Richard Murray Shutts was born March 25, 1838, in Ellenburgh, NY, the sixth child of Simon and Rachel Shutts. Known as ‘Uncle Dick,’ he was somewhat of a local celebrity, perhaps the most well-known member of our Shutts family.
Growing up on what is now Spear Hill, Dick spent his youth exploring the waters of Chateaugay Lake, as well as the surrounding hills and mountains. Out of these early experiences in fishing and hunting there was born a lifelong passion for the outdoors. This passion earned Dick a reputation as one of the best hunters, fishermen, and wilderness guides in the Adirondacks.
In 1865, after returning from service in the Union Army, Dick moved to his father’s farm in Malone, NY, where he stayed for several years. By 1880, though, he’d moved back to the Chateaugay Lake area, living on the farm of his cousin, Edgar Shutts, just above the Upper Chateaugay Lake. Here he served as a guide for hunting and fishing tours for locals and out-of-town guests to the area.
In 1882, Dick bought the house at Indian Point near the south inlet of the lake from Eb McPherson. At first he used the small existing log cabin to host small parties of hunters and fishermen. Within a year or two, he began to add on to the house to accommodate more guests. In 1888, he used his Civil War pension to start construction of a three-storey hotel, adding a kitchen, dining room, and 10 sleeping rooms. Construction was completed in 1890. In 1895, the old house burned down, and two smaller cabins were eventually added.
Guests came from all around the U.S. and Canada, returning year after year, to stay with ‘Uncle Dick and Aunt Edna,’ who were married in 1887. They found a wonderful cook in Aunt Edna, and Uncle Dick was known as much for his storytelling as he was for his abilities as a guide. On occasion, unwanted mail arrived at the Indian Point House. For this purpose, it was alleged that Dick had a “Dead Letter Office,” a crack in the floor, which he used to dispose of such letters.
The Indian Point House stayed in business until 1921, the year of Dick Shutts’ death. Before his death, Uncle Dick wrote his will in chalk on one of the hotel doors. It was signed and made legal in the presence of John Hackett, an attorney from Hyde Park, NY, who also worked for the family of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Fay Welch bought the property a few years later and started a camp for children, which still exists today.
