New visitors are strongly urged to visit the visitor’s hall and view a movie about the fort. Even though we are very familiar with Fort Ticonderoga history and importance in battles, we sat and enjoyed the video. I was especially intrigued with the history of its restoration. You can read about that in my previous post, A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 2.

There is SO much to see inside the buildings that I cannot possibly do it justice here. I only highlight what I found interesting, and even then I must condense it. I highly recommend that you visit the Fort, there’s something for everyone there.

Both stories of the buildings are loaded with fort memorabilia and quite a number of breathtaking archaeological finds. I was awed by this: one of the old metal armor breastplates presumably made by the first French soldiers here in the 1750s. The plaque card says the armor was discovered in 1941, built into the wall. Because of its unusual position in the wall construction, archaeologists believe the armor is a votive offering by the French masons, for “good luck.”

There were many such artifacts to be seen:

This blew me away. A piece of her wedding dress?!

A watch key was a small metal device. With it, the watch owner could wind the watch. Amazing!

George Washington had good ol’ snuff. Well, at least the snuff BOX.

I loved this.

There were many, many such engraved powder horns like this. Even Ethan Allen and Philip Schuyler had scrawled on theirs! This is one of Schuyler’s horns given to him from Paul Revere. The engraving is a verse from Proverbs.

Here is Ethan Allen’s powder horn. Ethan Allen is the famed hero of Fort Ticonderoga. He easily took the fort from the British in 1775, confiscating the stores of ammunition for the needy American army.

This is Ethan Allen’s sword. Click the image to go to the Flickr site. From there, you can view larger images.

Ethan Allen’s gun, engraved with his name.

There were quite a few personal artifacts from the Schuyler family. Alexander Hamilton married Eliza Schuyler, daughter of the great general Philip Schuyler from nearby Albany, NY. This is a four-leafed clover in a locket that had belonged to Angelica Schuyler Church, Eliza’s sister and Alexander Hamilton’s good friend.

Angelica’s wax seal. The town “Angelica, NY” in western New York State is named for Angelica Schuyler Church.

Alexander Hamilton’s sword is here!

Rosary beads, probably dating before the British and American ownership of the fort. The Brits and Americans were definitely and overwhelmingly Protestant, so the beads probably belonged to a French occupant.

This is an imposing display. Looks to be a Mohawk Indian. Mohawks were the fiercest of the Iroquois Indian tribes, probably as fierce as the Canadian Hurons.

Interesting chair. Looks to me to be something from the 1890s, perhaps.

Cool bull’s eye glass.

All in all, it was a terrific visit. I really recommend this place, just go see it!

A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 3

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

After soaking in the glorious sights and enjoying a musket drill, we entered the interior ring of the fort that once housed the soldiers, their families, and the stuff that made it all tick: ammunition.

The structures that stand here are not original to the colonial and Revolutionary days. After serving faithfully for about 30 years in which it had seen nearly half a dozen attacks and had passed through the hands of France, Britain, and the United States, the fort was abandoned after the American Revolution. Its stones and metal were stripped by local residents for the building of houses and businesses in the local small towns. A renewed interest of the Revolutionary War in the late 19th century brought curious onlookers to the site, but the old fort was merely a ghostly shadow of its former glory.

A wealthy importer from New York City, William Ferris Pell, purchased the land and constructed a summer home nearby, naming it The Pavilion. The elegant house still stands but is in terrible disrepair. The home was abandoned by William Ferris Pell after a tragic accident that killed his eldest son. The story is taken from the official Fort Ticonderoga website:

It was customary for the cannon at The Pavilion to be fired in honor of Pell’s return to The Pavilion at the beginning of spring. In 1839, Pell’s eldest son, 35 year-old Archibald, was killed when the cannon exploded while he fired it to honor his father’s return to Ticonderoga. Pell was so devastated by his son’s death that he never returned to The Pavilion and, according to family legend, died from a broken heart the following year.

The gardens of the house are still beautifully maintained, but the house is in poor shape. The Fort Ticonderoga association hopes to restore the home in the future. We wandered the grounds; I’ll have more about the history of The Pavilion and our visit in another post.

