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Adirondack history writer explores century-old cold case | News, Sports, Jobs - Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Orrando Dexter, a wealthy lawyer who moved to the area in the late 1800s, was gunned down in the afternoon on Sept. 19. His assailant’s identity is unknown.
Dexter, who had bought almost 10,000 acres surrounding East Branch Pond, hadn’t been on good terms with his surrounding neighbors, up to the day he was shot. Picked off while riding into Santa Clara to collect his mail.
The most interesting thing he found about this case, Peacock said, was “the back and forth warfare” Dexter had with local lumber baron, Joe Alfred, leading up to Dexter’s death. Alfred would break open nearby dams and flood Dexter’s property. Dexter would retaliate by obstructing lumber transport routes in the area.
“One guy would poke the other one in the eye and the other one would hit him (back),” Peacock said.
Prior to Dexter buying his property, Alfred and other nearby residents were using the area as a shortcut — as well as a hunting, trapping or logging zone. To deter this from happening, once he bought the land, Dexter began posting signs and fencing around his property.
“That’s what pissed everybody off, locally,” Peacock said.
“Everybody hated this guy. Without exception. And he hated everybody in the North Country.”
1903 Dexter murder remains unsolved Adirondack mystery
The Unsolved Murder of Orrando Dexter | Forever Wild: The Cultural and Natural Histories of the Adirondack Park
