The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York, founded in 1892, and whose contributions to commemorating the history of the Lake George region date back to the 1903 Battle of Lake George (William Johnson-King Hendrick) sculpture at Lake George Battlefield Park, will dedicate a new historical plaque in the park on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) at 12 noon. [Read more…] about New Historical Plaque Being Dedicated at Lake George Battlefield
Battle of Lake George
Ice Harness Racing on Lake George & The Old Military Dock
In horse racing vernacular, the “post parade” at a track is just before the start of the equine competition. It is the grand procession of racehorses and jockeys passing in front of the viewing stands on their way to the starting gate.
Arguably, some of the most historic post parades are at the thoroughbred track in Saratoga Springs. Yet, you could say that during harness racing on frozen Lake George in the 19th and 20th centuries, those post parades were unique, too. [Read more…] about Ice Harness Racing on Lake George & The Old Military Dock
Workers Unearth Mysterious Cannonballs in Lake George
The Williams Monument lies several miles south of the head of Lake George along Route 9. On September 21, 1921, workers digging a hole for a sign near the obelisk revealed five cannonballs believed to date to the French & Indian War (1754–1763).
Following the unexpected discovery, made in 20 inches of soil, the laborers refilled the excavation. They then dug a post-hole in a different spot. [Read more…] about Workers Unearth Mysterious Cannonballs in Lake George
1827: An Old Cannon from Bloody Pond Explodes in Glens Falls
July 4, 1827 was a special day in New York and certainly one for celebratory events around the state. It was the 51st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). Moreover, July 4, 1827 was the final emancipation of enslaved people in the state of New York, the anniversary of which is being commemorated statewide next year.
Peleg Weaver, age 22, always enjoyed the merriment of commemorative festivities. With a few friends, Weaver planned some July 4th fireworks on Warren Street in Glens Falls, behind the Abraham Wing residence. Abraham Wing (1721–1795) was a founder of Glens Falls and Queensbury. [Read more…] about 1827: An Old Cannon from Bloody Pond Explodes in Glens Falls
A Dozen Warren County French & Indian War Fortifications
At least a dozen spots were fortified by British, Colonial and Native forces in what is now Warren County, NY for conflicts leading up to and including the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Those that survived those wars were reused by troops from both sides during the American Revolutionary War.
Of these dozen places, only one remains easily visible on the landscape – Fort George, at the southern end of Lake George. [Read more…] about A Dozen Warren County French & Indian War Fortifications
That ‘Other’ Massacre: Blood and Chocolate at Half-Way Brook
The dramatic massacre at Fort William Henry on August 10, 1757 has been told in 18th century newspaper accounts, witness diaries, by historians, movie makers, and of course the famed novelist James Fenimore Cooper.
Another attack at Half-Way Brook a year later has been overshadowed by the carnage at Lake George. The events of July 28, 1758 were every bit as horrendous, bloody and gut-wrenching. That story has been largely overlooked. [Read more…] about That ‘Other’ Massacre: Blood and Chocolate at Half-Way Brook
1956: A Historic Billboard Erected at Colonel Ephraim Williams’ Grave
In 1854, a white marble obelisk was erected at the grave of Colonel Ephraim Williams. The site is located three miles south of Lake George. The British provincial officer was killed on September 8, 1755 by French-led forces at the Battle of Lake George.
One hundred and two years after the stone pillar was installed at the Williams’ grave, Fort William Henry Corporation workers built a 20-foot high x 40-foot long wooden billboard near the site. The sign was positioned adjacent to Route 9. [Read more…] about 1956: A Historic Billboard Erected at Colonel Ephraim Williams’ Grave
Lake George Battlefield Plans New Exhibits, Major Events
On this week’s Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast, Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance Trustees Bruce Venter and John DiNuzzo discuss plans for Visitor Center exhibits set to be unveiled in 2026. They also review some important special events planned for the coming months. [Read more…] about Lake George Battlefield Plans New Exhibits, Major Events
Fort William Henry’s Historic Well
In August 1757, following a siege of several days and after defeating the British, the French burned Fort William Henry at Lake George. Nearly a century later in 1855, the first Fort William Henry Hotel, located adjacent to the grounds where the fort once stood, opened.
The palatial hotel was destroyed by fire in 1909. Two years later, a second Fort William Henry Hotel was built. Replica Fort William Henry opened in 1954 as a museum. Fifty-years later, in 2004, a facsimile of the second hotel was erected. Throughout all this time there was one constant at the site, that being Fort William Henry’s well, dug in 1756 by Roger’s Rangers. [Read more…] about Fort William Henry’s Historic Well
Baron Dieskau: A New Epitaph
Most books written about the French and Indian War and the Battle of Lake George close with a wounded and defeated General Jean-Armand de Dieskau and a few sentences in a closing paragraph or footnote to wrap up the general’s movements from North America to Europe and his death in 1767.
