Heartwood: The Adirondack Homestead Life of W. Donald Burnap [Heart Wood]

xx, 322 pp. "In 1902, at the age of six weeks, Don Burnap arrived at Fourth Lake in a packbasket. His parents, and brothers and sisters, began to carve a homestead from the wilderness surrounding the Fulton Chain of Lake, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. This is the story of how a family of seven lived in a camp by the shore, between woods and waters. They provided most of their own food, kept a horse and cow or two, and lived what seems to us now, a quiet and isolated life. Yet, with the nearby railroad, and the lake traffic, there was always something interesting happening. Here are stories of the community schoolhouse, the camp-building, the train wrecks, and the tragic accident which claimed Burnap's father's life. And this is the story of how the homestead evolved, and eventually became a popular resort, with multiple cottages and staff. For forty-seven years, Don Burnap was the Captain of the Fulton Chain mailboat, a unique dock-to-dock postal service. His recollections of camps, grande dame hotels, and native Adirondackers are all recorded in these pages."