The year was 1872 and a lawyer and topographical engineer by the name of Verplanck Colvin, had been recently appointed superintendent of the Adirondack Survey out of Albany.

With primitive survey equipment, some of his own design and a crew of assistants that sometimes numbered nearly 100, Colvin sought to quantify the vast wilderness in an effort to get New York state to recognize the need for management and preservation. His efforts lead the establishment of the Adirondack Park by the New York State Legislature in 1882.

Learn more about Colvin and the Park's fascinating history by checking out this story by JT Hall, of the Syracuse New Times.