Lake Champlain

Fort Ticonderoga Appoints Chief Financial Officer

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Fort Ticonderoga has announced the appointment of Dr. Carl R. Crego, CFA, as Chief Financial Officer according to Beth Hill, Executive Director. “Carl brings a tremendous knowledge base of finance and accounting to Fort Ticonderoga as well as a deep passion for the Fort’s history,” Hill Said in a press release issued this week.

Fort Ticonderoga has been suffering financially in recent years following the withdrawal of a major contributor.

As Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Crego will be responsible for Fort Ticonderoga’s financial administration including the development of finance strategies and activities, financial operations, planning, accounting and administration.

Dr. Crego received his MBA and PhD, from the George Washington University and taught undergraduate and graduate finance courses at Pace University for 7 academic years. He received the Kenan Award for Teaching Excellence after only three years of teaching at Pace. Dr. Crego successfully received tenure in the sixth year at Pace. In the following year, he took leave of absence to join New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) as Educational Consultant. Dr. Crego was one of the most popular instructors at NYSSA and has helped develop their education program exponentially from short preview class to a full range of continuing education and review courses, including the popular CFA review program. Prior to beginning his academic career, he served for 6 years as Vice President for Rinfret Associates, an international economic intelligence firm headed by prominent economist Pierre Rinfret. He was involved with risk analysis studies whose content he then presented to clients. Most recently, Dr. Crego has served as an instructor for Kaplan Financial in Hong Kong.

Dr. Crego has been a long time supporter of Fort Ticonderoga. His volunteer support includes working with collections, events and membership recruitment. He is also the author of the book Fort Ticonderoga, the history based on postcard images published in 2004 and is currently working on a biography of Colonel Robert M. Thompson, the man who financed the restoration of Fort Ticonderoga in 1909.

Photo: Carl Crego, Fort Ticonderoga’s new Chief Financial Officer.

Archeology to be Focus Of Mount Independence Hike

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The mysteries of Mount Independence’s past will be revealed in the annual archeology hike into history at the historic site in Orwell, Vermont. Archaeologist Allen Hathaway will lead the hike on Sunday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. and share his extensive knowledge about what archeology can and has revealed about the original inhabitants of the Mount- the American Revolution- and even the earlier French and Indian War.

“Allen is a popular guide and has visited the Mount for years, so he really knows the trails and the history behind them as well as what kind of archeological finds have been made,” said Elsa Gilbertson, Regional Site Administrator with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

The event is part of Vermont Archeology Month, she said, and participants are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.

Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the best-preserved Revolutionary War archeological sites in America. Visitors can see the evidence of this vast fortification by walking along the six miles of trails.

The Baldwin Trail, circling much of the southern half of the Mount, has gentle grades and compacted surfaces, suitable for easy walking, outdoor wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.

In 1776, the sprawling military complex at Mount Independence was one of the largest communities in North America after some 12,000 soldiers built a massive fort to defend against an anticipated British attack from the north.

On the night of July 5, 1777, General Arthur St. Clair withdrew the American army from Mount Independence and nearby Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot after a British force more than twice his size occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity.

The British and Germans occupied Mount Independence until November of that year. Though his actions helped preserve the army, Congress was outraged and censured St. Clair for the loss. He later argued that his conduct had been honorable- demanded review by a court martial- and was ultimately exonerated.

Mount Independence is located near the end of Mount Independence Road, six miles west of the intersections of VT Routes 22A and 73 near Orwell village. Admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children under 15, and includes the guided walk, access to all the trails, and a visit to the air-conditioned visitor center with its exhibits.

Call (802) 948-2000 for more information or visit www.historicvermont.org/sites

Writer, Historian Colin Wells in Whallonsbug

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The Adirondack Center for Writing presents author and historian Colin Wells in their annual Reading Series. The series hosts writers and poets from the North Country at local venues to share their recent work. Wells’ talk is titled “Potty Humor and History: The Strange Friendship of Nicolo Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini” and will explore Nicolo Machiavelli’s friendship with the “first modern historian.” He will speak on September 16th at 7pm at The Whallonsburg Grange Hall in Whallonsburg, NY. The event is FREE and open to the public.

