Fort William Henry

Ice Harness Racing on Lake George & The Old Military Dock

July 29, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

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

When America Scrapped Its History For The War Effort

March 12, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 1 Comment

It was October 1942, ten months after America’s entry into the Second World War (1941–1945). A cannon ball, said to be from the Battle of Lake George, was donated to a scrap metal drive in Fort Edward.

The Battle of Lake George was a series of three military engagements on September 8, 1755, near the waterway’s south end. The outcome was a British victory over the French and their Indigenous allies during the French & Indian War (1755–1763). [Read more…] about When America Scrapped Its History For The War Effort

When PT Barnum’s Stagecoach Plunged into an Old Fort’s Moat

February 8, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

The railroad did not come to the village of Lake George, formerly known as Caldwell, until 1882. So for decades travel to the lakeside village was mainly by stagecoach along the plank road from Glens Falls built in 1848 (now Route 9). [Read more…] about When PT Barnum’s Stagecoach Plunged into an Old Fort’s Moat

1954: Finding Fort William Henry’s Blacksmith Shop

February 2, 2026 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

Blacksmiths were integral personnel at frontier fortifications in North America during the 18th century. These iron smithies not only forged military items like swords, knives, musket barrels, and other lethal objects, they likewise crafted kettles, plates, ax heads, hammers, shovels, nails, and other metal tools.

So, it was not surprising in 1954, that during excavations in the Village of Lake George at Fort William Henry Museum, that a blacksmith “shop” was unearthed by archaeologist Stanley M. Gifford’s diggers. [Read more…] about 1954: Finding Fort William Henry’s Blacksmith Shop

A Dozen Warren County French & Indian War Fortifications

January 11, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

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

January 5, 2026 by Bruce M. Venter 1 Comment

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

December 11, 2025 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 2 Comments

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

1957: Old Fort William Henry Timber Catches Fire from Magnifying Glass

November 20, 2025 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 1 Comment

Any enthusiast of Sherlock Holmes knows the fictional British detective frequently employed a magnifying glass to examine evidence when battling crime. Today, the optical device is a standard item found in most American households.

Moreover, in 1957, an unidentified member of the archaeology team digging at the 200-year-old Fort William Henry accidentally started a fire with a misplaced magnifying glass. [Read more…] about 1957: Old Fort William Henry Timber Catches Fire from Magnifying Glass

1954: Archaeologists Find Rare Cufflink at Fort William Henry

October 28, 2025 by Joseph W. Zarzynski 2 Comments

In the autumn of 1954, United Press, a news wire service established in 1907 and later known as United Press International, reported: “Old War Crime Found At Fort.”

The gist of the report capitalized upon Americans’ fascination with The Last of the Mohicans (1826) by James Fenimore Cooper. The news of a discovery made in 1954 of charred bones of two British soldiers uncovered by archaeologists excavating the cellar of the barracks of Fort William Henry at the head of Lake George. [Read more…] about 1954: Archaeologists Find Rare Cufflink at Fort William Henry

Lake George Battlefield Plans New Exhibits, Major Events

October 27, 2025 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

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

September 22, 2025 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

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

September 16, 2025 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

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

September 11, 2025 by Bruce M. Venter 1 Comment

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

The Lake George Trip That Inspired ‘Last of the Mohicans’

September 8, 2025 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

James Fenimore Cooper’s knowledge of the French and Indian War may have been sketchy, but he was interested enough in its history to contemplate a visit to Lake George, which he finally did with a party of Englishmen in August, 1824.

Lord Edward Stanley (1799-1869), who would later become the 14th Earl of Derby and thrice Great Britain’s Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria, was the leader of that party. His account of the visit to Lake George was committed to his journals, portions of which were published in 1930 in a limited edition of fifty copies commissioned by his grandson. [Read more…] about The Lake George Trip That Inspired ‘Last of the Mohicans’

The British Surrender of Fort William Henry in 1757

September 7, 2025 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

In 1757, during the French and Indian War, a large French and Native American force led by the Marquis de Montcalm besieged Fort William Henry at the southern end of Lake George. The British garrison under Lieutenant Colonel George Monro surrendered after a six-day siege on August 9th.

Although Montcalm offered the British “honors of war” allowing them to march to Fort Edward with their personal belongings, his Indigenous allies attacked the withdrawing British column in a notorious event known as the “Massacre” at Fort William Henry. [Read more…] about The British Surrender of Fort William Henry in 1757

Lake George’s 1758 Land Tortoise Shipwreck

August 26, 2025 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The radeau (raft) Land Tortoise was built in 1758 during the French and Indian War as part of a British effort to regain control of Lake George after the loss of Fort William Henry in 1757.

Constructed by provincial militia forces under Captain Samuel Cobb of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) the 52-foot long floating artillery battery was built in just over a month, launched, tested (“rowed well with 26 oars”) and then intentionally sunk. [Read more…] about Lake George’s 1758 Land Tortoise Shipwreck

1885: Colonial Relics Found Near A Lake George Church

August 22, 2025 by Joseph W. Zarzynski Leave a Comment

The July 19, 1887 issue of the Glens Falls Daily Times newspaper declared that Isaac Crandall had “no superior as a florist.” The greenhouse owner not only was renowned for his exquisite-flower arrangements, he also was incredibly lucky.

Two years earlier in 1885, Crandall accidentally uprooted rare artifacts while planting a tree near the Methodist church in Caldwell (now known as Lake George). [Read more…] about 1885: Colonial Relics Found Near A Lake George Church

The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

August 21, 2025 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

The story of sieges and massacres of soldiers at Fort William Henry in August 1757 and two years later to residents of the Indigenous village of St. Francis (Saint-François-du-Lac, a community in Quebec, Canada, also known as Odanak by the Abenaki), are well-known by those with even a casual interest in the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

The story of Jonathan Dore is a small, but interesting tale of capture and self-redemption. His actions during both of those events shed a little more light on their impact on the individuals caught in this harrowing conflict. [Read more…] about The Returned Captive: Jonathan Dore

Roadside Attractions: Lake George’s Mid-Century Theme Parks

August 10, 2025 by Anthony F. Hall 8 Comments

By July 4, 1945, the war in Europe was over. That weekend, “many more cars (were) parked on the streets of Lake George Village than have been seen here since the war started,” the Lake George Mirror reported. The transformation of Lake George’s tourist economy from a summer-long resort for the wealthy to a place where middle class and working families could come by car for a two-week vacation had begun.

By 1950, 50,000 people were spending their vacations here every summer. But once these families were here, what were they do? One answer: roadside attractions, specifically, small-scale, family-owned theme parks. By 1957, the Adirondacks contained the greatest concentration of roadside attractions to be found anywhere in the U.S. [Read more…] about Roadside Attractions: Lake George’s Mid-Century Theme Parks

The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux

July 17, 2025 by Anthony F. Hall Leave a Comment

A piece of a 1758 bateau retrieved from the bottom of Lake George, displayed under glass at the Lake George Battlefield Park Visitors Center, is the only visible remains of the Battle of the Bateaux of 1960.

If one goes by contemporary newspaper accounts, that battle was as vicious – though not quite as deadly – as the French and Indian War (1754-1763) itself. [Read more…] about The 1960 Battle of the Bateaux

Fort William Henry

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