GPS Coordinates: ( 43.47608, -74.35693 )
Distance (miles round trip): 1.2
Elevation Gain (feet): 0
Speculator
A short trail leads to an old cemetery containing the grave
of Colonel Peck, Hamilton County's only Revolutionary War
officer. The trail is about 0.6 mile each way to the cemetery,
where there are several other old headstones.
Directions
Located 2.3 miles southeast of the Village of Speculator.
From Speculator, drive south for 0.8 miles on route
30 and make a right onto Downey Road, Follow Downey past Camp
of the Woods, turn right onto South Shore Road. Follow
South Shore Road till you come to the trail head
(unmarked) on the left side
of the road 1.9 miles from Route 30 & Downey
road intersection.
From Wells make a left onto Downy Road, and a left onto
South Shore Road before you reach Camp of the Woods, just
past the little fishing bridge (2.6 miles from the intersection
of 30 and Downey Road. On the left.
COL. Loring
peck was a hero of the Revolution.
According to field notes made by Melvin W.
Lethbridge and printed in the New York State
Historical Association's quarterly journal in
1926:
On the shore of Lake Pleasant,
which is the head of one branch of the Sacandaga River,
and
about one and one-half
miles in on a trail which leaves the mountain road
to the lake at Signboard Hill, and bears to the left
around the
head of the lake, at the foot of Speculator Mountain,
in a family cemetery lies the body of a Revolutionary
soldier
together with his wife and son. This man settled
here shortly after the Revolutionary War and hewed
a farm out of the
wilderness and now rests peacefully there. His name
was Colonel Loring Peck, and the place is yet known
as "Pecks
Clearing." It is now the property of the State
and is overgrown with woods. It should be cleared
and preserved
by the State.
Peck was born in 1744 and
according to History of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence
plantations (1859-60,
over at Making of America) Loring Peck was made a
Captain in Colonel Henry Babcock's Second Rhode Island
Regiment
(Babcock was replaced by Colonel Christopher Lippitt
a month later). This "Second Rhode Island" was
actually made of men of the State Militia who were
eventually turned over to the Continental Congress.
The Regiment "played
an important role" at the Battle
of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton according to the Rhode
Island Historical
Society which holds many of the regiment and Lippitt's
papers.
After his service in the Second Rhode Island Loring Peck
was at Bristol, Rhode Island in 1777 and 1790 and was living
in Amenia, Dutchess County NY in 1800 and 1810 and moved
to Lake Pleasant before 1820. He had three sons who served
in the War of 1812:
-
Dr. George Peck who married
Elizabeth Dunning served as a surgeon in the War of
1812. He was a land
speculator and founder of Camanche, the first county
seat of Clinton County, Indiana, in the 1830s.
-
Richard
Peck served in the War of 1812 with some other men
from Wells and Lake
Pleasant.
-
William
Burke Peck was a Captain in the War of 1812 on the
Canadian Frontier with
some other men from
Wells and Lake Pleasant. According to local historians he opened
the first store at lake Pleasant in 1817.
Loring Peck was living with his son
Loring Jr. in Lake Pleasant 1830, at the reported age
of 80 to 90. His gravestone
says "In Memory of Col. Loring Peck, a Patriot of
the Revolution. Died July 29, 1833 in the 90th year of
his age." In 1935 a small bronze plaque was placed
at the back of his gravestone by Minnie Peck Hall Krauser
a member of the (Denver, Colorado) Regent Peace Pipe
Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Courtesy
of the Adirondack Almanac
From "Tales From an Adirondack County," Ted
Aber and Stella King. © 1978. Prospect Books.
The 3 gravestones in the family plot read as follows:
" Col. Loring Peck, a patriot of the Revolution, died July
29, 1833 in his 90th year
Jane, his wife, died June 20, 1825 in her 71st
year"
Loring Peck, Jr., died May 5, 1861 in his 80th
year"
Of his military service this book states:
" he had entered military service at an early age. By January
1775, he had become a captain. During the War of the Revolution,
Peck was promoted to major. In 1794, as commander of the
Senior Class Regiment of Rhode Island troops of Newport
and Bristol Counties, he became lieutenant colonel, a rank
he help throughout his continuous service through 1797.
He was also a member of the Rhode Island Legislature for
many years."
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 Gives
detailed descriptions for all hikeable trails in the
southern section of the Park bounded roughly by NY
8 to the north and Lake George to the east. Includes
the
Silver Lake Wilderness. Edited by Linda Laing with
Jack Freeman and Neal Burdick. 2nd ed. 251 pages, 4 7/8" x
6 3/8". Soft cover (includes folding map).
Buy
from Adirondack Books
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book designed expressly for young people to learn the
ways of hiking, how to hike and enjoy the out-of-doors,
and how to discover the wonders of the Adirondack Park.
This book puts young people in charge of learning about
the woods, how to protect themselves and be safe in
the woods, and how to protect the woods. It also encourages
hikers to begin to read maps and to use a compass.
