New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Ticonderoga

The Christopher Yates Papers Reveal Revolutionary Details

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Portrait of Schenectady patriot Christopher Yates, attributed to Maunsbach (SCHS collection)Christopher Yates (1737-1785) of Schenectady was a surveyor by trade, a job that brought him into the frequent employ of Sir William Johnson. When the French and Indian War began in 1755, Yates joined the Second Albany Militia, serving under Johnson at some of the most crucial battles.

He was among the British troops defeated at Ticonderoga early in the contest during the July 8, 1758 Battle of Carillon, the bloodiest event of the war, with over 3,000 causalities. He later participated in the successful siege of Fort Niagara in July 1759. [Read more…] about The Christopher Yates Papers Reveal Revolutionary Details

Champlain Frontier Loyalists During the American Revolution

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The Taunton Flag, also known as the Liberty and Union Flag, hoisted by patriots in Massachusetts in 1774During the American Revolution, the Province of New York was a stronghold of Loyalism. While a difficult matter to estimate with any degree of certainty, available records would seem to indicate that the Loyalists may have constituted an actual majority of the total population.

The statement has even been made that New York furnished more men to the British forces engaged in the war than to the American. [Read more…] about Champlain Frontier Loyalists During the American Revolution

Revolutionary War Artifacts Discovered in Ticonderoga

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Liberty Hill Ticonderoga Archaeology Find, 2024 (provided by Fort Ticonderoga)As part of its ongoing excavation and study of the Ticonderoga‘s Liberty Hill site, Fort Ticonderoga is announcing the discovery, documentation and preservation of more than five hundred new artifacts at the site – where the Declaration of Independence was read to the Continental Army at Ticonderoga for the first time in July 1776 — with several of the most compelling examples dating from the American Revolution in 1776. [Read more…] about Revolutionary War Artifacts Discovered in Ticonderoga

1925 Radio News from Northern New York

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A man tuning a Grebe Synchrophase vacuum tube tuned radio frequency (TRF) receiver in 1925, made by the AH Grebe CompanyIt was said to be the closest thing to actually being in the grand stand at Forbes Field for the Pittsburgh Pirates attempt to unseat the reigning champion Washington Senators.

“Today is probably one of the most exciting World Series ever played. Throughout the series, the Simpkins hardware store has entertained a goodly portion of the baseball fans in Ticonderoga with a running account of the games by that most marvelous invention, the radio,” The Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Oct. 15, 1925. “Seats have been installed for the convenience of listeners.” [Read more…] about 1925 Radio News from Northern New York

Swimming the Length of Lake George: Many Have Tried Since 1927

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Diane Struble entering the waters of Lake George in Ticonderoga for her lake-long swim“Marathon swimming is dominated by females,” says Scott Cotten, a fourth-generation member of a YMCA and Silver Bay family who tried unsuccessfully to swim the length of Lake George in 2024.

Bridget Simpson, Charlotte Brynn, Caroline Block and Karyn Scherer are among those who have swum the length of the lake in recent years. Dr. Colby Jones Brown joined their ranks over Labor Day weekend in 2025. [Read more…] about Swimming the Length of Lake George: Many Have Tried Since 1927

Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail Usage Report Issued

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Hudson River Valley Greenway 2024 Trail Use ReportA third Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail usage report has been issued for the route that knits together 15 regional trails to create a continuous multi-use trail. Since 2021, 5.65 million visits have been counted at 37 sites along the trail.

The Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail consists of two main components: an overland long trail and a water trail for paddling and boating along both sides of the Hudson River from the Battery in Manhattan to the junction of Lake George and Lake Champlain valleys at Ticonderoga. [Read more…] about Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail Usage Report Issued

Rangers Kept Busy With Hunter, Hiker and Angler Missions

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forest ranger logoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.

This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Rangers Kept Busy With Hunter, Hiker and Angler Missions

Local Pageants Once Brought History to Life

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Lake George Village’s Shepard Park, the scene of numerous historical pageants from 1912 to 1955 (Fred Thatcher photo, courtesy Bolton Historical Museum)Before the documentaries of Ken Burns, there were historical pageants – a popular form of entertainment by means of which Americans also digested information about the history of their nation and their region.

From the 1850s to the 1950s, historical pageants, or folk dramas, as they were also called, were a characteristic feature of life in American communities, celebrating American history and/or a town’s founding, its most memorable historical events and its most prominent citizens. [Read more…] about Local Pageants Once Brought History to Life

Crossroads of a Continent: A New Champlain Valley History Podcast

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Crossroads of a ContinentLocal historian Tim Dusablon has a new blog and podcast covering the Lake Champlain Valley‘s social and military history called Crossroads of a Continent.  His latest work is on the Battle of Carillon, which took place at Ticonderoga in 1758.

The episode and blog post are part four in a six part series on the French and Indian War in the Champlain Valley. [Read more…] about Crossroads of a Continent: A New Champlain Valley History Podcast

Forest Rangers Conduct Multiple Search & Rescue Missions

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Black Dome Mountain rescue in August 2025 (DEC Photo)New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.

This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC: [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Conduct Multiple Search & Rescue Missions

1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

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Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett, co-pilot for Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd on the MacMillian Arctic Expedition in the Summer of 1925 and the Byrd Arctic Expedition of May 1926. For the later mission, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and commissioned to the warrant rank of Machinist. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command)It was a carnival-like atmosphere as the two ships in Donald Baxter MacMillan’s latest Arctic expedition were about to sail from Wiscasset, Maine.

