Fort Stanwix, in Rome, NY, was built during the French and Indian War, to provide protection for “The Carry.” The Carry was a trail on dry ground between the popular waterways, Wood Creek and the Mohawk River. It was so named because settlers and traders had to hop out of their boats when they reached the end of one waterway and carry their boat and goods to the next waterway. The fort was built by the British, back when we were a British colony. It was named after British General John Stanwix. Americans renamed it Fort Schuyler, after the popular General Phillip Schuyler (who was Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, by the way). General Schuyler already had a number of forts named after him (including one in Utica), so the name was dropped and everyone called the place Fort Stanwix.

Legend has it that the first real flag of the United States of America was flown here.

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Fort Stanwix was one of the targets of the British “three pronged attack” during the Revolutionary War. The British planned to invade and conquer Albany, NY, our state capital. In doing so, the British would slit the 13 Colonies in half: the plan was a brilliantly devised one of divide and conquer.

Through the hand of Divine Providence, the British plans went awry. The British army led by General St. Leger coming from the west were stifled at Fort Stanwix. The British army led by General Burgoyne was sabatoged and captured in Saratoga, NY. And the British army led by General Howe that was supposed to come up from Philadelphia from the south never even got started. New York proved much more resistant than the British thought– after this event, the French joined the Americans and the British scampered down to the Southern Colonies to try to conquer there. You can read more about the three-pronged attack in what is considered the “bloodiest battle of the American Revolution” here.

After the war, the fort was abandoned. It fell into disrepair, and the city of Rome was built over it. A revival of interest in our historic heritage spurned the interest of people in the city. The Fort was declared a national historic park in 1935. The site was excavated and rebuilt in 1976, America’s Bicentennial Year.

This weekend, Fort Stanwix is celebrating her 75th birthday, with parades, reenactments, music, and more. This is one of the BEST national parks we have ever visited. We try to go every year or so. Unfortunately, I will miss my visit this year; we are renovating our home and are on a tight deadline. If you want to visit, see the official Fort Stanwix website, or call 315-338-7730.

Happy birthday, Fort Stanwix! You are an example of the tenacity and faith of our golden founding era.

Happy Birthday, Fort Stanwix!

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UGH! How’d you do with this one this week? Tough one!!! Here’s mine:

Perhaps the first thing that will come to people’s minds (besides artificial sweeteners) are mannequins. And I DO happen to have a photo of some! These are “artificial” people– Iroquois Indians and a Scotsman (many early colonists in Upstate New York were Scot and German). I think these artificial dudes are rather well-done.

Here are more artificial characters– cardboard cutouts of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans Rogers. We saw these when we visited the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

These are Herkimer Diamonds.

They are artificial diamonds— not real diamonds, but rather quartz– but are still very rare because they have six sides (18 facets) and two terminations, and are found in “vugs” (clusters) only in certain locations in the world. These are called Herkimer Diamonds because there is a large area of them in the town of Herkimer, NY. People come from all over the world to mine this strange quartz. You can read more about these strange and rare “diamonds” in a post I wrote here.

And finally… hmm… two kitties.. which one is artificial?? Hmm.

How did your Photo Hunters go today?

Photo Hunters: Artificial

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At the fort, you are free to roam the grounds. There are rooms where you can enter and see exact replicas of colonial life as it was back then. And you can mingle with the soldiers and officers and strike up a chat about the importance of, say, the First Amendment. There were also several marching and musket drills to enjoy watching.

I took so many photos, that I’ll have to make another post. It was GREAT! If you are ever in Rome, NY, do check in on the Fort. Admission is free and it’s one of the finest national parks, ever.

More Photos of Fort Stanwix 2009

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Now for the photos! I recommend that you enlarge the first photo for the full effect. The fort is surrounded by a high earthen berm, for added protection against invading enemies. So the view is really great!

Everything at Fort Stanwix is very “hands on.” They even has things like toy wooden muskets and fur pelts for the children to play with and feel. And the re-enactors frequently perform drills. Its an absolute blast!!

Also on the grounds a short walk from the Fort is a visitor’s center. It’s very nice. We enjoyed exploring it, inside and out.

As for us, we’re still traveling around New York, but we’ve been making plans to do some very large trips in the near future, both out of state, and (we hope someday) to other countries. Of course, I will blog about them here, too!

More Fort Stanwix Photos

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There’s a drawbridge at the entrance. The fort was made historically accurate. Big meaty stakes with sharpened points tilt outward. There’s a big dry moat all around the fort. During times of peacefulness, the women and children camped in these big ditches.

Inside the fort is a great big spacious area, with wooden walls leading to rooms. You can wander freely inside the rooms.

There are a variety of rooms– captain’s quarters, soldier’s quarters, missionary’s quarters, the “Suttler’s” room (like a general store), and more. It’s really great to meander throughout the grounds!

What a great time! Be sure to check out Fort Stanwix if you are ever in the Rome, NY, area. You won’t regret it!

