New York State Ranger School
Encyclopedia
Wanakena, New York
Wanakena is a hamlet located on the shore of Cranberry Lake in the town of Fine in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. Tourism is a major industry in the area; a small year-round population is supplemented by an influx seasonal residents each Summer...
, was founded in 1912 under the administration of the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University
History of the New York State College of Forestry
The New York State College of Forestry, the first professional school of forestry in North America, opened its doors at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York, in the autumn of 1898. After just a few years of operation, it was defunded in 1903, by Governor Benjamin B. Odell, in response to public...
, to train forest rangers and other personnel for the still-young Adirondack Park.
Shortly its establishment, the school received a gift of 1800 acres (7.3 km²) from the Rich Brothers Lumber Co. In 1923, Governor Alfred E. Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
, later to become President of the Board of Trustees of the New York State College of Forestry, signed an appropriation bill for the construction of the Ranger School's new building; the structure was dedicated in 1928. The following year, in 1929, the International Paper Company added to the school's properties with a gift of 500 acres (2 km²).
Today, the Ranger School is a unit of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is an American specialized doctoral-granting institution located in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, immediately adjacent to Syracuse University...
. Students at ESF's Wanakena residential campus spend an academic year or summer at the Ranger School studying forest and natural resources management, earning an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in either forest technology or surveying.
Eugene S. Whitmore, the Ranger School's first graduate, completed his studies in 1912. Since then, more than 3000 have completed their degrees at the school.
The historical school is situated on the Oswegatchie River
Oswegatchie River
The Oswegatchie River is a river in northern New York that flows north from the Adirondack Mountains to the Saint Lawrence River at the city of Ogdensburg. The river mouth was the site of a Jesuit mission, Fort de La Présentation, founded in 1749. Also a fur trading post, the village had 3,000...
that connects to Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake is a lake on the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park Cranberry Lake is a lake on the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in...
, in the northwestern part of the Adirondack Park; it is about 65 miles (104.6 km) from Watertown, New York and 35 miles (56.3 km) from Tupper Lake
Tupper Lake
Tupper Lake is the name of several locations in the State of New York in the USA.* Tupper Lake, a lake in the Adirondack Park.* Village of Tupper Lake.* Town of Tupper Lake....
. The school's properties include the 3000 acres (12.1 km²), James F. Dubuar Memorial Forest.