School children released multi-colored balloons, the 5th Infantry Band played “Aud Lang Syne,” and thousands of well-wishers gathered to see him off shouted, “See you in September, Mac,” the Associated Press reported on June 20, 1925. [Read more…] about 1925: Floyd Bennett & The MacMillian Arctic Expedition

1925 Northern New York Radio History

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Family listening to the radio in Washington, DC, circa 1925Orrie Gould had a radio and would travel. “Gordon Russell and George Wilson were at J. Hebert Bly’s Sunday evening and enjoyed a radio entertainment furnished by Orrie Gould of Ticonderoga. The main feature was a church service from Albany, after which several stations were tuned in for musical selections,” the Crown Point Merchant’s Row correspondent reported in the Ticonderoga Sentinel on April 11, 1925.

“A few of our members were privileged to listen to a radio entertainment at the home of John Andre Saturday yesterday evening,” the Crown Point correspondent reported April 23rd. Orrie Gould of Ticonderoga brought the radio. [Read more…] about 1925 Northern New York Radio History

Boat-Access Camping on Lake George Islands

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Lake George Island CampingLake George‘s island campsites are spread across much of the lake and are accessible only by boat. They’re divided into three groups — Glen Island, in The Narrows east of Bolton Landing; Long Island, on the south end of the lake; and Narrow Island — part of the Mother Bunch Islands located in the northern part of the lake.

There are 387 shoreline campsites located on 44 State-owned lands. There are 85 sites located in the Narrow Island Group (Mother Bunch Group), 170 standard sites and 42 cruiser sites (sites for large boats with sleeping quarters) in the Glen Island Group (The Narrows), and 90 sites are on Long Island. [Read more…] about Boat-Access Camping on Lake George Islands

‘New Deal For Artists’ Opening Adirondack History Museum Film Series

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Black River Canal mural in the Booneville NY Post OfficeWith the failure of President Herbert Hoover’s policies and the ensuing Great Depression, Americans were desperate for help. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s pragmatic New Deal programs aimed to help Americans back to their feet by providing them with jobs. Several innovative public arts program were designed to provide economic relief and jobs for all kinds of artists from sculptures to painters and performers. [Read more…] about ‘New Deal For Artists’ Opening Adirondack History Museum Film Series

Ticonderoga’s ‘Walls Between Waters’ Murals Event Saturday

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Artist Arcy working on mural depicting the historic Henry Knox Artillery Train at 110 Montcalm Street in Ticonderoga (photo provided)What happens when history, art, and community transformation converge on six brick walls in Ticonderoga, NY?  In this episode of ADK Talks, we sit down with Nicole Justice Green, Executive Director of the Essex County Land Bank, to explore the story behind “Walls Between Waters” — a bold new mural project and public event happening Saturday that’s transforming once-vacant buildings into landmarks. [Read more…] about Ticonderoga’s ‘Walls Between Waters’ Murals Event Saturday

May 10, 1775: The Taking of Fort Ticonderoga

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Fort Ticonderoga courtesy Carl Heilman IIThe capture of Fort Ticonderoga, an important strategic location during the American Revolutionary War, occurred on May 10, 1775, when a small American force, including Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, surprised and overpowered the British garrison. This event was significant because it secured a key passageway north and provided the American forces with valuable artillery that was later used in the Siege of Boston. [Read more…] about May 10, 1775: The Taking of Fort Ticonderoga

1920s: The KKK in Essex & Warren Counties

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Ku Klux Klan members hold a march in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9, 1925There was no place in the Christian Church for racism, according to the Rev. Charles O. Judkins, longtime pastor of Christ Church Methodist in Glens Falls, NY. “You don’t belong in the church if you are a Klansman,” Judkins proclaimed at the annual Methodist Troy Conference in 1925.

Judkins was a prominent pastor, theological scholar, social justice advocate, and political influencer who frequently traveled to make speeches at urban cities. [Read more…] about 1920s: The KKK in Essex & Warren Counties

Lord Howe: ‘The Soul of General Abercromby’s Army’

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Battle of Carillon's James Abercromby’s flotilla launching up Lake George from Fort William Henry diorama detail (Adirondack Experience - Lake George Battlefield Park Visitors Center)The latest episode of the Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast features the first of a two-part interview with French & Indian War historian George A. Bray III as he discusses Lord George Augustus Viscount Howe’s service in the Lake George-Lake Champlain region before his untimely death in the Battle of Carillon (1758).

Lord Howe was the eldest of the three brothers who played important leadership roles for the British during the transformative 18th Century conflicts in North America. [Read more…] about Lord Howe: ‘The Soul of General Abercromby’s Army’

The Battle on Snowshoes: History & Mythology

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Battle on Snowshoes in March 1758 during the French and Indian War (illustration commissioned by Glens Falls Insurance Co, 1910)The latest episode of the Lake George Battlefield Moments podcast features John Eric Nelson, French & Indian War historian and re-enactor, who tells the story (and myths) of the Battle on Snowshoes in March 1758. [Read more…] about The Battle on Snowshoes: History & Mythology

Adirondack Winter Sports Projects Combat Warming Climate

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Snowmaking equipment at McCauley Mountain in Herkimer County (courtesy of Kevin Kress)Two projects to enhance winter sports in the Adirondacks in the face of climate change are currently in progress, including a three-season ice skating rink in Ticonderoga, and upgrades to snowmaking in the Town of Webb.

Funded by grants from Round 7 of DEC’s Community Smart Growth Grant Program, which is funded by the Environmental Protection Fund and were awarded in April 2024. [Read more…] about Adirondack Winter Sports Projects Combat Warming Climate

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