Lake Placid in Essex County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Henry J. Kaiser

Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, August 11, 2011

1. Henry J. Kaiser Marker

Inscription. To Honor the Memory of
Henry J. Kaiser
The famous industrialist and philanthropist
who operated a studio and photo shop on this
site from 1901 to 1905
Brownell and Kaiser
"Meet The Man with a Smile"
He returned in June 1949 with Guy Lombardo
and two speed boats to be tested in speed
trials on Lake Placid.

Dedicated During the Oct. 6, 1971
A.A.U Conference
by the
Lake Placid Sports Council

Erected 1971 by Lake Placid Sports Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1949.

Location. 44° 17.418′ N, 73° 59.099′ W. Marker is in Lake Placid, New York, in Essex County. Marker is on Main Street/Mirror Lake Drive (New York State Route 86), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2439 Main Street, Lake Placid NY 12946, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sonja Henie Ice Fountain (approx. 0.4 miles away); The XIII Winter Olympic Games (approx. 2.1 miles away); Here Lies Buried John Brown (approx. 2.7 miles away); New York State Forest Preserve

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(approx. 3.7 miles away); John Brown (approx. 3.8 miles away); Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run (approx. 5.8 miles away); New York World War Veterans Memorial Highway (approx. 6.6 miles away); Making History in Saranac Lake (approx. 7.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lake Placid.

Regarding Henry J. Kaiser. Henry John Kaiser was born on May 9, 1882 in Sprout Brook, Montgomery County, New York and died August 24, 1967 at the age of 85 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

At age 18, he was working as a traveling salesman for a photo supply company including sales calls in Lake Placid, New York. He liked Lake Placid so much that, when he was 20, he approached a Lake Placid photographer and offered to work for him for free. The catch was that, if Kaiser could double the man’s business, they would share the profits 50-50. Within a year, Kaiser had tripled the business, and the photographer ended up selling it to him. Kaiser went on to become a legendary industrialist and social advocate. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel, and organized

Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, August 11, 2011

2. Henry J. Kaiser Marker

The village of Lake Placid is set beside Mirror Lake, which can be seen to the right of the building with the Kaiser plaque, which is mounted to the left of the center doorway.

Kaiser Permanente health care for his workers and their families. With his acquired wealth, he initiated the Kaiser Family Foundation, a charitable organization.

In June of 1949 The Ticonderoga Sentinel was reporting from North Elba, "For the second successive week end, Henry J. Kaiser has visited Lake Placid to check on the progress of his two big speed boats. Guy Lombardo also appeared here Saturday to try out the massive 32-foot Aluminum First, with which he will try to break the world's mile straightaway record in the time trials scheduled Saturday & Sunday."

Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist who became famous as band leader of the Royal Canadians. The Royal Canadians were noted for playing the traditional song Auld Lang Syne as part of the celebrations. Their recording of the song still plays as the first song of the new year in New York's Times Square. Lombardo was also an important figure in hydroplane speedboat racing, winning the Gold Cup in 1946 in his record-breaking speedboat, Tempo VI, designed and built by the legendary John L. Hacker.

Henry Kaiser, who had built hundreds of ships during World War II, was supposedly paying for a new boat capable of great speeds for Lombardo to use to set the new world record. The boat was to be

Henry J. Kaiser image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

3. Henry J. Kaiser

built by Ventnor Boat Works in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which also built Lombardo’s Tempo VI. Kaiser, who had a summer home in Lake Placid, said that he wanted the record to be broken there. Lombardo tested ALUMINUM FIRST at Lake Placid, New York, in June of 1949, but the tests were obviously unsatisfactory. No speeds were ever announced and plans for a straightaway record attempt were abandoned.

Additional keywords. Kaiser Permanente

Grover Whalen and Guy Lombardo (right) image. Click for full size.

New York Public Library

4. Grover Whalen and Guy Lombardo (right)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 21, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. This page has been viewed 1,354 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 21, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.