Arkell’s Ambition – The Magic of Mt. McGregor Tuesday, Oct. 8

BALLSTON SPA—William J Arkell, son of the prominent Canajoharie businessman James Arkell, will be portrayed by Ben Kemp, staff member of Grant’s Cottage on Tuesday Oct. 8 at 7 pm at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. 

“President Ulysses S. Grant will always be associated with Mt. McGregor and rightfully so” Kemp said in a statement, “but there is also the larger context of the Gilded Age and how it transformed a mountain into a luxury resort.”

Arkell began his association with Mt. McGregor in 1881 and garnered financial support from other wealthy businessmen to transform the mountaintop into a resort. At 26, Arkell led the effort to construct a railroad and build a hotel on the summit. 

Kemp – operations manager of the U.S Grant Cottage State Historic Site – will feature a presentation that includes images of the luxurious wilderness resort provided by the wonders of the magic lantern. Artifacts associated with the resort and Grant Cottage Historic Site will be on display. Registration is recommended at brooksidemuseum.org. The program is free, and donations are welcome. 

The Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum is located at 21 Fairground Ave. in Ballston Spa at the intersection of Front Street, Fairground Avenue, and Charlton Street.