of Arabella D. Huntington (Sept. 1924- December 31, 1926 – schedule G page Camp Pine knot mentioned and Inventory Section (Huntington Library, San Marino Calif) The acres of the Huntington property in Total: 341 acres of land.

Archer Huntington later owned Camp Arbutus & Lake Arbutus property (15,000 acres) surrounding the W. W. Durant property in the Adirondacks. They donated it in the 1930’s NYS College of Forestry to start the Anna & Archer Huntington Wildlife Forest.

Camp Pine Knot is also described like this by Wikipedia: “The camp consists of 2 dozen (24) buildings, including a 7-room Swiss Cottage [Chalet had two beds to each room- 14 or more people], 4 Log Cottages of 1-3 rooms in each, 2 framed cottages (3-5 rooms each) a “Glass Dining Room” with view of the lake & 5 stall horse barn & wagon shed. Covered walkways connect many of the buildings. There was also “the Barque”, a 20 ft x 60 Ft. 4- room bark [Floating] cabin built on a log raft, used to escape from the dreaded black fly in the spring; it was fully equipped with a kitchen, bath & running water.” Information from Wikipedia “Camp Pine Knot” -rooms

Huntington “At-Home” Day (CPK): none that I could find, it was Mt. resort area, a vacation home, people would come & be their houseguests for 1-2 week or longer.

Huntington Family Calling Cards: none have been found for this property or location.

Servant staff: CPK Caretaker:  Mr. Moore            

Farmer/Gardener: I know there was several because you can see them in photos. They had horses, crops and vegetables to take care of.

Traveling Servants to CPK: (1890’s) Angus McGillvary (Scottish Butler, Jas. Temple (Valet & footman), Jeanne Reifer (ADH personal maid, & Carrie Campbell (ADH’s secretary), Mr. Miles (CPH’s business secretary).

Often, the Huntington niece, Carrie Huntington Holliday and her husband, E. Burke Holladay would join them. I saw a photograph in Theodore Roosevelts website was a photograph of Collis Huntington and Gov. Theodore Roosevelt in front of a roaring camp fire. So he was also a guest at Camp Pine Knot.

Huntington Camp Pine Knot Events (CPK) Summer Lake Parties, Full Moon Party, Island Picnics, Lake walks & Hikes, BBQ of vension or elk, Berry Picking, Vegetable Garden, 2019 “Durant Days” in October.

The month of August was when the Huntington family would go up to Camp Pine Knot in the Adirondack Mts. Sometimes in July they would also go also, entry in E. Burke Holladay Journals that Archer Huntington was their in July of 1904.   

Huntington Camp Pine Knot “Entertainments”: playing cards, bridge (photo of CPH & ADH & with Carrie Campbell and 1 other lady playing bridge or whist), piano playing, playing an instrument: bango, fiddle, or violin, singing, recital of poetry or verse, stargazing, eagle nest watching, badminton, horseback riding, boat cruises & picnics on “Barque of Pine Knot” boat/yacht, a 60 ft. houseboat,

Racquette Lake steamship rides to village or general store, kayaking, swimming, canoeing, hiking, berry picking, looking for fossils & rocks, gardening/picking of herbs & wildflowers, buying handmade moccasin from a nearby Indian tribe, picking flowers to decorate the Camp Pine Knot cabins, bird watching, deer skin rug, & reading a book & quote poetic Thoreau!!

Crafts: woodworking, signs & sculptures, making candles, weaving baskets or chairs, rug making with a loom, Indian necklace, whittling wood sculpture with a knife, & sewing.   

Butlers’ Pantry: (CPK) Plateware of the Collis & Arabella Huntington: Blue Transferware & Red Transferware: pitchers & plates at Camp Pine Knot

Blue Transferware (English) (CPK) “Heartsease” Wash “basin” (bowl) made of fine bone china made by Cauldon Potteries. Basin owned by Arabella Huntington at Camp Pine Knot on Racquette Lake, NY. Image: Blue & light blue & white background with viola tricolor image in blue only.  Made by Brown, Westhead, Moore & Co. “Heartease” Document: located at Adirondack Museum, Blue Mt., NY (located at Camp Pine Knot, Adirondack Mts -CPK) Blue transferware Pattern (CPK) (English & American): Brown, Westhead, Moore & Co. (marked BWM & Co.) “Heartease” (CPK & numerous pieces No. 2 & 65 Park Ave.), & Blue Transferware Meissen “Onionskin” (Above), we know Mrs. Arabella Huntington owned.

