Living Lands: Underground History – The Mystery of Eagle Nest

Was there an Underground Railroad route that ran from south of Lake George right through the heart of the Adirondacks? Was the famed Ned Buntline home of Eagle Nest near Blue Mountain Lake an Underground Railroad stop? For more than a century, rumors have suggested it was a path for escaped slaves traveling from Glens Falls to Canada and freedom. The circumstantial evidence for it is compelling; the arguments against it are equally strong. Can it be proven either way? Join North Country Community College lecturer Pete Nelson on a journey through history, lore and speculation that not only seeks to unravel the mystery of the original clearing at Eagle Lake, but also to shine a light on a diverse Adirondack past still little known.

Pete Nelson is a teacher, writer, essayist and activist. Pete is also a founder and current Coordinator of the Adirondack Diversity Advisory Council, which is working to make the Park more welcoming and inclusive. When not writing or teaching mathematics at North Country Community College, Pete can be found in the back country, making music or even walking on stilts, which he and his wife Amy have done professionally throughout the United States for nearly two decades. Pete is a proud resident of Keene, and along with Amy and his dog Henderson owns Lost Brook Tract, a forty-acre inholding deep in the High Peaks Wilderness.