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from Adirondack Books
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Hiking Links
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Hiking Safety
Safety is important whether you are day hiking
or winter backpacking. Proper planning, preparation, proper clothing
and taking appropriate gear along are essential to a safe and enjoyable
excursion.
Before
You Leave plan ahead. Learn about the area ahead of time.
Study the latest guidebooks and maps that give information
on highways, trails, streams and other physical features.
Plan your trip carefully according to routes and the time
you have available. Check weather reports before you set
out.
Prepare yourself physically. If your planned recreation calls for considerable
physical exertion, get in shape beforehand. Do not attempt a trip that is beyond
your physical capabilities.
Leave word of your destination and schedule. In order to locate you in an emergency
or send assistance should you need it, leave word at home or with a friend
as to where you are going and when you intend to return.
Know the rules and guidelines for appropriate behavior for the area you are
visiting.
On The Trail
Dress appropriately for the season and where appropriate hiking
shoes or boots. Layered clothing is best to meet changing weather
conditions. If cool or wet conditions can be expected it is recommended
that you avoid cotton clothing, which insulates poorly when wet and
dries very slowly.
Carry a compass and a topographic map of the area and know how to use both.
Take along appropriate equipment and supplies. A day pack containing rain gear,
extra warm clothing, high energy food, water, first aid kit, pocket knife, whistle
and matches in a waterproof container are recommended. Sunglasses and insect
repellent are also handy.
Do not drink water from ponds or streams unless you have treated it first by
boiling, filtering or using purification tablets.
You should sign in at any Department of Environmental Conservation trail register
you may pass. This will assist us in finding you should we need to search for
you.
If You Get Lost or Someone is Injured
If you become lost, keep calm, stay dry, keep warm and stay put.
If it appears that you will need to spend the night in the woods, build a campfire
to provide heat, light and comfort. A campfire will be invaluable in locating
you if you have been reported missing. Aircraft may be used in searching when
weather permits and smoky campfires may be spotted from the air
If the weather is particularly cold or bad and you must spend the night in
the woods, also build a small shelter using dead branches, hemlock boughs and
leaves.
The shelter will serve as a "cocoon" and should be just big enough
for you to lie in comfortably. Set up camp before darkness falls.
If you feel you can try and find your way out of the woods, remember that following
streams downhill will nearly always lead you back to signs of habitation.
Any person knowing you are overdue should contact the New York State Forest Ranger
in the area of your trip.
In case of accident, at least one person should remain with the injured person.
Know and use basic first aid techniques. Others in the group should carefully
note the location and contact the local New York State Forest Ranger.
DEC
Rules
The
rules associated with using Department of Environmental Conservation managed
public lands in New York State for recreational purposes
are relatively simple
and straightforward.
Hiking
and back country camping are allowed on Forest Preserve lands in the
Adirondack and Catskill Parks
as well as State Forest areas. Generally, camping is
prohibited on Unique Areas, Wildlife Management Areas and other categories
of state land. Hiking is generally permitted anywhere
but special
requirements apply to mountain biking and horseback riding.
Some
specific units in the forest preserve may have regulations
that are different
than the rules and guidelines listed below!
For information about the 52 Department
of Environmental Conservation campgrounds in the Adirondack
and Catskill Parks, visit DEC Campground Information. The rules
and guidelines for the use of New York State's public lands
are generally as follows:
Except
where marked by a "Camp Here" disk camping is prohibited within
150 feet of roads, trails, lakes, ponds, streams or other bodies of water.
Groups of ten or more persons or stays
of more than three days in one place require a permit from
the New York State Forest Ranger responsible for the area.
Lean-tos are available
in many areas on a first come first served basis.
Lean-tos cannot be used exclusively and must be shared
with other campers.
Use pit privies provided
near popular camping areas and railheads. If none
are available, dispose of human waste by digging
a hole 6"-8" deep at least 150 feet from
water or campsites. Cover with leaves and soil.
Do not use soap to wash
yourself, clothing or dishes within 150 ft of water.
Drinking and cooking water
should be boiled for 5 minutes, treated with purifying
tablets or filtered through filtration device to
prevent instances of giardia infection.
Fires should be built in
existing fire pits or fireplaces if provided. Use
only dead and down wood for fires. Cutting standing
trees is prohibited. Extinguish all fires with water
and stir ashes until they are cold to the touch.
Do not build fires in areas marked by a "No
Fires" disk. Camp stoves are safer, more efficient
and cleaner.
Carry out what you carry
in. Practice "leave no trace" camping and
hiking.
Keep your pet under control.
Restrain it on a leash when others approach. Collect
and bury droppings away from water, trails and camp
sites. Keep your pet away from drinking water sources.
Observe and enjoy wildlife
and plants but leave them undisturbed.
Removing plants, rocks, fossils or artifacts
from state land without a permit is illegal.
The storage of personal property on state land is prohibited.
Carry an approved flotation device for each person
aboard all watercraft.
Except in an emergency or between
December 15 and April 30, camping is prohibited above an elevation
of 4000 feet in the Adirondacks.
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