The Pell family, seeing an influx of tourists thanks to the Erie Canal and railroads, decided to restore the old “Stonehenge Ruins of Ticonderoga” into a replica of the fort as it was during the American Revolution. Construction began in 1909. This was one of the first such historic restoration projects in the United States. Its grand opening was attended by President William Howard Taft on the 300th anniversary of the European discovery of Lake Champlain.

Some of the old stonework remains, although we did see some areas blocked off for repairs. I loved wandering the grounds, there were many nooks and crannies to explore.

Ethan Allen wannabees:

“Soldiers” posing for a photo.

After all this exploring, we had yet to venture inside the buildings! SO much to explore! We saw a DVD about the history of the fort, and wandered the halls for over an hour, peering at all the amazing historical artifacts and displays. I’ll have our story about that in the next post A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 3.

A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 2

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

We’d visited the Fort Ti grounds once before, sneaking in after the place had closed for the season. We walked the leaf-strewn trails and peeked over the stone walls. We didn’t see any of the interiors of the fort or the buildings, as the places were locked and we didn’t dare intrude that far. We had gotten a healthy taste of the incredible landscape, however, to taunt us for a return visit. Which, I am happy to report, we did this autumn.

After walking through the admission area and gift shop (which is loaded with stuff and I spent a bundle of money in it), you walk down a small hill that faces the south side of the fort, toward the bottom of Lake Champlain and the top of Lake George. The views are simply staggering.

Brigades of cannons line the perimeter of the fort’s stone walls. It’s like strolling through a castle. Actually, in the United States, stone forts are as close as we can get to a castle!

Fort Ticonderoga has the largest collection of cannons in the country. The older ones are very ornate, with inscribed dates, decorations, and sometimes a motto or phrase or the name of the king under whose reign the cannon was built.

The American flag flies here, but the site has seen the French fleur-de-lis and the British Union Jack fly overhead, as well.

A few plaques hint at the history of the fort as we meandered the perimeter of its walls.

Our wonderment was interrupted by a crowd gathering in the green. Two finely dressed soldiers marched to the center and called for attention. A musket drill!

The gentlemen talked about the typical life of the soldier of the fort (for most, musket drills were about as exciting as it got) and a little of the history of the fort. When we got home, the husband did a little more digging into the history of the fort:

During our most recent trip to Fort Ticonderoga, I was struck to learn these facts of it’s history:

This fort was originally built and occupied by the French in 1755, during the French and Indian War*. They called it Fort Carillon. In 1759, it was successfully captured by the British, after their previously failed attempt in 1758. They re-named it Fort Ticonderoga. Being occupied by the British, it was then captured by American revolutionaries in 1775. Then, just over 2 years later in 1777, it was successfully re-captured by the British.

“Wow, this was a busy place,” I thought. It intrigued me as to why this place would warrant such attention, so that it would change hands 3 times it in the first 22 years of it’s existence. Doing a little research, it gradually sunk in that the reason for it’s popularity owed to the 3 major selling points of all real estate: Location, location, location.

The fort is situated at the southern end of Lake Champlain, on it’s western shore. Lake Champlain, a long, narrow, north-south oriented lake, together with Lake George and the Hudson River, forms an important travel route which runs from New York Harbor (under British control at the onset of the French and Indian War) to the St. Lawrence River (then controlled by the French). This route was familiar to, and used by, Native American Indians even before European explorers discovered it during the early-to-mid 1600′s. It is relatively free from obstacles and includes only a few portages**, of which Ticonderoga is one.

The name, “Ticonderoga,” itself gives us some local geographical information. The word is derived from what the Iroquois called this area, and which means, “(the) land between two waters.” The two waters are Lake Champlain and Lake George, and the land between was the portage. Despite there being a river connecting the two lakes, the winding 3.5 mile long La Chute, knowledgeable travelers chose to make a portage here because the La Chute was full of dangerous white-water rapids. It was safer and more practical to cross on foot at a point where about 1.25 miles of dry land lay between the lakes instead. The French therefore, chose to build the fort here to control the southern end of Lake Champlain, up which any British invasion would have to come.

It would seem the ability to control travel along this major inland water route from New York Harbor to the St. Lawrence River depended heavily upon being able to control this small area here at “the land between two waters.”

