Jacob S. Moody's tombstone in Pine Ridge Cemetery Born: 1787
Died: 1863
Married: Sally B. Moody
Children: Eliza Moody, Harvey Moody, Smith Moody, Cortis Moody, Daniel Moody, Martin Moody, Franklin Moody
Chiefly known for:
Jacob Smith Moody (1787 - 1863), farmer, trapper and guide, was the first settler in Saranac Lake.
He was born in Keene, New Hampshire. He was injured in a sawmill accident in Keene, and subsequently came to the Adirondacks. In 1819, he built a cabin and cleared land that — in traditional New England fashion — spanned the present day Pine Street, then known as Northwest Bay Road, near its intersection with River Street, now called Brandy Brook Road. Moody owned sixteen acres, including Moody Pond, the east side of Helen Hill, and the present Pine Ridge Cemetery, which began as his family graveyard. He later built a house at 154 River Street (near Pontiac Bay).
He had seven children and 21 grandchildren. His son Cortis Moody (sometimes given as Cortez) was the first child of European descent born in the area. His son Martin Moody gained fame as a guide.
Sources
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Donaldson, Alfred Lee, A History of the Adirondacks, New York, The Century Company, 1921
