05/12/2026
"No law above Remsen"
The Forestport Dam wasn't always about kayaking and summer fun… back in the late 1800s it was the center of one of the Adirondacks’ wildest scandals.
As logging and canal business started drying up, some local Forestport men came up with a very questionable economic development plan:
💥 Break the canal wall
🔨 Create emergency repair work
🍻 Keep the saloons full
💰 Boost the local economy
And they actually did it. Twice.
In 1897 and again in 1898, the feeder canal walls were sabotaged, sending water rushing through the area and forcing New York State to scramble crews to repair the damage. Business boomed around town while investigators started getting suspicious.
By 1899, the legendary Pinkerton detectives arrived in Forestport to crack the case after another wall break occurred. People pointed fingers, others stayed silent, and the entire town became wrapped up in conspiracy, trials, and scandal.
One local saloon owner, Dick Manahan, owner of the original Buffalo Head restaurant, was accused along with several others. Eventually, multiple Forestport residents were convicted in what became known as the famous “Forestport Breaks Scandal.”
So next time you visit the Forestport Dam, remember:
The rapids aren’t the only thing with a criminal history around here. 😅🌊
Stay close to Adirondack history, adventure, and the legendary dam at:
Camp Foothills
