Here's an article I wrote for THE STAMP INSIDER in January 2014 as part of the Empire State Postal History Society's page:
According to Wikipedia, there have been “Summer White Houses” since George Washington’s presidency. Washington, D.C is can be a very hot and warm place in the summer. Before air conditioning, many of the Washington elite would escape to cooler and dryer climate in the summer.
In 1897 and 1899, President William McKinley found refuge in northern New York at the Hotel Champlain, on a bluff overlooking Lake Champlain just south of Plattsburgh.
Even though he was on “vacation” the affairs of state still needed attention. A cover from possible McKinley himself to the Acting Secretary of Station in Washington, D.C. is postmarked with a double circle “HOTEL CHAMPLAIN/ Clinton Co., N.Y.” date stamp. I assume there is no “FREE” making because the corner card contains the word “OFFICIAL”.
Alvey Adee was a career diplomat who was Acting Secretary of State while Secretary of State John Sherman was in ill health. Adee was 2nd Assistant Secretary of State from 1886 to 1924.
The hotel was constructed in 1889 and 1890 by the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company as a destination summer resort. The three storey 400 guest hotel sat high about Lake Champlain on an overlook called Bluff Point. It was served by both the D&H Railroad and the Lake Champlain Steamboat Company.
In 1910 it was destroyed by fire but rebuilt in the coming years. Today it is the site of Clinton Community College.
Hotel Champlain used a number of cancels with “Clinton County” as part of the name, perhaps in an effort to make sure people would know where the hotel was located.
