Fort Ann in Washington County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Fort Ann Through History
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2019
1. Fort Ann Through History Marker
1689 Chevalier DeCallieries builds a small French fort in South Bay called "The Pickets."
1690 Englishman Fitz John Winthrop's expedition camps in Fort Anne.
1692 Winthrop builds the first fort at Fort Anne and calls it the "Stone Fort."
1709 Francis Nicholson builds Fort Schuyler and burns it when he departs.
1711 Francis Nicholson rebuilds the Queen's Fort on the ruins of Fort Schuyler.
1757 The English build the fortification called Fort Anne during the French and Indian War.
1758 Queen's Well is dug in the village, after 1,000 British soldiers die drinking from Wood Creek.
1763 Blockhouse and sawmill are built at Cheshire's Mills, now Kane's Falls.
1764 King George III grants an artillery patent of 24,000 acres to 24 British officers.
1769 Mud Fort is built at Fort Anne.
1773 Colonel George Wray builds the Wray Farm.
1776 Planks from Cheshire's Mills are used to build ships in Skenesborough, now Whitehall, for the U.S. Navy.
1777 Dog Heaven, a cliff on Diameter
this page online
Battle of Fort Anne delays the British from advancing to Saratoga.
1778 Captain Adiel Sherwood rebuilds the fort at Fort Anne, the last of Fort Anne's five forts.
1786 Town of Westfield is founded.
1788 The settlement of Dewey's Bridge is founded by Thaddeus Dewey.
1789 First known church in the area, the First Baptist Church of East Westfield, is established.
1790 Colonel George Wray owns seven slaves, according to the first federal census.
1791 Colonel George Wray lays out the village streets, naming them in honor of his family: George, Catherine, and Ann.
1792 Ephraim Griswold settles Griswold's Mills in western Westfield, name later changes to Tripoli.
1797 First post office is established in Fort Ann.
1800 House is built in Westfield; the oldest house that remains in Fort Ann today.
1808 Town of Westfield changes name to Town of Fort Ann.
1810 Second Baptist Church of Fort Anne is established.
1815 First grist mill is built by Steven Palmer at Johnny Cake Corners, a hamlet later named West Fort Ann.
1816 Due to volcanic eruptions in the summer months, clouds of ash made the air so cold that Halfway Brook freezes.
1819
2. Marker detail: Wray Slave House
1820 Fort Ann Village is incorporated.
1823 Presbyterian Church is established.
1825 Mount Hope furnace begins producing iron.
1827 Fort Ann Village Union Church is built, serving Baptist and Methodist congregations.
1830 Iron ore is made into anchors at Griswold's Mills.
1834 First church in West Fort Ann erected on Joe Green Road; later became the Grange Hall.
1840 Comstock Community Church is established.
1845 Van Wormer's Village (Van Wormertown) changes name to West Fort Ann.
1847 St. Ann's Catholic Church is established.
1848 First train goes through Fort Ann.
1850 Wray Farm is a stop on the Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves.
First post office is established in West Fort Ann.
1859 Washington County Fair is held in Fort Ann.
Fort Ann Union Free School opens for grades 1 through 12.
1860 U.S. Cavalry marches through the village.
1865 Kane's Falls Woolen Mill begins operations.
1866 The Smith brothers inherit lozenge company.
1870 Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company is built at Kane's Falls.
1874 Baptist Church is erected.
1875 Fire destroys
3. Marker detail: Looking north on George Street
1876 Patent issued for quartz coating for wood manufacturing at Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company.
1885 Haviland Manufacturing Co. opens for business, making wooden toys.
1892 Edward Wall builds knitting mill in village.
1895 Second Advent Church is established in Hogtown.
1896 West Fort Ann United Methodist Church is established.
1897 Eugene Ashley builds hydroelectric power plant at Kane's Falls.
The village organizes its first fire company.
1899 First class graduates from Fort Ann High School.
1900 Kane's Falls Electric Co. brings electricity to the town.
1904 Pilot Knob Association forms to establish a post office with boat dock.
1905 Borden Milk Processing Plant opens.
1911 Fire of unknown origin destroys business section of the village.
Great Meadow Prison opens.
