Lakes to Locks Passage

Lakes to Locks Passage. The Great Northeast Journey. Ticonderoga , Mohawk Indians gave this place the name it still bears today, meaning "the place between the great waters." Here, a portage for carrying canoes connected Lake George with Lake Champlain long before Europeans identified the strategic importance of the place. The French built a fort to control the travel corridor, then lost it to the British at the end of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War). A generation later, American rebels captured Fort Ticonderoga in the first victory of the Revolutionary War., Geographical gifts turned Ticonderoga into a thriving community. The LaChute River, draining Lake George into Lake Champlain, offered a steady supply of water for the manufacture of lumber, iron, graphite, cloth and paper. Lake Champlain floated the boats that carried products to distant markets utilizing the Champlain and Chambly canals. Rich grazing land supported prize-winning Merino sheep and Morgan horses. Lake George attracted summer tourists looking for recreation and spectacular scenery., Places of Interest: , . Fort Ticonderoga: Restored Fort, museum and King's Garden interpret the history of colonial battles and garrison life as well as the early history of heritage tourism. , . Ticonderoga Heritage Museum: Exhibits the industrial history of Ticonderoga. , . The Hancock House: Home of the Ticonderoga Historical Society's library and museum. , . LaChute Riverwalk: An interpretive trail beginning in Bicentennial Park and continuing along the river. , . Ticonderoga Public Beach: Swim in the beautiful waters of Lake George with a great view of Rogers Rock. , . Cartoon Museum: A chronology of cartooning in the Community Building at the foot of Montcalm Street. , . Mount Defiance: Offers a commanding view of the Champlain Valley. , . The Ticonderoga Ferry provides a historic crossing of Lake Champlain to Vermont and the Lake George Steamboat operates from Baldwin Dock , . New York State operates a boat launch to Lake Champlain at the ferry landing, and to Lake George from Mossy Point and Rogers Rock State Campground. , . Hiking trails are found at Rogers Rock State Campground and Cook Mountain Preserve. , . Whitehall, to the south on RT 22, is where you can explore Lake Champlain's military and commercial maritime heritage. , . Crown Point, to the north, offers history lessons at the ruins of French and British forts, the Lake Champlain bridge and lighthouse, and industrial heritage at the Penfield Museum in Ironville. , . Hague, located south on RT 9N, provides a gateway to the central Adirondacks from Lake George, Top Right Photo Caption: Power from this dam once ran the Treadway Woolen mill that straddled the river (see wayside exhibit 7 on LaChute Riverwalk). Photograph by Gerald Abbott., Middle Photo Caption: Horace Moses built a replica of John Hancock's house as headquarters for the New York State Historical Association in 1925. It is now home to the Ticonderoga Historical Society. Photograph courtesy of the Ticonderoga Historical Society., Bottom Right Photo Caption: Stage coaches carried through passengers between landings on Lake George and Lake Champlain, making a stop at the Burleigh Hotel in the center of town. Photograph courtesy of the Ticonderoga Historical Society., For more information, please contact: , LAKES TO LOCKS PASSAGE, INC. , www.lakestolocks.com , email: [email protected] , phone: (518) 597-9660 , 814 Bridge Road, Crown Point, NY 12928, LaChute Riverwalk , Plunging down a short, steep course, LaChute River drains the waters of Lake George into Lake Champlain. The river provided a steady power supply to dozens of mills and factories that clustered around its waterfalls. Since 1970, when International Paper Company moved its mill to the shore of Lake Champlain, nature has reclaimed the river and its banks., LaChute Riverwalk Guide , A guide to the LaChute Riverwalk Trail may be obtained at the Ticonderoga Heritage Museum, PRIDE of Ticonderoga office, or Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce - all located along Montcalm Street., LaChute Riverwalk follows the course of the river for 2 1/2 miles from just below the "Upper Falls” to "Bicentennial Park,” at the foot of the Lower Falls. An additional loop around the baseball fields adds another mile of paved walkway to the trail., Twelve interpretive signs along the Riverwalk explain the history of the river and its industry. Historic photographs help to visualize the working river and the changes it has experienced over time. , Middle Photo: Ducks find a resting place near the outlet of Trout Brook late in the fall migration. Four dams on the upper river create pools that attract wildlife. (See interpretive sign #6). Photograph by Gerald Abbott., Top Right Photo: Bicentennial Falls once powered a paper mill, graphite mill and iron works all at once (See interpretive signs #1 and #3). Photograph by Gerald Abbot, Below the falls, the river looks nearly as wild as it did in 1609, when Samuel de Champlain wrote of his "discovery” of this place. (See interpretive sign #2). Photograph by Robert C. Stevens., Lakes to Locks Passage , The Great Northeast Journey , Lakes to Locks Passage takes you through a spectacular landscape laden with history. Follow this map to find your way through four story-filled regions that connect the historic waters of Lake Champlain and Lake George with the Champlain Canal and Hudson River to the south and the Chambly Canal to the Richelieu and St. Lawrence Rivers of Quebec to the north., Waypoint Communities are poised to greet the traveler along Lakes to Locks Passage, offering sites to visit, lodging, dining and shopping experiences. Streams of history flowthrough these valleys, reflecting "lives” that continue to unfold. Be sure to visit the Waypoint Community Heritage Centers located throughout the region for interpretive exhibits that reveal the stories of the Four Lives of Lakes to Locks Passage., The Four Lives , Natural Forces and Native Peoples shaped the landscape and culture of the inland waterway rich with resources. , Conflict and Settlement traces the exploration, warfare and peacekeeping activities of nation-building along the waterway. , Corridor of Commerce explores the trade in furs, timber, stone, minerals, farm products and technology that flows through these valleys. , Magnet for Tourism reveals the evolution of tourism and stewardship of the environment.,