Clifton West Talks About Hague
March 21, 1997
Hague, New York 12836
Dear Mr. Clayton,
I worked with our Town Clerk, Debbie Manning, in filling out the request for information sent you Thursday. This adds a little more.
As Town Historian I have gathered much information on the genealogies of families who lived here and moved to other states. When their descendants write me I am often able to help them. I am acquainted with many other historians who have sent material to me. Hague's files have data on nearly 100 families. In some cases I have written histories of these people. My own goes back to the Mayflower on one side and into England on the other. Men from Hague have entered every war in which this country has been involved.
The only industry Hague has now, other than tourism, is a small motorboat building company making fancy speed boats. Lake George is noted for its bass, lake trout and salmon fishing. Hague is a member of the New York State Bass Tournament.
There is a golf course a few miles north of the town. Gore Mountain Ski Center is an hour's drive north and West Mountain Ski Slopes fifty miles south.
One time Hague had the largest Graphite mine in the country. This closed in 1921 as other countries produced and shipped in graphite more economically than we could. A hundred years ago we had many farms here but they have all gone out of business. Children born on farms went away for their education, then found employment that paid better with shorter hours.
Hague now has one General Store, one garage, a marina and a beautiful park with access to Lake George. Our one-time six hotels have long ago gone out of business and have been razed. We have three churches, Baptist, Catholic and Wesleyan. Hague used to have three summer restaurants. Now we have one at Silver Bay which operates all year and is six miles south. Another is in business in summer only. After fifty-one years of operation our Central School consolidated with the one in Ticonderoga ten miles away. Our Community Center, built in 1989, contains all town offices, provides meeting rooms for all town offices and local organizations. Its largest room can accommodate 200 people for election luncheons, physical exercise groups and meetings.
I write articles of local historical interest for newspapers, life as it used to be in small towns. I have reached 88 and have a fair memory.
(signature) Clifton West
Hague Town Historian