The Wilmington Bridge

The Wilmington Bridge. . One of the first settlers, Reuben Sanford was an instrumental force in the development of Wilmington, building mills, an iron forge, stores and distilleries. , Even when travel to the Adirondacks involved many challenging miles by train and stagecoach, Wilmington's hotels and resorts made it a popular tourist destination. Local guides catered to visiting hunters and fisherman, and led horseback rides and hikes to the top of Whiteface Mountain., As roads improved and automobiles came to the Adirondacks, Wilmington entered a new age of tourism. "Motor hotels" (motels) were built as well as new attractions like Santa's workshop and the Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort. In every season, sports such as skiing, fly fishing, hiking, kayaking and cycling continue to bring people to Wilmington. , The Ausable River is home to some of the most famous fly fishing in the United States with numerous Brown, Brook and Rainbow Trout caught each year. Many popular fly fishing pools are along the West Branch of the Ausable River on NY Route 86. , From 1934-1935, The Wilmington Stone Bridge was built over the West Branch of the Ausable River to complement the construction of the Whiteface Memorial Highway by the Work Projects Administration. This concrete bridge was faced with anorthosite (granite) claimed from construction of the Whiteface Memorial Highway. The foundation of this sign is claimed from the 1934-35 Wilmington Bridge. An Historic American Engineer Record was completed of the bridge in 2014, and a copy can be found at the Wilmington Public Library. , The National Wild and Scenic Ausable River is 94 miles (150 km) long and drains a watershed of 516 square miles. The river's two branches (East and West) join at Ausable Forks and plunge through Ausable Chasm (East of Keeseville), before emptying into Lake Champlain. , The West Branch starts at Marcy Brook near Heart Lake, in the Town of North Elba. It flows past John Brown's Farm, and the Olympic Training Center South of Lake Placid, drops through a series of falls at High Falls Gorge, and supplies water for snow-making at the Whiteface Ski Resort, on the way to Wilmington. , The East Branch starts at Lower Ausable Lake, passes through Keene and joins the West Branch in Ausable Forks.