Book Description
In the early 1900s, William Rockefeller of Standard Oil, one of the world's wealthiest, most powerful businessmen, decided to purchase a vast estate in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. The land he wanted consisted of traditional hunting and fishing grounds vital to settlers who had lived in the mountains for generations. He purchased more than 50,000 acres and allowed no trespassing on his property.To complete his estate, Rockefeller needed to remove the village of Brandon, which stood in his way. Most of the residents left or were coerced by Rockefeller into leaving. A variety of aggressive, onerous tactic were used to drive the people of Brandon from their homes.A diminutive lumberjack named Oliver Lamora resisted, and for a decade the two men battled in the forest and in the courts of New York State. The confrontation grew into a fight for control of the Adirondacks, and was followed by newspapers from coast to coast. Threats, violence, arson, and murder all played a role in the struggle. It pitted wealthy outsiders against poor mountain natives, and the two main protagonists, Rockefeller and Lamora, were portrayed as a modern-day version of David and Goliath. This is the uplifting, true story of a pioneer woodsman's heroic battle against incredible odds.