Silver Flatware/Sterling silver : At Mrs. Huntington’s other mansions, she monogramed all napkins & silverware. It is highly likely they had engraved silver flatware and napkins too. Maybe she monogrammed ”CPK” for (Camp Pine Knot) or “PK” for “Pine Knot”: Fork spoon & knives silver engraved. At Carnegie’s “Camp Uncas” on ea. piece spoon, fork & knife had “Uncas” engraved on the silver.

Fine Bone China Patterns (CPK): large set Wedgewood Arabella (65 Park Ave. NYC) owned the pattern unknown at CPK: possible Wedgewood brown transferware with deer, rabbit, mt. lion, moose or green Transferware fish plates or trout plates,  Red Transferware were found in the cabinets & on the mantle at Camp Pine Knot. Historical Note: Saratoga China Co. was very popular in Saratoga Springs. It was a train stop & the horse race. Mrs. Huntington might have gone there to pick up plateware for the Camp Pine knot. 

Linen Closet (CPK): Camp Uncas (J. P. Morgans camp) closed to Camp Pine knot had their own linen & napkins that had their name, “Uncas”. Maybe napkins of Camp Pine Knot the linens might have had with “Camp Pine knot” or “CPK” or “Pine Knot” embroidered on linens napkins, or towels.

The Huntington Dining Room “Chalet” & “Dining Room”: Table/Colors: Blue with Blue transferware “onionskin” or Red with Red transferware or green with green transferware, green & red, blaid green; red & white, picnic red & white gingham or plaid tablecloths is likely. Buffalo blue & white gingham tablecloth. A great invention in the mid 1800’s was oilcloth or American cloth which was cotton duck fabric with a top coating of boiled linseed oil to make it waterproof. Mackintosh made a flexible one that could drape of the side of the table.

Adirondack Rustic Furnitures: artistic handmade furniture made by the trees fo the forest: yellow birch, bark, split twigs, burls. Some of this furniture artisans are: Frank Alger, Joseph O. A. Breyere, Lee Fountain, William Jones Barry Gregson, Jonathan Sweet, Ernest Stowe, George Wilson. Document: Adirondack Museum at http://www.theadkx.org called Adirondack Experience Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812

Specialities at Huntington’s Camp Pine Knot, Racquette Lake, NY (CPK): 

Beverages: Hot Chocolate, Coffee, Hot mulled Apple Cider, Sparkling Lemonade, Root beer 

Libations: Red Claret wine, Chabis wine, Claret, Champagne, Burgundy 

Soups: Rustic hearty soups & stews, smoked clam chowder, Salmon Stew, Venison stew with red wine, Venison chili with cornbread, Fishermen’s stew, Salmon bisque, Potato Leek Soup, Chicken Soup with noodles, Lentil stew with sausage,  Southern Gumbo with okra & chicken & sausage, with Cornbread, Clam chowder

Appetizers: Smoked Lake Trout pate with water crackers, Crab cakes, Oysters Rockefeller, Smoked Salmon pate with dill & water crackers, Smoked oysters on saltine crackers , tuna and mayonnaise on crackers

Relish Dish: Smoked Oysters, Carrot sticks, Celery logs with Roquefort Cream, Salted California Almonds, Queen Olives, & Virginia Peanuts

Fish: Lake Trout Almondine, smoked fish, lake bass with a citrus cream sauce, Adirondack Stream Salmon, North pike fish, smoked oysters, & smoked mussels, 

Meat: Baby back rib BBQ or Smoked, Venson Stew, Beef or pork short ribs in a shallot & brandy glaze, wild boar, hare, chicken, Irish Lamb stew, pork, cow beef, 