* the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763.
** a portage is a point in a water route where boats and/or cargo need to be carried across land to avoid obstacles, or to get from one body of water to another.

So Fort Ti was obviously a very strategic geographic point, as it controlled the waterway.

I’ll continue more about our adventure here with Fort Ticonderoga, Part 2 in the near future. This time, we got to go INSIDE the buildings and see some very amazing artifacts!

A Visit to Fort Ticonderoga, Part 1

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

The drive to Lake George was lengthy. We traveled through the familiar and little towns of Herkimer, German Flatts, and Little Falls before taking the Thruway. Tolls have certainly increased. We got off at Amsterdam and drove through the heart of the city. I’ve never been through Amsterdam before; it has a rusty, rickety aura of a gilded era long gone –like many Upstate cities– but it has a seediness similar to Utica. The hilly roads added interest (and traffic congestion) to the ride. It was an interesting city and I would have liked to see more of it, but Lake George beckoned.

Up we traveled, through Ballston Spa, Saratoga, and Glens Falls. Lake George, NY, (the city) is at the southernmost tip of this very long lake. The lake itself is about 32 miles long and 2 miles wide. Huge mounds of solid stone stand up in a stiff regiment all around the lake. Clouds of russet-colored oak and feathery green fir trees cover big chunks of the mountains in a futile attempt to soften its appearance. It was probably no easy thing for these trees to grow roots and grasp onto such massive mounds of stone. Even with the lush tree coverage, huge boulders the size of school buses loomed. I’ve never seen anything like it. At one point we could drive no further and had to stop to take it all in. No wonder Lake George is nicknamed “Queen of the American Lakes.” And it has a bit of mystery and adventure, too, being the location of America’s Oldest Intact Warship. But because the sky was so overcast, my little point-and-shoot Kodak couldn’t capture the striking beauty of the landscape.

I feel ashamed, treating you so unjustly to such poor photos when the sight of the scene was so spectacular. Oh well, I have a hunch we will return next autumn, so stay tuned. I am glad we came in autumn. The mountains were simply ablaze with color and were almost aggressive in showing it off. This is turbulently rugged countryside and nothing like the sweetly singing hills of the Mohawk Valley.

We continued on to Fort Ticonderoga. We knew we were taking a chance, driving so far with the possibility of not seeing much of the beloved fort. Most tourist places in Upstate close by October 31st–a stinky policy, if you ask me. Autumn is the perfect time for travel! Anyway, it was Veteran’s Day, and I’d read that even though the inside of the museums might be closed, the visitor’s centers remain open. We discovered we were wrong on all counts. Nuts. But didn’t someone once say that half the fun is getting there? So we made do with what we had and enjoyed the journey.

Fort Ticonderoga was a very important outpost during the American Revolution (which we lost to Burgoyne, by the way). However, the history of the fort and of the area goes back much, much farther.

Because this area is between Lake Champlain and Lake George, and thus the fastest route to Albany (NY’s capital city) and New York City (NY’s biggest harbor), the group who controlled Ticonderoga usually wound up controlling New York. This fort initially controlled the trade route before the French and Indian War. It later became a strategic outpost for the wars. My daughter promised me that she would (quickly) write a short and humorous synopsis of the historical aspects of this place. I’ll post it in an update as soon as I get it.

The road to the fort (which we walked, because the road was closed with a gate) was interspersed with monuments to the many, many men who died here. Talk about a world war– there were people from so many countries who fought here!

First the area was owned by the Indians, then the French. Then, the British took it over in the French and Indian War. Fighting with the British were regiments from Scotland. Then, the American Revolution came ’round, and it was French and British at it again, this time with American, Scottish, and German troops, plus more Indians. Monuments in English, French, and Latin recorded the hundreds of men who died here. Trenches were redug for posterity to see exactly where shots were fired, blood was spilled, and men were fallen.

The walk was mighty long. Because the fort was officially closed, I hurried everyone along. I wanted to get a quick view of the fort before we were kicked out!

The fort sits elevated on a cliff. It overshadows the strategic sliver of Lake Champlain where Lake George ends, and oversees all water traffic there. Across the lake is Vermont. In the summer a ferry takes passengers across to Vermont and Mount Defiance.

