Before I-87, Route 9, and the railroad, the fastest way to reach the Town of Chester, NY, in Northern Warren County was over a plank road, part of a trend of wood surfaced roads that began in the late 1830s. [Read more…] about The Warrensburg-Chestertown Plank Road, 1850-1911
Route 9
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
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
When Smuggling Swiss Watches Was A Thing
It was 1930, during the era of Prohibition (1920–1933). So, it was not unusual when law enforcement personnel caught bootleggers on the Glens Falls-Lake George Road attempting to transport illegal alcohol from Canada to a local speakeasy.
What was uncommon, however, was arresting a smuggler who tried to sneak a large cache of untaxed contraband, Swiss watches, into the United States. [Read more…] about When Smuggling Swiss Watches Was A Thing
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
1956: A Historic Billboard Erected at Colonel Ephraim Williams’ Grave
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
Fort Amherst & Half-Way Brook’s Bloody Background
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
Roadside Attractions: Lake George’s Mid-Century Theme Parks
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
1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism
It was July 12, 1886, and the Glens Falls Post-Star newspaper published a story entitled “Stop the Vandals.” Relic hunters were destroying the Ephraim Williams Monument obelisk, located off Route 9 four miles south of Lake George, breaking off pieces from the corners of the once “handsome monument.” [Read more…] about 1886: Colonel Ephraim Williams Monument Vandalism
Blind Rock: An English-French Frontier Boundary in Warren County, NY
The “Lake George Battlefield Moments” podcast this week features historian and Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough discussing Blind Rock, an Indigenous landmark and the 17th and 18th century dividing line between New France and British territories in the Lake Champlain-Lake George-Hudson River corridor. [Read more…] about Blind Rock: An English-French Frontier Boundary in Warren County, NY
The Vanishing Hitchhiker of the Glens Falls-Lake George Road
Over the decades, one of the worldwide urban legends has been that of the vanishing hitchhiker. The stories go somewhat like this. A driver of a vehicle offers a ride to a person hitchhiking. After spending time in the car, the stranger seemingly vanishes without any logical explanation. There are numerous versions of this unbelievable story, too. One of those is the traveler is someone who before disappearing offers the motorist a prophecy.
In 1933, the Glens Falls-Lake George Road (Route 9 in Warren County, NY) had its own variant of the vanishing hitchhiker tale. [Read more…] about The Vanishing Hitchhiker of the Glens Falls-Lake George Road
The James Bond Novel Set in the Adirondacks
It was British novelist Ian Fleming’s tenth James Bond novel. The 1962 book, The Spy Who Loved Me, was set in the Adirondacks, around Lake George. The fictional publication’s antagonists were not Spectre terrorists. Rather, the villains were two Upstate New York mobsters.
Ian Fleming (1908–1964) was born in London, UK. He came from an affluent family. Fleming’s father, a Member of Parliament, died in World War I (1914–1918). Fleming attended both Eton College and Sandhurst military academy. [Read more…] about The James Bond Novel Set in the Adirondacks
Military Road: The Old Trail to Lake George
Over the many years since the French & Indian War (1755–1763), workers digging around Lake George occasionally have found historical treasures. One of those discoveries came in late September 1924, when a road crew employee unearthed an unusual iron object during construction of the state road from Glens Falls to Lake George., New York, now Route 9.
Parts of this 20th century-built roadway run along or next to what back in 1924 was called the “old military trail.” [Read more…] about Military Road: The Old Trail to Lake George
Moses Smith and FDR: A Friendship
Moses Smith was a lifelong Democrat who lived in Hyde Park, in Dutchess County, New York, which at the time was a Republican bastion.
Smith was a tenant of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, living on a farm owned by FDR called Woodlawns. According to Smith’s son Clifford, the home got its name because of all the trees on its spacious lawns. [Read more…] about Moses Smith and FDR: A Friendship
Devil’s Kitchen: Warren County’s Nightmare for Drivers
The colorful name Devil’s Kitchen has been used in numerous book titles, restaurant names, and for hiking destinations in at least seven states.
In Upstate New York we have a version in the Catskills, described here as “quite possibly the most hellacious [bicycle] climb in New York State.” That area, with cliffs, numerous waterfalls, and slippery slopes, has seen many hiker deaths as well. [Read more…] about Devil’s Kitchen: Warren County’s Nightmare for Drivers
Benjamin Mooers: Veteran of the Revolution & War of 1812
Once in a while some very special tie to the past happens which reminds us of our debt to the people who settled in our county early on. In July of 2024 the Clinton County Historical Association (CCHA) got a call from Lynn Foerster who said she was coming from California to visit the site of her 5th great grandfather’s long-time home. [Read more…] about Benjamin Mooers: Veteran of the Revolution & War of 1812
Proposed Beacon-Hopewell Rail Trail Conditions Report Issued
The Dutchess County Transportation Council is studying the feasibility of constructing a 13-mile rail trail along the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Beacon Line: an inactive rail corridor that runs between the Hudson River in the City of Beacon and the hamlet of Hopewell Junction in the Town of East Fishkill. [Read more…] about Proposed Beacon-Hopewell Rail Trail Conditions Report Issued
1957: The I-87 Northway and the Adirondack Forest
What follows is The Northway and the Adirondack Forest: A Highway Location Study, published August 31, 1957 by the New York State Department of Public Works. The 333.49-mile-long Adirondack Northway, Interstate-87, has origins in the construction of the Major Deegan Expressway in the 1930s and was completed to the Canadian border in 1967.
The Northway (Interstate Route 502 [now designated I-87]) gets its name by traversing the area once known as the “Great Northern Wilderness.” Vital to the national defense network, it is being designed and constructed in accordance with the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 as a joint Federal-State venture. [Read more…] about 1957: The I-87 Northway and the Adirondack Forest
A Cultural & Ecological Field Guide to Columbia County, NY
From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to Columbia County, New York (Black Dome Press, 2024) written by Anna Duhon, Gretchen Stevens, Claudia Knab-Vispo and Conrad Vispo with the support of The Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program and Hudsonia features 36 discreet natural habitats in the Hudson Valley’s Columbia County and is beautifully illustrated with over 750 full-color photographs, maps, graphs, tables, and charts. [Read more…] about A Cultural & Ecological Field Guide to Columbia County, NY
Lake George Tourism Anchors Storytown & Ft. Wm. Henry, Marking 70 Years
Over the course of the 20th century, Lake George evolved 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. [Read more…] about Lake George Tourism Anchors Storytown & Ft. Wm. Henry, Marking 70 Years