Game & Poultry: Wild duck, Venison meat or stew, Pheasant, Chicken, capons of chicken with mushroom sauce, baked beans, Venison Chili, cowboy beans with beef

Vegetables: Baby Tomatoes with Compound Herb Butter, Squash, Onions, Celery, Squash, Salsify (Oyster Plant)

Vegetables: onions, carrots, celery, radish, mushrooms, spinach, petit pois (Garden peas) , Haricot verte (Green Beans), Leeks,   

Garden Flowers: Mountain Roses, Daffodil, Nasturtiums (edible spicy flowers for tea sandwiches), Sunflowers (edible Sunflower seeds)

Garden Mt. Herbs: Yellow & orange nasturtiums, wild fennel, parsley, lavender, rosemary, Baby chives, wild sorrel, wild sage, wild oregano, woodruff, wild anise, lavender, French Tarragon 

Salads: Potato Salad with chives or French Tarragon, Cole Slaw, Chicken Salad, Chef’s Salad, Macaroni Salad, Tunafish Salad, Nicoise salad with Olives, & Chicken salad with capers,

Cheeses : Cheddar cheese, Smoked gouda cheese, Goat cheese, goat cheese with herbs, goat cheese with honey, McLarens Canadian cheese, Roquefort cheese

Luncheon Deli meats & cheese: cheddar, Tuna Salad, French imported cheeses, roast beef sliced, turkey sliced, ham deviled or sliced, Swiss cheese, Victorian Chicken Salad, & Egg Salad.

Berries: wild mountain berries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries

Desserts: Raspberry pie or tart, Myrtleberry Pie (mixture of berries with sugar and cinnamon on a crusty pie crust), Mixed Berry Pie with Blueberries, Southern Caramel Cake with honey on top, Raspberry & Blackberries with Chantilly Cream, New York Cheesecake, New York Apple pie, Summer Peach Cobbler or Peach pie, Summer berry (bread) pudding with cream, Chocolate brownies, Spicy speculaas cookie, Gingerbread, chocolate cake, apple turnover or apple dumplings, Homemade Apple Cobbler, Molasses Cookies, Berry Bread pudding, 

Huntington Kitchen Pantry/Grocery Lists (CPK): 

Camp Pine Knot Mt. Breakfast food: Camp Pine Knot “Apple Cider & Cinnamon Fried Cakes (Donuts), “griddle cakes” or “flapjacks”, Southern buttermilk biscuits,  beaten bisquits with sausage gravy, venison sausage, blueberry pancakes, apple dumplings hot chocolate, hot coffee, scrambled eggs & bacon, sausage, mountain potatoes with green pepper & onions, banana bread, salmon lox, Blueberry pancakes, Apple cinnamon pancakes, sticky buns, grapefruit, Crepes with apple cinnamon filling, no yeast Bread (cheese bread & walnut bread), cheese, milk meat, eggs, chocolate, cookies, wild berry jam, blueberry jam, raspberry jam & cream biscuits/scones

We know that in Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s mansion in San Marino Ranch they made donuts. In 1914, she bought a donut cutter at Parmalee-Dohrmann in LA. She would have made, maybe even started the tradition of “Cider and Cinnamon Donuts” or Mrs. Durant.

Adirondack Recipe:

“Monkey Faces Cookies” by Hattie Shaw (long time great camp cook) 1 egg, 1 c. sugar, 1c. sour cream, ½ t. soda, 2 c. flour, grated nutmeg, drop on buttered pan [cookie sheet] to bake. Put in raisins for faces. Sprinkle over a little sugar. From: Adirondack Diary at Adirondack Museum. 