1912 Copeland's, one of only two bars in the state to also contain a package store, opens.
1915 Champlain Barge Canal is completed.
1916 Raymond W. Harvey Post 703 receives charter and is named for first soldier from Fort Ann killed in WWI.
1920 Wakpominee Boy Scout Camp is founded.
1921 Girl Scout troop is organized.
1922
4. Marker detail: Civilian Conservation Corps
1927 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Anne.
1928 Sheldon House Hotel, spared by the great fire of 1911, burns down.
1930 Sheldon-Pierce Boat Co., builders of unique Sea Sled racing boats, opens.
1931 Bones of Revolutionary War soldiers unearthed at Battle Hill during Route 4 construction.
1933 Civilian Conservation Corps arrives to eradicate the gypsy moth, an invasive species, and blister rust, a tree disease.
1939 Camp Little Notch is established for Girl Scouts.
Fort Ann Central School building is constructed.
1940 Boy Scout Troop 46 forms.
1941-44 Watchtower for spotting enemy planes stands at edge of village.
1943 Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company is incorporated.
1948 Pilot Knob Fire Department is founded.
1950 Fort Anne Museum of History opens at Charles and George streets.
Hadlock Pond Association is founded.
1959 Baptist Church and Methodist Church congregations join to become the United Protestant Church.
1960 Hydroelectric plant at Kane's Falls burns.
1961 Fort Ann Rescue Squad forms.
1962 Hillbilly Heaven, a famous square dancing and country music venue, opens in Fort Ann.
1963
5. Marker detail: World War II Aircraft Spotter Cards
1967 West Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company forms.
1970 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation removes Kane's Falls dam.
1972 Queen Anne Senior Citizens form.
1973 Glens Falls National Bank opens branch in blockhouse replica.
1976 Bicentennial celebration is held.
1978 Cornerstone Bible Church is established.
1984 Rick & Carol's Countryside Inn begins hosting many country and western stars in West Fort Ann.
1985 Current post office is being built in village.
1987 Hillbilly Heaven burns. In its heyday, it attracted famous country singers such as Willie Nelson and Dottie West.
1991 First "Christmas in the Country" open house artisan tour is held in West Fort Ann.
1993 Pilot Knob residents hold first "history night" to create a community history.
1999 Fort Ann celebrates first "Heritage Days."
2005 Hadlock Pond Dam Breach causes massive flooding.
2007 Fort Ann Historical Society publishes book Fort Ann: 300 Years of History.
2012 Rockslide closes Route 4 north of Kelsey's Pond.
Old Stone House Library is placed on State and National Historic registers.
2013 Boys' baseball and girls'
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 13, 2019
6. Fort Ann Through History Marker
Fort Anne Antiques building, formerly Moore's Market, is demolished.
Waterfront park on the canal is completed.
(photo captions)
Sir Francis Nicholson, by Michael Dahl Queens Well Kanes Falls Mill Dewey Place Battle Hill plaque Upper locks Oldest house Fort Ann Train Station Bridgeport Wood Finishing Company Kanes Falls Woolen Mill Fort Ann Union Free School Bordens milk processing plant West Fort Ann United Methodist Church First Fort Ann High School graduation class Parade Old Stone House Library Civilian Conservation Corps Great fire of 1911 Hadlock Pond Bees Dude Ranch Fort Anne Museum of History Blockhouse replica Heritage parade Wray slave house Mount Hope furnace Early fire-fighting equipment later used in the fire of 1911 Looking north on George Street Spotter cards Hadlock Pond Dam Breach
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 43° 25.148′ N, 73° 29.203′ W. Marker is in Fort Ann, New York, in Washington County. Marker is on George Street (U.S. 4) 0.1 miles north of Crandall Lane, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located in the Fort Ann interpretive pull-out on the west side of George Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Ann NY 12827, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Anne (a few steps from this marker); Lakes to Locks Passage (a few steps from this marker); Half-Way Creek (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Fort Anne (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Well (approx. 0.2 miles away); Oldest House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Anne First Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Ann War Memorial / Henry Sartwell / Lester Archer (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Ann.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,052 times since then and 308 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 4, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 5, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on April 4, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