As we approached the fort, sounds of construction vehicles alarmed us that we were not alone. Apparently, laborers were working this day. It looked like they were clearing brush. Whether they saw us, I do not know, but they left us undisturbed. We veered off to the other side, and I rapidly made my way to the open fort entrance. Ah, so easy! Did the French and then the British enter so easily? Ha!

We came up to a “CLOSED. NO TRESPASSING BEYOND THIS POINT” sign. My husband, law-abiding citizen that he is, hesitated. I, on the other hand, had a camera in my hand that was literally pulling me toward the entrance. I walked boldly into the entrance and peered over the top. Before my eyes about 10 feet down was a red pickup truck, its engine gurgling, and two men hauling tools into the back. They were joking and laughing, so they had missed my son’s sneeze and my loud footsteps. I shrank back from the wall and motioned for the kids to be absolutely s i l e n t. I wanted to get in at least one picture before we were tossed out, or, God forbid, arrested! This is all I got.

Sorry! How I longed to enter the fort! I almost–ohh so close it was– did. But cooler heads prevailed. We turned our way back. I snapped a quick photo of Mount Defiance– that last, unexpected bastion of British ingenuity (story to come), and we left.

I was sad. Of course, I didn’t think we’d get in the fort– being past season as it is. But a girl can hope, can’t she? The kids were disappointed, too, but they recouped soon enough. Kids will be kids and they found something to do: play American Revolution in the forest:

On our way back to the van, I snapped a photo of this beautiful little stone house by the gate. The sign said it was a private residence, but it was on the fort grounds. A caretaker’s home, perhaps?

So all in all, we didn’t get to revel in the luxuriant history of the fort, but we can at least say that we have been there. All it does is gives us a thirst to return! Fort Ticonderoga, I shall return!

We continued on after Fort Ticonderoga. Read about our hike up Buck Mountain in Pilot Knob, NY!

Lake George and Fort Ticonderoga, NY

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

A few months ago, my dear friend Alison held her first Blogoversary and a contest at her blog, Eleanor Blog. This is a lovely blog about the interests of a young lady who operates a tour guide business for Castle Fraser, once of Scotland’s oldest preserved castles (1575 or so). I hope to see the castle someday. In the meantime, I visit her blog, and entered her contest. And I won, I won!

Top suggestion or comment will receive a guide, booklet, magnet and thimble plus some heather seeds, all purchased with my own fair hands.

This is what I received.

The thimble is beautiful. It’s made of bone china. I allowed the children to touch it, then I safely tucked it in my china cabinet alongside my plate from Ireland, my 1900 frosted tea glasses, and my 1884 family Bible. It’s in good company! I’ll pass it down as an heirloom when the children are older.

We oooed and ahhhed over the brochures. It is even more difficult now to wait until I can visit Scotland someday, *sigh*. When I told the kids I would not use the heather seeds, but preserve them, they frowned. So I changed my mind and decided we will plant some of the seeds, but keep the remainder for posterity.

Thank you, Alison. I will cherish these gifts always!

A Gift From Scotland

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

This area of the Mohawk Valley is home to a large number of Russian immigrants, most of whom emigrated to America during times of religious persecution under Joseph Stalin (hiss, hiss). My stepfather was Russian Jewish, so I have a natural interest in Russian history. (My step-dad also said Russian monks made the best wines, and I think he was in part of some kind of Russian wine of the month club, lol).

The monastery was founded in 1928. You can read more of its history and view some gorgeous aerial pictures here.

We had hoped to be able to enter the church and look inside. But a sign at the gate forbad women wearing pants to enter. Nuts. We drove around the front and snapped a few pictures. I got a shot of a beautiful mosaic over the doors. The halos above the apostles’ heads are made of gold mosaic tile. Click the photo to see a larger one with more detail.

More colorful mosaics were to be found beyond this exquisite gate. I was not bold enough to enter through the gate, but I took this picture.

I also took a quick snapshot of the glorious golden onion dome, so typical of the orthodox style.

It was a nice visit, even though we did not get to go in the buildings. The kids and I are currently studying ancient world cultures and Church History. We have just finished reading about the fall of the Roman Empire and the invasion of the Northern tribes, and started learning about the formation of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. It is good to see their artwork and religious style first-hand, rather than relying only on pictures in books.

