Almquist Green Lakes Collection

Fayetteville Free Library

Superintendent Almquist on a self-constructed automobile at Green Lakes State Park - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

128

Dates of Original:

c. 1860 - 1950

Historical Context

Green Lakes State Park is located in the Town of Manlius, east of Syracuse. The Park is centered on two small lakes, Green Lake and Round Lake, which serve as rare examples of meromictic lakes, notable for the absence of seasonal circulation between water layers and for the relatively undesturbed sediments at the lake floors. The park has a golf course, beach recreational area, and camping area, and has historically been a destination for outdoor recreationers.

Arvin H. Almquist (1901-1959) served as the park's first superintendant and oversaw the construction of the park's roads, golf course, beach, and other facilities.

Scope of Collection

Photographs of Arvin Almquist, Superintendent of Green Lakes State Park from 1928 to 1948, form the basis of the collection. These images, donated to the library by his family, document the construction of the park by Civilian Conservation Corps workers. An index and a companion diary of project activity are also available for viewing in the Local History Room in the library. Additional images in this collection include photos printed from glass plate negatives in 1894 of the site later developed for the state park and a 1924 illustrated proposal for a state park authored by Henry R. Francis, professor at the NY State College of Forestry, Syracuse University. A full Green Lakes exhibit can be found on the library's website.