Colin Wells has been interested in history since his undergraduate days at UCLA, and has published widely, from Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Changed the World, to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Saudi Arabia. Reviewing Sailing from Byzantium, the American Library Association’s Booklist said, “Wells brings vividly to life this history of a long-lost era and its opulent heritage.” His most recent book is called A Brief History of History: Great Historians and the Epic Quest to Explain the Past. The book brings together evocative sketches of the great historians with concise summaries of their most important works. Wells demonstrates how brilliant minds have changed our understanding of history, how history itself moved forward over time as a way of approaching the past, and why &#8220history&#8221 is a startlingly fluid concept, with an evolutionary course&#8211a story&#8211all its own.

In addition to works of popular history, Wells has published a children’s mystery titled Stick Like Glue and is working on a new book called The Invention of God: The Origins of Faith in the Rise of Reason. He lives with his two Samoyeds and a crew of cats in Westport, where he writes for the local paper.

The Reading Series will also feature novelist Steve Stern in Glen Falls, NY on August 26 and poet Jay Rogoff on September 21st at the Saratoga Arts Center.

The Adirondack Center for Writing is an independent non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting literature and providing educational opportunities and support to both aspiring and established writers in the Adirondack region. We provide workshops, conferences, and readings throughout the year in locations all around the Adirondack Park. ACW is based at Paul Smith’s College and is supported by a strong membership and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Lecture on the Battles at Plattsburgh

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The Wilmington Historical Society invites you to their program with historian and author Keith Herkalo “September 11th, 1814: The Battles at Plattsburgh” to be held on Friday, August 20th at 7 pm at the Wilmington Community Center on Springfield Road in Wilmington, Essex County, NY.

Would the United States exist if our naval and land Battles at Plattsburgh on September 11, 1814 had been lost? For the United States, the War of 1812 is often referred to as “the second war for independence”. We have learned of the battles at Baltimore, Washington and Sacketts Harbor, but what about the Battles at Plattsburgh?


Keith Herkalo, using personal journals, military journals, contemporary newspaper accounts, and other original source documents, examines the evidence that leads to the conclusion that the Battles at Plattsburgh on land and on Lake Champlain, were actually the key battles of the War of 1812. He claims that were it not for the exemplary talents and skills of two young military officers, Commodore Thomas McDonough and General Alexander Macomb, a small force of regular army and navy personnel and New York Militia, a few thousand Vermont Militia, a handful of Native Americans and Veteran Exempts (those too old for military service), and a group of boys from a local school, the United States, as we know it today, would not exist.

Plattsburgh City Clerk and a charter member of the Battle of Plattsburgh Association, Keith Herkalo believes that the Battles at Plattsburgh and the individuals who fought in the War of 1812 in the Champlain Valley and surrounding area deserve national recognition. Karen Peters, President of the Wilmington Historical Society, notes that many area residents of that time period participated in the land battle, including Major Reuben Sanford of Wilmington who commanded a regiment of detached militia. Stephen Partridge, also of Jay and Wilmington was one of the first to be killed in action in a skirmish at Culver Hill on September 6, 1814, a few days prior to the main battle.

Having grown up in both Philadelphia and Plattsburgh, and spending more than a decade in military service, Keith Herkalo returned to Plattsburgh developing a keen interest in Plattsburgh’s history with a particular attention to Plattsburgh’s involvement in the War of 1812. He is a builder and member of the boat crew of the award-winning bateau “Rooster” (the 37-foot replica of an 1812 era work boat). As an 1812-era re-enactor and an amateur historian he is the research catalyst behind the archaeological re-discovery and preservation of the 1812 Camp Site known as “Pike’s Cantonment” and the Crab Island Graves location. He is the editor of The Journalof H.K. Averill. Sr.: An Account of the Battle of Plattsburgh and Early North Country Community, and author of September 11th, 1814: the Battles at Plattsburgh which documents Plattsburgh’s importance in the War of 1812.

