New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

French And Indian War

Ticonderoga’s 1700s French Village Forge Survey Planned

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Smith Forge at Fort Ticonderoga French Village (provided by Fort Ticonderoga Association)Shortly after establishing Fort Carillon (later named Ticonderoga), the French Army began the construction of a series of ancillary structures, including the Smith’s Forge, to the south of the fort beginning in early 1756.

This area, known as the lower town, or the French Village, housed a number of proto-industrial structures that supported the military activities of the armies who garrisoned Ticonderoga in the 18th century. [Read more…] about Ticonderoga’s 1700s French Village Forge Survey Planned

Expanded New Edition Adirondack History Published

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Expanded Second Edition of Echoes in These MountainsEchoes in These Mountains was author-historian Glenn Pearsall’s first award-winning book. Published in 2008, it tells the stories behind 55 historic sites in the Adirondack township of Johnsburg, in Warren County, NY.

The book was well received and the original run of 1,500 copies sold out years ago, so Pearsall decided it was time for a second edition. The second edition features additional historic photographs, an index and added new research and analysis, totaling 512 pages. [Read more…] about Expanded New Edition Adirondack History Published

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

French Canadian Rev War Veteran Antoine Paulin’s Grave Being Marked in Champlain

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Portrait of American Revolution Captain Antoine PaulinBorn in Grenoble, France on April 24, 1734, Antoine Paulin arrived in Canada with a French military squadron. Choosing not to return to France, he made Canada his home. With the onset of the American Revolution, he again picked up arms to serve with the fledgling American Army.

Paulin served as a Captain in Colonel Moses Hazen’s 2nd Canadian Regiment in the Continental Line and participated in several well known campaigns throughout the Revolutionary War. He and his young family settled in Northern New York. [Read more…] about French Canadian Rev War Veteran Antoine Paulin’s Grave Being Marked in Champlain

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

Fort Bull – Oneida Carrying Place Archaeology Funded

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Fort Bull – Fort Wood Creek siteFort Bull and the Oneida Carrying Place were important parts of the military and Indigenous landscape that shaped the development of the Upper Mohawk Valley region.

The Oneida Carrying Place, a four-mile overland route that connected the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, was vital to British military campaign strategies beginning with the French and Indian War. The Carry also saw significant action during St. Leger’s American Revolution Campaign (1777), which included the Siege of Fort Stanwix/Schuyler and the Battle of Oriskany. [Read more…] about Fort Bull – Oneida Carrying Place Archaeology Funded

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

Bradstreet’s Raid: A 1758 Riverine Operation

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John Bradstreet's, 1758: A Riverine Operation of the French and Indian WarMajor General John Bradstreet, born Jean-Baptiste Bradstreet (1714 – 1774), was a British Army officer during King George’s War, the French and Indian War, and Pontiac’s War.

In 1756 he led a column to supply the greatly weakened Fort Oswego and issued ignored warnings to his superiors before Oswego was captured and burned later that year. In the spring of 1757 he helped assemble supplies and transports at Boston for the abortive attack on Louisbourg.

That December he was appointed Lt. Colonel and in 1758 he participated in the attack on Fort Carillon (now Fort Ticonderoga), where he led the advance guard following the death of General George Howe. When the Battle ended in disaster, Bradstreet attempted to organize a retreat. [Read more…] about Bradstreet’s Raid: A 1758 Riverine Operation

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

Schenectady’s Relationship to Native America

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Mohawk “squaw,” watercolorFor many people, “American” history begins with European exploration of the continent. From there, the narrative invariably centers on the colonial perspective and, after 1776, the perspective of the United States.

Consequently, the general public is generally uninformed about the history of Indigenous People that both predates New Netherland and the Pilgrims and persists to the present. And this article is by no means capable of addressing this broad historical issue. So let’s turn from this historical macrocosm to the microcosm of one city, Schenectady. [Read more…] about Schenectady’s Relationship to Native America