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
French And Indian War
Cannonballs & Lake George’s Colonial Military History
In November 1940, Clayton Bly, a lumber company employee and a military veteran of World War I (1914–1918), unearthed two cannonballs from the Virgin Hollow neighborhood of Lake George.
At the time, Bly probably did not realize he stumbled upon a little understood chapter of Lake George’s colonial history. [Read more…] about Cannonballs & Lake George’s Colonial Military History
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
The Dutch & Flemish Roots of Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
Macaroni Craze
During the third quarter of the eighteenth century, Londoners saw the bizarre spectacle of the so-called “macaroni craze.” Young aristocratic men who had returned home from their educational Grand Tour through Continental Europe to Italy, displayed a liking for pasta. [Read more…] about The Dutch & Flemish Roots of Yankee Doodle Dandy
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
Ethnic Cleansing & Wartime Refugees in the Hudson Valley, 1754-1763
During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), many Mahican and Munsee-speaking people in the Hudson Valley felt themselves pressured to relocate to new areas both inside and outside of the Valley as the result of an ethnic cleansing project conducted by Sir William Johnson.
This created a refugee crisis that led to a varied of responses from both colonial officials and the Mohawks and other members of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Six Nations. [Read more…] about Ethnic Cleansing & Wartime Refugees in the Hudson Valley, 1754-1763
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
Critical Mass and the Road to Revolution, 1763-1776
According to Webster’s American Dictionary, “critical mass” is the time when a turning point is reached in a series of events leading to a major action. Scientifically, the term is used when sufficient size of matter leads to a chain reaction, as in a nuclear reactor.
Thus, “critical mass” can help explain the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Critical Mass and the Road to Revolution, 1763-1776
The Life and Times of John Stark
Live Free or Die: The Life and Times Of John Stark (Page Publishing, 2025) by William Baker Jr. is the story of how one of the American Revolution’s best battlefield commanders triumphed over the self-interest of others to play a major role in securing victory for the new republic.
Most often referred to as the “Hero of the Battle of Bennington,” John Stark also played pivotal roles in the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Trenton. [Read more…] about The Life and Times of John Stark
A Colonial Spade and Old Fort George Preservation History
In the summer of 1919, groundskeepers at old Fort George at the south end of Lake George discovered what was then called a “hand made spade” that dated to colonial times.
The artifact was uncovered during routine maintenance of the grounds around the fortification, whose construction was begun by British General Jeffery Amherst’s engineers in 1759. The find was made several feet below a large tree stump that was dug up by maintenance workers. [Read more…] about A Colonial Spade and Old Fort George Preservation History
The Road North: From Native Networks to the Champlain Canal
Where the Hoosic and Mohawk rivers meet the Hudson River was a major Indigenous crossroads. Three major native pathways came together there: 1) The Hoosic River offered the main route east to New England, over the Berkshires and into Massachusetts. 2) The Mohawk River guided the way west. 3) The east side of the Hudson Valley provided a pathway north to Lake Champlain and Canada.
These well-worn trails, on which colonists later built their roads, linked the waterways used by Indigenous hunters, traders, and families moving between settlements. Stone, minerals, and other natural material from as far west as Michigan have been found in this region, revealing a broad network of trade among Native people, long before Europeans arrived. [Read more…] about The Road North: From Native Networks to the Champlain Canal
When America Scrapped Its History For The War Effort
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
March, 1756: The Destruction of Fort Bull
On March 27, 1756, the quiet snow-covered peace on the Oneida Carrying Place in what is now Rome, New York, was shattered with an attack on Fort Bull. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) had begun to invade the Mohawk Valley.
On the westerly side of the carry (now Rome) the small fort, garrisoned by 35 men of the British 51st Regiment of Foot, one of the two American Regiments raised in 1755, was over run and destroyed by a 346 man French-Canadian-Indian Force from Fort La Presentation (at modern day Ogdensburg, NY). The fort was destroyed in a violent explosion. [Read more…] about March, 1756: The Destruction of Fort Bull
1973: A Reputed Lake George Colonial Anchor As Folk Art
As part of New York State’s early celebration of the United States Bicentennial, in May 1973, the Museum of American Folk Art (today the American Folk Art Museum) in Manhattan opened its “The Metal of the State” exhibit. One of the artifacts on view was described in the catalogue as “a large Revolutionary [War] anchor found in Lake George.”
It remains an enigma as to where the anchor was actually found however, and if it even was from the American Revolution (1775–1783), since most colonial military operations at Lake George were during the French & Indian War (1755–1763). (An exception was the Battle of Diamond Island in 1777.) [Read more…] about 1973: A Reputed Lake George Colonial Anchor As Folk Art
Mary Jemison: ‘The White Woman of the Genesee’
Consider the story of Mary Jemison. She was born in 1743 aboard a ship as her Scots-Irish family journeyed from Dublin, Ireland, to Pennsylvania. They settled on the frontier just north of Gettysburg. She and her five siblings enjoyed a happy childhood on the “little paradise” of the family farm.
One April morning, when Mary was fifteen, a party of six Shawnee and four French warriors attacked their isolated home. Her two older brothers escaped, but the raiders captured the rest of the family. They forced the prisoners to march westward. After two days, Mary was given a pair of moccasins to replace her shoes. [Read more…] about Mary Jemison: ‘The White Woman of the Genesee’
Dutch Arms Dealers & Military Engineers in the Revolutionary War
Modern international law prohibits a neutral nation from supplying arms, ammunition, or equipment to any warring party, either directly or indirectly.
Eighteenth-century Dutch legal minds argued the opposite case. They stuck to the principle of “free ships make free goods,” dictating that a vessel under a neutral flag cannot be captured or confiscated.
Neutrality was driven by self-interest, a desire to achieve economic advantage without being involved in hostilities. [Read more…] about Dutch Arms Dealers & Military Engineers in the Revolutionary War
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
Old Fort Niagara Marking A 300th Anniversary
Old Fort Niagara, one of North America’s most historic places, will host a year-long celebration in 2026 marking the 300th anniversary of its iconic “French Castle.”
Built in 1726 during King George’s War, the French Castle is believed to be the oldest building in the Great Lakes Basin. For three centuries, it has stood guard over the mouth of the Niagara River on Lake Ontario as a silent witness to the birth of nations, serving as a military stronghold, a bustling trading post, and a meeting ground for European and Indigenous cultures. [Read more…] about Old Fort Niagara Marking A 300th Anniversary
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
Indigenous Transportation & Early Forts at Oswego
In attempts to maximize proximity to valuable trade with the Haudenosaunee and other Indigenous nations, Europeans established outposts and forts farther and farther into the interior of Haudenosaunee territory and the Great Lakes.
The French followed the St. Lawrence River into the Great Lakes and discovered that the Oswego River provided a water route inland to the Oswego-Oneida-Mohawk Carry, a trail using the largest portage connecting the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. [Read more…] about Indigenous Transportation & Early Forts at Oswego