Huntington Teaparty at Camp PineKnot, Racquette Lake, NY (lake picnic or picnic on the Huntington boat:

Huntington tea blend: combination of India tea & Ceylon tea (which make a lovely Orange Pekoe). Southern Buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy or cream scones with Rhubarb Conserves, Raspberry jam, bowl of berries: raspberries, Smoked oysters and Saltine crackers, Cheese NY or McClarens Sharp cheddar & French Roquefort, blackberries & blueberries, orange marmalade, wild berry jam, Egg salad sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, smoked salmon tea sandwich, Smoked Trout pate & cream cheese sandwich or canapes, Document: HEH Coll MS 38/11 uncat (Household Bills 1919 Huntington Mansion No. 2 57th St. NYC)

Food/Animals on property: horses, cow, chickens. Turkeys, Pigs, mt. goats (goat milk or goat cheese)

The Library treasures: books on the great outdoors, Thoreau writings, Mountain & lake cookbook (How to cook lake fish & venison etc), Mrs. Huntington’s NYC cookbooks, poetry, How to make things, weaving, sewing, basket weaving, Bird Books, Indian cultures, Indian crafts, Native American Indians of Adirondack Mt., Garden books ,& botanical books for the garden at CPK

Art/Painting treasures: paintings with fruit & vegetables, lake paintings, & landscape paintings of the Racquette Lake, & Adirondack Mt., deer paintings, fish paintings, 

Trophies: Bear rug, deer antlers, etc., Indian ephemera, Snow shoes, Indian handmade baskets, Native American Indian mocassins

Garden treasures: exotic fruit or Fruit orchards, & apple trees 

Vegetables Camp Pine knot Garden: carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, parsley, from Mrs. Huntington other gardens: okra, salify (oyster plant), & photographs of cabins with gardens with nasturiums

Flower garden: sweet peas, nasturtiums, sunflowers, hollyhocks, wild roses, morning glories (CPK photos) [yellow daffodils, freesias, tulips, & hyacinths]

Herb Garden:  Mt. wild herbs: rosemary, oregano, lavender, parsley, wild fennel or wild anise (licorice), woodruff, From Mrs. Huntington other Gardens: French Tarragon, thyme parsley Wild: Bee Balm, wood sorrel (sorrel soup) sarsaparilla (tea or homemade rootbeer)

Pets/Horses/Aviary: cows, horses, pigs, goats, & chickens

Flowers & Flower arrangements: (roses & flowers) fragrant wild pink roses, Wildflowers, wild fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, sunflowers, purple lupines, nasturiums, forget-me-nots, Black eyed susans, purple lupines, Larkspurs, candytuft, flax, Coreopsis, & Shasta Daisy

Adirondack Wildflowers: BeeBalm, Butter & Eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Buckbean “Bogbean” (star white flower), Bunchberry, Canada Mayflower, Carolina Sprinbeauty, Coltsfoot, Dandelion, Evening Primrose, Eastern Daisy, Wood Sorrel, DewDrop, Dwarf Ginseng, Fireweed, Flattop Goldentop, Foamflower, Gold thread, Helleborine, Hop Clover, Orange Hockweed, Indian Cucumber, IndianPipe, Jack in the Pulpit, Milkweed, Painted Trillium, Partridgeberry, Pearly Everlasting, Pink Lady’s Slipper, Purple Trillium, Queen Anne’s Lace, Red Baneberry, Shinleaf, Squirrel Corn, Starflower, St. John’s Wort, Spotted Knapweed, Spreading Dogbane, Swamp candles, Trout Lily, White Baneberry, Wild Columbine, Wild Sarsaparilla, Wild Turtlehead, Yarrow, & Wrinkle Leaf, Goldenrod, Wintergreen. Document: wildadirondacks.org

“Birds of the Archer & Anna Huntington Wildlife Forest Station” in the Adirondack Mountains: by Archer & Ana Huntington (1920’s made a detailed book of Archer & Ana Huntington Forest): Loons, Grebes. Herons & Bitterns, Ducks Geese & Mergansers, Hawks, Grouse, Rails, Shore Birds, Doves, Cuckoos, Owls, Goatsuckers, Swifts & Hummingbirds, Kingfishers, Woodpeckers, Flycatchers, Swallows, Jays & Crows, Titmice, Nuthatches, Creepers, Wrens, Mockingbirds, Thrusters, Kinglets, Waxwings, Shrikes, Starlings, Vireos, Warblers, Weavers, Blackbirds & Orioles, Tanagers, Sparrows. Document: Ana & Archer Huntington wrote small typed up guide book about the birds in The Adirondack Mountains. It states all the different birds in the above categories. Archer also wrote a book called: The Flight of Birds (1939). 15,000 acres donated to Syracuse University- SUNY-ESF. Information found on adirondack.pastperfectonline.com

Visitors or “Callers”: W. W. Durant, Yarrington family, Huntington family & cousins, Teddy Roosevelt picture with CPH at CPK in Roosevelt archives.

