Thomas C. Luther's Big Legacy in Malta and Stillwater

Malta Town Historian Paul Perreault was our speaker earlier this month, and told us about Thomas C. Luther, about whose family he is writing a book. Luther, who lived from 1862 to 1937, turned the White Sulphur Spring Hotel on Saratoga Lake in Stillwater into a famously successful resort. He also ran lumber operations in northern Washington County.

In Malta and Stillwater, Luther created the 7,000-acre Luther Forest Preserve. His descendants facilitated development of parts of the Preserve into a rocket testing facility for the U.S. government, and later into housing developments and a tech park. The tech park (which includes the former rocket site) is now home to the GlobalFoundries computer chip manufacturer.

Luther's granddaughter, Carol L. Mackay, died on November 1.

In other business, we set our Christmas/holiday party for Wednesday December 21 at 6 p.m. at The Galley restaurant on Route 9, just north of the Malta Ridge Fire House. (Please confirm attendance to Paul Phillips.)

$1,000 for QMC in Lesotho

 

Lynn Minderman, right, president of Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections, visited Lesotho in August and September. She is seen here with Remaketse, a recent graduate of the National University of Lesotho.

Our club recently received letters (to which we will respond) from two of the high school students we sponsor. At this morning's meeting, we voted to contribute $1,000 to continue supporting the QMC program. Most of this money comes from our member Mike Williams, who closed out his political campaign fund.