I spent yesterday in the Adirondacks outside the village of Newcomb. An estate near there, known as the Santanoni Preserve, is home to one of the Adirondack Great Camps. On July 10, 1971, a little boy named Douglas Legg was vacationing at the estate with his family. At some point that day, Douglas went missing and was never found. There is still a lot of mystery about his disappearance. Shortly after the search for Douglas (over 1,000 people, most of them unfamiliar with land search techniques, traveled to Newcomb to help try to find him), the Oswego County Land Search and Rescue Team formed. They have become a highly respected search team throughout New York State. I am currently researching the history of the team for an upcoming book.

Since the Oswego County team started as a result of the Douglas Legg search, I decided to visit the location on the 45th anniversary of his disappearance. I walked the trail where Douglas was last seen. I talked with some locals who remember the search. They were pleased to know that a professional rescue team was formed in response to the unsuccessful search for Douglas. This photo was among the paperwork on display. It's a sketch of an aerial view of the Santanoni estate, which was designed to resemble the shape of a phoenix. The phoenix, according to its mythology, never dies.