We drove further down the road and came to the monastery’s cemetery. I took a few pictures. The cemetery chapel reminded me of Taj Mahal.

On our way back to the main thoroughfare (i.e., Jordanville Rd.) we spotted a swath of signs denouncing the Iraq War. All along his property, a farmer had large signs such as the one below, protesting the war as a “blood for oil” contest.

Not all appreciated the farmer’s signs, and defaced the property with spray paint.

Who knew tiny Jordanville was a hotbed of seething political passions? Then again, this is America.

The Russian Orthodox Monastery in Jordanville, NY

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.

Fort Ontario sits on the southern side of Oswego, and hugs the shoreline of Lake Ontario. It’s a truly exquisite scene, with the sea of blue water at our feet and the sea of blue sky at our heads, and the green lawn glimmering below. We found a parking space and got out to explore the shoreline a little. Through a few small beaten paths, we could walk right down to the edge of the lake and explore the rocky craggs. The kids stuffed their pockets with the smooth, water-weathered rocks.

Oh, I could have stood there forever and watched the cool waves. Sailboats glided across the lake, and fishing trawler cranes dangled over the horizon. To the north, we could see the nuclear power plant stack.

(I once had someone from North Korea visit this blog post, searching for nuclear power plants in the United States. Can you believe it?!)

A small cemetery was nearby. Also of great interest was a large wooden cross, with a sign that read “In Hoc Signe Vincent.” It is similar to what Constantine saw before his great victory at the Milvian Bridge in AD 312.

After these things, we entered the fort. Fort Ontario has a very long history.

Since 1755 Fort Ontario has been rebuilt, regarrisoned, and changed hands several times. Immediately following the Civil War, Fort Ontario began a period of decreased activity and improvements and additions ceased. The fort found new life between 1903 and 1905 when the United States expanded the post as part of the army’s reorganization. By 1941 approximately 125 buildings stood at the site. Between 1944 and 1946 Fort Ontario was used as an emergency refugee center for victims of the Holocaust. In 1946 the fort was transferred to the State of New York.

Here’s a photo from Wikipedia, an aerial view of the fort:

We drew close and ventured in. There is an admission charge for entering.

Most of the buildings and grounds were set up for the Civil War period. There were an assortment of documents, uniforms, pictures, and some weaponry dating to this era. Very little referred to the Revolutionary days.

Inside most of the buildings were lots of primitive wooden tables and chairs, some Civil War-era papers and little else. Booooring.

One building was more interesting, as the ladies had lived in it and brightened the drab rooms with lively curtains and furnishings. Women do have a way of making a house nice.

I took a shot of a beautifully stenciled window blind. These are lovely, aren’t they? They must have required a ton of labor. Today, I am glad for my modern roller shades.

Here’s one of those hair wreaths I mentioned that I saw at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie. What curious objects!

Behind one of the outbuildings, there was a narrow brick passageway that was fun to explore. If you look closely at an enlarged shot of this photo, you can see my son’s eyes glowing in the dark. The camera flash must have reflected off his retinas at the right angle. It looks so creepy!

After exploring the four outbuildings in the Fort, we thought we had finished our tour. Lo and behold, we discovered some doors in the ground. This newly found exploratory was the best part of our visit!

There was nothing down there except empty cavernous hallways and rooms. But my kids loved it. They had bought toy guns at the gift shop and found extreme fun running around and “shooting” enemies from the gun ports in the walls.

Soldiers had built these underground rooms during the Civil War days. The walls were made of very thick stone. Tiny stalactites were forming on the ceilings of some rooms. It was refreshingly cool down here. It must be heavenly here during the sweltering days of summer.

Back outside, I tried to soak as much as I could of the Lake again. Big berms surround the Fort. This makes for fantastic exploration– we ran up and down the berms and enjoyed the gorgeous views.

You could sit on the benches or the grass and just soak in the great big blue sky and drink up the great big blue water. It reminded me of that lovely hymn:

Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

It was a wonderful visit. The fort, for all its thrilling history, took full advantage of its location by the lake. If you go, go on a sunny day and let the great big sky knock your socks off.

Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY

New York Traveler.net This post is from New York Traveler.net and is copyrighted material.