New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Fort William Henry

The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective

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Miniature of Fort Prince George under attack by French troops (diorama in the Fort Pitt Museum, Pittsburgh)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 land claims, 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.

When Washington returned without success, Dinwiddie sent a small force to build Fort Prince George at the confluence of the Allegheny  and Monongahela Rivers (today Pittsburgh). Soon a larger French force arrived, torn down the small British fort, and began and built Fort Duquesne, named for then Governor-General of New France, Marquis Duquesne. [Read more…] about The French and Indian War: A New York Perspective

The 1757 Siege of Fort William Henry & James Fenimore Cooper

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map from the time of the siege of fort william henry in 1757James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans tells a gripping tale of the bloody conflicts that roiled the Lake George region in the middle of the 18th century. In particular, the novel gives a stirring, if inaccurate, description of the Siege of Fort William Henry (August 3-9, 1757) during the French and Indian War and its immediate aftermath. [Read more…] about The 1757 Siege of Fort William Henry & James Fenimore Cooper

Fort William Henry Reopens for 2023 Season

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Aerial view of Fort William Henry by Carl Heilman IIThe Fort William Henry Museum in Lake George Village is now open for the season. A reproduction of the fortification that was constructed after Sir William Johnson defeated the French at the Battle of Lake George in 1755, it is the site of the famous massacre that inspired James Fenimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans and its many screen adaptations. [Read more…] about Fort William Henry Reopens for 2023 Season

A Fort William Henry Powder Horn That Survived War & Fire

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colonial powder horn after being cleaned by the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology ProjectIn 1756, a soldier by the name of Doc John Lee was stationed at the head of Lake George, where a provincial regiment had been sent from Albany to defend New York from the French and to construct the fort that would be named William Henry.

Like every other soldier, Lee carried a powder horn, and like many of them, he may have occupied his idle moments with carving the horn, etching the images and words into its surface that would make it distinctively his own. [Read more…] about A Fort William Henry Powder Horn That Survived War & Fire

Despite Elise Stefanik’s Claims, NYS Gun Law Doesn’t Prohibit Historical Events

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Living historians firing blanks at a historical re-enactment in Lake George Battlefield ParkNew York’s new gun law, which bans weapons from “sensitive locations” such as parks and museums, will have no effect on musket demonstrations, including at Fort William Henry or re-enactments in Lake George Battlefield Park, according to Warren County Sheriff James La Farr.

“It is not within the spirit of the law to prohibit those activities,” LaFarr said.  The re-enactors’ muskets and cannon fire only blanks.

Fort Ticonderoga, which is located in Essex County, is also unaffected by the new law, says its president and CEO, Beth Hill. “We do not plan to change our operations or special events,” she said. [Read more…] about Despite Elise Stefanik’s Claims, NYS Gun Law Doesn’t Prohibit Historical Events

The Battlefield Visitor Center: Lake George’s Newest Attraction

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Entrance to Visitor Center on Fort George RoadFor 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

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figures created by Jack BinderWhat 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

Featured Recreation Area: The Sunken Fleet of 1758, Lake George

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Lake George shipwreckThe Adirondacks remain one of the most sought-after destinations for outdoor recreation. From hiking serene mountain passes to hitting the bike trails, it truly has something for everyone – even historic ship divers.

Lake George was the site of many pivotal engagements in the founding years of our nation, including the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Evidence of its witness are but a stone’s throw from shore where Fort William Henry, in the cold, dark waters. [Read more…] about Featured Recreation Area: The Sunken Fleet of 1758, Lake George