Games: Card games, checkers, dominos, bridge, cards, solitaire,

Huntington Houseguests: Carrie M. Campbell (ADH’s Social sec’y, & friend) the Holladays: Carrie Huntington Holliday (their niece) & E. Burke Holladay & their children Helen & Collis Holladay, Henry E. Huntington & MaryAlice Huntington (his 1^st wife) & their children (Howard, Marion, Elizabeth & Clara), Archer M. Huntington wife Helen & friends, later Archer and his 2nd wife, Ana Huntington, Theodore Roosevelt (picture with Collis Huntington at Camp Pine Knot in the Theodore Roosevelt Archives), lots of family members.

Lake & Mountain “Guides”: men that knew the lakes & Mts. really well. They took people on boat rides or hikes around the grand Adirondack Mts.

Ferdinand Cortez Moody (11 yrs. or more a guide circa Oct. 1889) Document: Photo of this guide with his rifle & Springer Spaniel dog. “Faithful honest man and his memory I treasure wrote Mrs. Edwin H. Reese. http://www.adirondack.pastperfectonline.com (Adirondack Mts)

“Sam” Dunnigan (oldest guide on the chain of lakes) Adirondacks NY (Circa 1905)

Hotels:

The Mansion House, Elizabethtown, Adirondack Mts. NY (Season of 1895)

The White Face Inn (Between 1891-1896) Lake Placid, NY; The Adironack Company bought the Hotel in 1891.

Lake Placid Hotel at Lake Placid, NY

The Stony Creek Inn Stony Creek, NY (circa 1910)

Leland Hotel Schroon Lake, NY (Circa 1916 &1925)

The Westport Inn (Gateway to the Adirondacks, Westport, New York)

Racquette Lake House, Racquette Lake, NY

Eagle Bay Hotel, 4th Lake, Central Adirondacks, Eagle Bay, NY

The Algonquin, Lower Saranac Lake, The Adirondacks Mts., NY (circa 1907)

The Kenmore, 4th Lake, Adirondack Mts. NY

The Holland, Rouses Point, NY

The Hedges on Blue Mountain Lake, a resort, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

The Owl’s Head, the Adirondack Mts, NY Circa 1910)

The Palisades Hotel, Brant Lake, the Adirondacks, NY (Circa 1915)

The Regis Hotel, Saranac Lake, NY

Saranac Inn, Upper Saranac Lake, NY

Information: http://www.adirondack.pastperfectonline.com (Adirondack Mts. postcards)

Clubs: 

The Lakeside Lake Placid Club, Lake Placid, Adirondacks, NY (circa 1916)

Hunting club? Turkey Shoot Mrs. Fred Trembleys Benson Mines November 17-18 25 Large Turkey and 50 chickens given away as prizes

Fishing club?

Paul Smith’s Fish & Game Club & Paul Smith’s fancy restaurant (1890’s) 2 menus fancy 8 course dinner meals.

The Brown Swan Club & Cottages – Schroon Lake, NY in the Adirondacks, NY (circa 1915 and 1930) Information: http://www.adirondack.pastperfectonline.com (Adirondack Mts. postcards)

Restaurants: 

Lake Placid Hotel restaurant [H.E. Huntington & Mary Alice & their 4 children used to stay there] found in H. E. Huntington personal ledgers 1890’s.

