In 1819, Jacob Moody and his family became the first people to settle in what would become the Village of Saranac Lake, NY. Later, one of his sons, Benjamin, cleared for sheep pasture the land on the hillside that would become Pine Ridge Cemetery, and the family burial plot was established around this white pine tree behind Benjamin’s house. Today, Benjamin’ house is gone, but the Moody family still thrives in Saranac Lake; and the tree has grown to become the largest (though not the tallest) white pine in the village.