Dieskau has been forgotten by history, just as he was forgotten and abandoned during the Seven Years War/French and Indian War. [Read more…] about Baron Dieskau: A New Epitaph
Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background
Tucked away between a car dealership and several corporate buildings at 25 Lafayette Street in Queensbury sits Hovey Pond Park, a serene oasis in the middle of suburban commercial development.
It’s a place for the jogger, the dog walker, the nature lover, and children seeking a playground. On a pleasant day, visitors may enjoy the park’s flower garden, fishing pond and wild life sanctuary, including a fast-running, bubbling creek that borders the park’s southern boundary. [Read more…] about Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background
1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism
It was July 12, 1886, and the Glens Falls Post-Star newspaper published a story entitled “Stop the Vandals.” Relic hunters were destroying the Ephraim Williams Monument obelisk, located off Route 9 four miles south of Lake George, breaking off pieces from the corners of the once “handsome monument.” [Read more…] about 1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism
Archaeologists Return to Lake George 18th Century Military Sites
After an absence of several years, archaeologists returned to Lake George’s Fort George last summer, led by Dr. Siobhan Hart, chair of Skidmore College’s Anthropology Department. Hart and a team of students will resume their work at Battlefield Park this summer, expanding the project to include other important sites within Battlefield Park according to the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance. [Read more…] about Archaeologists Return to Lake George 18th Century Military Sites
F.C. Yohn: Artist & Illustrator of New York History
In early October 1900, the Glens Falls Insurance Company announced receipt of an illustration for publication in their 1901 calendar. The painting was by F.C. Yohn, a commercial artist, whose numerous-creative works dramatically portrayed Americana.
Yohn’s 1900-produced painting interpreted the death scene of Colonel Ephraim Williams, a British provincial officer from Massachusetts, who perished in the Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755. [Read more…] about F.C. Yohn: Artist & Illustrator of New York History
A Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Update
In June 2024, the Chair of Skidmore College’s Anthropology Department, Dr. Siobhan Hart, led the first archaeological exploration of Battle of Lake George archaeology at Lake George Battlefield Park since 2016.
Professor Hart and her team of students, paired with Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance members who contributed 29 volunteer-days to the effort, built on the dedicated fieldwork overseen by the late Dr. David Starbuck in 2000-2016. [Read more…] about A Lake George Battlefield Park Archaeology Update
Military Road: The Old Trail to Lake George
Over the many years since the French & Indian War (1755–1763), workers digging around Lake George occasionally have found historical treasures. One of those discoveries came in late September 1924, when a road crew employee unearthed an unusual iron object during construction of the state road from Glens Falls to Lake George., New York, now Route 9.
Parts of this 20th century-built roadway run along or next to what back in 1924 was called the “old military trail.” [Read more…] about Military Road: The Old Trail to Lake George
Where Were Johnson’s Lines at the 1755 Battle of Lake George?
The Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755 was an important early engagement during the French & Indian War. The Battle occurred in three phases. The first skirmish, known in history as the “Bloody Morning Scout,” found the French and their Native allies ambushing the British provincials and their Mohawk allies about three miles south of Lake George. The attack was a rout for the French and resulted in the deaths of British Col. Ephraim Williams and Hendrick Theyanoguin (King Hendrick), the Mohawk sachem allied with Major General William Johnson. [Read more…] about Where Were Johnson’s Lines at the 1755 Battle of Lake George?
The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective
In the early 1750s, the French were establishing trading posts and building forts along western the frontiers of the British colonies. In the fall of 1753, in part to protect his own claims on Indigenous lands, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie had sent 22-year-old George Washington (then a militia leader and surveyor) to deliver a letter to Fort Le Boeuf at what is today Waterford in northwest Pennsylvania, demanding they stop. [Read more…] about The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective
The Battlefield Visitor Center: Lake George’s Newest Attraction
For more than 25 years, historian Russ Bellico and the leaders of the Lake George Battlefield Alliance, including the late archaeologist David Starbuck, argued that grounds as historically rich and as hallowed as the head of Lake George deserve a visitors’ interpretive center.
Now we have one. [Read more…] about The Battlefield Visitor Center: Lake George’s Newest Attraction
Comic Book Artist Jack Binder & Fort William Henry History
What might Lake George have looked like 265 years ago, on the eve of the French attack on Fort William Henry?
That’s the focus of the display in the entryway to the Fort museum and historical attraction. It includes three figures – an American provincial, a British regular and a ranger, all created by the late Jack Binder for the reconstructed fort, which opened to the public in 1955. [Read more…] about Comic Book Artist Jack Binder & Fort William Henry History