The “September 11th, 1814: The Battles at Plattsburgh” program on August 20th is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For further information, contact Karen Peters at (518) 524-1023 or Merri Peck at (518) 946-7627.

Illustration: Naval battle on Lake Champlain. Engraving in 1816 by B. Tanner.

VT: British Raid on Addison County to be Recreated

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Addison County was “A nest of the greatest rebels in that part of the country,” when British forces led by Major Christopher Carleton invaded the area, determined to eliminate any possible supplies for rebel troops. Carleton’s 21 day expedition of 350 soldiers and 100 Indians, supported by naval vessels on the lake, proudly tallied up their success: crops destroyed, livestock slaughtered, barns and homesteads burned – nearly 100 structures and enough supplies to feed 12,000 men for four months.

On August 21 and 22, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s “Rabble in Arms” weekend offers an insider’s look at the experiences of British and Rebel combatants, and an average frontier family, during these volatile years of the American Revolution. With the defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777, the British feared a possible American counter-offensive from the Champlain Valley into Canada, and the following year Major Christopher Carleton, nephew of Canada’s Governor -General Sir Guy Carleton, led the invasion known as “Carleton’s Raids,” targeting homesteads in Addison County Vermont.

To recreate these dramatic events, some of the re-enactors take British roles, and even LCMM’s venerable gunboat Philadelphia II will be transformed into the captured American gunboat Jersey, carrying British troops. On Saturday, the British troops will make landfall and establish a foothold at the museum’s North Harbor, defended by local militia. A “homestead” will be raided and put to the torch on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, the public can meet the re-enactors of both camps, before a final skirmish with the departing British troops.

A further perspective on the Revolutionary War in the Champlain Valley is provided on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., when historians Paul Huey and Tom Barker, in Braunschweig Jaeger uniform, present the viewpoint of the Hessian troops in a special presentation “German Maps and Myths about the War for Independence.” Copies of their forthcoming book on the subject can be pre-ordered from the museum store.

Food service for the event is available on-site, or receive a 20% discount the Red Mill Restaurant with your museum admission. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, at 4472 Basin Harbor Road, is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm. For more information see www.lcmm.org or call 802 475-2022.

Frederick Douglasss 1843 Lecture to Highlight Tour

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One hundred and sixty-six summers ago&#8211 one year after fugitive slave Frederick Douglass lectured in Keeseville&#8211Albany Underground Railroad agent Abel Brown “took” the Burlington steamboat on Lake Champlain and reported, “Many a slave has enjoyed the indescribable pleasure of leaping from the liberty-loving Burlington.&#8221

Hundreds of fugitives from slavery escaped every year to New York City. They were forwarded to Albany and onto Champlain Canal packet boats. At Whitehall they boarded the Burlington. From Port Kent, they could make their way to Keeseville and Stephen Keese Smith’s farm in Peru. Smith hid fugitives from slavery in his barns and drove them in his uncle’s wagon to Champlain. Then Noadiah Moore took them across the border to Lacolle, Canada, and helped them find work. They were free, at last.

People opposed the abolitionists. Friends and neighbors turned against them. Brethren left their churches.

On August 14th, North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association’s President, Don Papson, will lead a guided tour, “Villages and Churches Divided.” The tour will begin with a 10 am orientation in Keeseville’s Ausable Valley Grange at 1749 Main Street. Stops will be made at abolition and UGRR sites where participants will read passages from historic documents. The trial of Rev. Andrew Witherspoon and the stirring words of Frederick Douglass will be relived. The last stop at 3 pm will be at a hidden room. Participants must apply early as the tour is limited to 20 people. The cost is $30 for members of NCUGRHA- $40 for non members. Each participant is asked to pack a lunch, wear walking shoes and bring an umbrella. To register, please contact Helen Nerska at 518-643-0938 or email [email protected]

“Villages and Churches Divided” is a 5th Annual Canal Splash! event. Canal Splash! celebates the history and culture of New York’s Canals.

