History, Natural History & the Arts
In 1849 the Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society reported that “Half-way brook… so named a century ago [in ca. 1749], as being equidistant between Fort Edward and Lake George.
“In [Washington County, it joins Wood Creek, which] is crossed by 10 bridges, that at Kane’s falls 70 feet long [a mile north of Fort Ann village], that at Fort Ann (covered) 50 feet long. [Read more…] about The Settlement of Half-Way Brook, Between Fort Edward and Lake George
On July 4, 1913, a forest fire was started on French Mountain near the south end of Lake George. It soon burned its way to the back area of Crosbyside (now Wiawaka), on the east side of the 32-mile-long waterway.
It was caused after the launch of a “sky lantern,” a miniature hot air “balloon” crafted of paper and wood. At the bottom is an attachment for a small open flame of combustible material, which gives it lift and brightness at night. [Read more…] about The 1913 ‘Obstinate Forest Fire’ at Lake George
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
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, once billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth,” ceased operation in 2017. The circus and its predecessors date to 1871.
In 1869, two years before this long-running circus first opened, Campbell’s Circus and Menagerie was at Lake George when it made national and international newspaper headlines. [Read more…] about 1869: A Bengal Tiger Roams Lake George
According to Mike Horn, the Lake George Land Conservancy’s executive director, the Wiawaka Uplands project is the next step in that organization’s multi-year effort to preserve the ecological integrity of Lake George’s south basin, the most densely populated and heavily used portion of the watershed. [Read more…] about Lake George’s South Basin: The Unfinished Job of Land Protection
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