Fort Stanwix Photos

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The theme for this week is right up my alley! I am very much interested in historical stuff- utensils of the days gone by. And usually when we think of utensils, we think of hand tools, like silverware or tools. Perhaps the most unique piece of silver I have ever seen is this:

Do you see the mouse on the spoon? It is a “cheese” spoon and it was owned by the Higinbotham family of Oneida, NY. We saw it when we visited the Madison County Historical Museum house. The table was set, too– what a beautiful world these people lived in!

Here’s another photo, loaded with utensils. This is what a typical American kitchen looked like in the 1840s. We saw this display at the Erie Canal Village in Rome.

Here’s a unique set of utensils– playing cards! These are a replica of the kinds of cards the soldiers played with, at Fort Stanwix, during the colonial days in America.

Also at Fort Stanwix are displays of very old utensils, unearthed during the archaeological digs at the Fort, when it was being restored in the 1970s. In the second photo you can see a pewter teapot and the base of an old iron iron. ha!

Here are more typical kitchen utensils of the mid and late 1800s. The stove still works.

And finally, here’s a photo of our recent trip to Fort Stanwix on July 4th. After the public reading of the Declaration of Independence, they brought out quills, ink, and copies of the Declaration for us to sign. It was a little windy… some of the quills started to fly.

So that’s my Photo Hunt! How did yours go today?

Photo Hunters: Utensils

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We try to go to this fort every year. And this year, it was extra special: we went on July 4th, Independence Day, for the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

I took a few videos of the reading (it was thrilling!!) but I have not pieced the clips together. I, uh, HOPE to have this done before NEXT July 4th rolls around…

After the reading, we wandered around the fort and it’s various displays. Inside rooms, re-enactors stood by the chat with us or tell us tales of life in the fort during the early colonial days of wild Upstate New York.

And there were also a few demonstrations. They frequently played the drums and fife, marched around the square, and mingled with us visitors. I tell you– this park is just amazing. The rangers have got the public relations New York down pat. This place is SO great!

Here are some of the kids, learning how to drill and use a musket. This may come in handy someday!

I took loads of photos. I will be posting more photos and anecdotes in the posts to come. I’m also hoping my posts will be good PR New York for the fort, and get even more attention. It’s just a TERRIFIC place!

Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York, Part 1

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We went to Fort Stanwix in Rome, to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence read aloud, and give our huzzahs to Liberty. What a fabulous time! We also got to sign our names on a copy, and “…for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

We also attended the Tea Party at the Rome City Hall. We got to meet some amazing people, and hear some terrific speeches. And I just loved the flags. This was the official flag of one of the Massachusetts regiments during the American Revolution.

I took loads and loads of photos, and have lots to say about both terrific events! Stay tuned.

Tea Parties, Declarations, and Flags

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Well this in an interesting theme for Photo Hunters today! Here’s what I tried:

The first thing I think of is protection from possible danger. Like a hungry tiger!

We saw this tiger at the Utica Zoo a few months ago; we were protected from the tigers (and the tigers from the city surrounding) by a 30-foot-high metal cage. Maybe it was the cool weather, but I’ve never seen the tigers so active as they were on our visit. They were pacing around, running, and chasing each other. It’s amazing how graceful and how heavy they are.

A fence also provided protection from this Whooping Swan, who wanted to bite our fingers off. I got a little too close with my camera, and it bit and chomped on my jacket sleeve! Oh, he may LOOK cute– don’t let that fool you. He’s a MONSTER!

And here’s a photo of the wooden palisade fencing around Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY. Click the photo for a better look at those hungry wooden spikes sticking out from the walls. The fort is situated on a man-made knoll, surrounded by a deep trench. The fort is constructed on the knoll, with high walls and abutments. In times of quiet, the women and children camped in the trench below– they had tents that they slept in (soldiers slept in bunks inside the fort barricades). The women did the cooking and washed laundry for their men in the trenches. When a watchman spotted Indians or the British, he called for the women and children to get into the barricade for protection.

New York State has many protected historic sites, many of which we have visited. The Erie Canal Village in Rome, NY, is one. This village is just as it was in the 1830s or so, just like a walk back in time!

So that’s my “protection” for today! How did your Photo Hunter’s go? Leave a comment with your link!

Photo Hunters: Protect(ion)

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I thought I’d post a little video to “perk” you all up.

The main Tax Day Tea Party website is here. There’s loads of information, including participating cities. Some participating Upstate New York cities include Corning, Rome, Canton, Camden, Norwich, Albany, Buffalo, Utica, Fishkill, Elmira, Binghamton, Endicott, and others! Wooooo!

The blog, The Conservative Revolution, has some great articles for the special day: How to Deal With Left-Wing Tea Party Crashers, an Updated Map of Tea Parties Across the Nation (I did not see Rome, Utica, or Camden on the map, even though these cities are having Tea Parties), and that FOXNews Intends to Cover the Tea Parties. This is a HUGE, HUGE national event, and it is unconscionable that the “major” media refuses to cover it.

The Declaration of Independence.

Tea Party Tax Revolt Day– Tomorrow!

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