Places:

The Racquette Lake Hotel,

The Old Trading Post Eagle Bay, NY

The Narrows, between 3th Lake & 4th Lake, Adirondacks, NY

Store & Casino, Raquette Lake, NY (Circa 1933)

Santa’s Workshop, Saranac Lake, NY

Document: Adirondack Experience TheMuseum of Blue Mountain Lake Adirondack Mt. NY http://www.adirondack.pastperfectonline.com

After Arabella Huntington died in 1924, her son Archer, (owned Camp Pine Knot from 1924-1930’s). Then Archer Huntington donated the land of Camp Pine Knot on Racquette Lake in the Adirondack Mt. in Upper State NY in the 1930’s to the University. In 2017 (SUNY) Cortland State University of New York College, at Cortland, NY now called “Camp Huntington”.

A fun thing to do on the Racquette Lake is to take a cruise & dine on the “W. W. Durant ship Cruise & Dine”: Food: Summertime June 27- Oct. 11 Racquette Lake, NY (2020) owned by Raquette Lake Navigation Co. 224 Main St. Raquette Lake, NY 13436 (Collis Huntington used to own it & Arabella Huntington after he died) Their cruise menu gives us a example of delicious food eaten on Racquette Lake. Buffet Lunch/ brunch: Libations Bloody Marys, Beverages, Ice tea, Lemonade, Coffee and Tea.

Salads: Green salad with salad dressing or Fruit salad, Caesar salad, Greek salad, Salad Nicoise, Marinated cucumber salad, Spinach Salad with egg with Bacon dressing, Bagettes of Bread & Sweet Butter. Beverages: Iced Tea, Lemonade, coffee tea. Entrees: Beef stroganoff, Chicken Pork or beef, Beef tri tips with wine mushroom sauce, Pork loin with garlic glace, Chicken fra diablo, Chicken Francais, Chicken in lemon tarragon sauce, Cabbage rolls with lamb or beef and rice, German potato salad. Pasta or Potatos: Buttered egg noodles with parsley, Scalloped potatoes, Potatoes O’Brien, Garlic smashed potatoes, Rice pilaf, couscous, Bowtie pasta with peas & smoked nova salmon, Polenta, Veggies: Parmesan tomatoes, Maple glazed carrots, Green beans almondine, Summer squash medley with Italian seasoning, Vegetarian lasagne, Marinated mushrooms, Sweet & sour red cabbage, Curried vegetables, Italian ratatouille, Garlic escarole, Creamed spinach, Creamed onions, Brussel sprouts with bacon & lime Entree: Prime rib or chef special, Vegetarian Salmon or chicken, Mac & cheese, Chicken nuggets, Salmon Balls. Desserts: Apple Crisp, Myrtle berry pie, Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Rice Pudding Maple Bread Pudding, Lemon Bars, Apple pie, Peach Cobbler, Strawberries Romanov, Carrot Cake, Strawberry Rhubarb cobbler, Fresh fruit with dessert, Cider & Cinnamon Fried Cakes (in Autumn Oct. 19 at “Durant Days” through the Adirondack Mt. & Lakes. Racquette Lake Navigation Co. [formerly owned by Collis Huntington].

Document: HEH Coll. MS 10968 (Burkes Journals 1904) at Huntington Library; HEH Coll. MS 37/1-18 (Arabella Huntingtons Surrogate’s Court of New York property papers); Document: HEH Coll MS 38/11 uncat (Household Bills 1919 Huntington Mansion No. 2 East 57th St. NYC, NY); Document: HEH Coll MS 53/2 uncat 1902-6 (Huntington “The Homestead” Estate, Throggs Neck, Westchester Co. paper NY-Saratoga Springs fee for horse races) at Huntington Library San Marino, CA; Hispanic Society of America website (Archer Huntington donating land to Syracuse University & Cortland); They donated it in the 1930’s NYC College of Forestry to start the Anna & Archer Huntington Wildlife Forest. Photo credit: wikimedia.org (Picture of Camp Pine Knot); Raquette Lake Navigation Co. (Ferry boat on Raquette Lake; Adirondack Museum: http://www.adirondack.pastperfectonline.com (Adirondack Mts.); Information on http://www.adirondackalmanack.com; Blue & white Transferware at Camp Pine Knot called “Heartsease” Brown, Westhead, Moore & Co. Document: located at Adirondack Museum, Blue Mt., NY)