Basket, Adirondack pack, black ash

• Main Author: Leadley, Jack, Sr.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1997
• Subjects: Basket making; Folk Art; Folk Artists; Material culture; Baskets; Furniture; Woodworking; Leadley's Adirondack Sugarbush; abenaki
• Online Access: http://cdm16694.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/crandall/id/45

Cut from the Black Ash tree in the Spring, pack baskets are made from the splints pulled off of a log which are then smoothed, cut and woven into the basket. Although the pack baskets existed prior to the 1840s and were used by native peoples (especially the Abenaki), the basket reached its height in the 1850s when it was sold by guides for use in sport to those exploring the Adirondacks. Jack has been making pack baskets for over 30 years; a craft which developed when he saw the need to make better quality ones for his frequent use. Jack's handcrafted items were made in Speculator, Hamilton County, NY where he is known for maintaining aspects of traditional Adirondack culture. His construction of a bark shanty in the woods around his home to mark the founding of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Adirondack Park is likely the only one of its kind around.