French Louie

Louis Seymour, known as "French Louie" or "Adirondack French Louie" ( – February 28, 1915) was an Adirondack guide, trapper, woodsman and hermit. His age was unknown, but his death certificate said he was 84. He was born near Ottawa, Canada, sometime around 1832. French Louie is mentioned in virtually every book written about the south-central Adirondacks. A lot of what is known of him is from the oral tradition, but Harvey Dunham wrote a biography in 1953.

Early life Louis Seymour was born on a small farm near Dog River north of Ottawa. As a young boy he was able to do the work of a man, removing stumps, clearing brush etc. It's not known how many brothers and sisters he had, but Harvey L. Dunham described it as "many". After his mother's death, his stepmother was mean to him. He ran away from home and joined a circus. Louie crossed into the United States and joined another circus, and after an undetermined amount of time, at the age of twelve, he took a job on the Erie Canal as a driver, for $8 per month. During the many hours walking behind the mules, he would daydream about living in the woods, and how to set trap lines. There he lived and trapped, and sold his furs at Indian Lake village through Oliver Ste. Marie. Louie had no steel traps, but used snares and deadfalls. Oliver sent the furs to Prouty in New York City, who paid the best for furs. It might be a year or two before Louie saw the checks to be cashed.

Death In the winter of 1915, Louie became ill with what was then called Bright's disease. He hiked to his camp at Pillsbury and stayed overnight where he then trekked to the main road and walked to Speculator. Arriving at the Brook's Motel, he paid for his room with a trout he had caught and gave it to Nora Brooks, the wife of the owner. The evening of February 27, 1915, he fell deathly ill as Ernie and Nora Brooks sent for a doctor. He was pronounced dead early the next morning. Because of his lifestyle, Louie never had much money, so paying for a burial was very difficult. The townspeople of Lake Pleasant and Arietta chipped in and helped give Louie the proper burial he deserved. Ernie Brooks paid for the burial permit as Mead Sturges and Nathan Slack dug the burial site. The town of Arietta agreed to pay half of the $150 burial fee, while the other half was paid by the town of Lake Pleasant. The schoolhouse was closed as students attended the funeral of French Louie at the Speculator Methodist church. The funeral was preached by Rev. L.W. Ward. Before the casket was closed, children walked up to it and laid fresh green balsam on his body. As the procession made its way to the cemetery, they held balsam boughs as they walked. Louie was buried in the Speculator cemetery in an unmarked grave until 1945, when a group who was fascinated by his story erected a tombstone that read, "French Louie" "Louis Seymour, died February 28, 1915 aged about 85 years. Erected 1954 by admirers."