Hike Into History at Mount Independence

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Visitors are invited to “hike into history” at a Vermont historic site that Yankee magazine has named the best in New England for doing just that.

On Sunday, August 1st, at 2:00 p.m., Steve Zeoli will lead another of his popular hikes into history at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell.

“Steve is the president of the Mount Independence Coalition and a former caretaker at the site, so he really knows both the trails and the history behind them,” said Elsa Gilbertson, Regional Site Administrator with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

Visitors will get an in depth look at what can be found along the Orange and Baldwin Trails and learn what was happening during the American Revolution at this important military site.

The site is a National Historic Landmark and has been named a 2010 Editors’ Choice in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England, winning the “Best Hike Through History.”

In 1776, the sprawling military complex at Mount Independence was one of the largest communities in North America after some 12,000 soldiers built a massive fort to defend against an anticipated British attack from the north.

On the night of July 5, 1777, General Arthur St. Clair withdrew the American army from Mount Independence and nearby Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot after a British force more than twice his size occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity.

The British and Germans occupied Mount Independence until November of that year.

While the Baldwin Trail meets outdoor standards for handicapped accessibility, participants are urged to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather.

Admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children under 15, and includes the guided walk, access to all the trails, and a visit to the air-conditioned visitor center with its exciting exhibits.

Call (802) 948-2000 for more information or visit www.historicvermont.org/sites.

Illustration: Mural of Mount Independence 1776-1777, by Ernest Haas
Commissioned by the Mount Independence Coalition. On display at Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Vermont.

Revolutionary War Comes Alive In Vermont

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The public is invited to experience the Revolutionary War and the road to American independence as the site of the largest colonial fortification hosts two days of battle re-enactments, demonstrations, and living history activities. The annual “Soldiers Atop the Mount” living history weekend takes place at the Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25.

Both days offer opportunities to visit the American and British camps and speak with re-enactors whose units portray some of the actual units that garrisoned Mount Independence.

On Saturday, the camps open at 10:30 a.m. with ongoing demonstrations of camp life, a history scavenger hunt, and children’s activities. At 11:00 a.m. visitors can learn how to drill the American way for children and the young at heart- and at 11:30 there will be a choice of guided tours of the camps or attendance at Mistress Davenport’s School.

Later, at 1:00 p.m. there will be an artillery demonstration followed by a 2:00 p.m. reading of the Declaration of Independence and music by the Seth Warner Mount Independence Fife and Drum Corps.

Finally, the day concludes at 3:00 p.m. with a narrated military tactical demonstration with exciting battle action encircling the audience.

On Sunday, the camps open at 10:00 a.m. and the history scavenger hunt is on. At 11:00 see the artillery demonstration, go on a guided camp tour at 11:30 or attend Mistress Davenport’s School, and experience the narrated military tactical demonstration at 1:30 p.m.

The camp closes at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, but at 2:30 p.m. site interpreter Karl Crannell will give a short talk in the auditorium on Gen. John Stark, hero of the Battle of Bennington.

Constructed in 1776 and 1777 on a rugged peninsula jutting into Lake Champlain, Mount Independence was perfectly positioned to defend the southern lake and New England against British attack from Canada.

On the night of July 5, 1777, the American Army under General Arthur St. Clair withdrew from Mount Independence in Orwell and Fort Ticonderoga across the lake after British General John Burgoyne sailed down, planning to split New England off from the rest of the colonies.

Faced with a British force more than twice his size that had occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity, St. Clair abandoned the fortifications without a fight.

Two days later at the Battle of Hubbardton soldiers from Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire fought in a savage rear guard action to halt Burgoyne’s army.

The fact that these actions preserved the army while stopping the British advance –helping lead to the stunning American victory in October at the Battle of Saratoga – didn’t prevent an outraged Congress from officially censuring St. Clair for the loss of the forts.

He argued that his conduct had been honorable- demanded review by a court martial- and was ultimately exonerated. The British and Germans occupied Mount Independence until November of that year.

Tickets are $6.00 for adults and free for children under 15. This includes admission to the event, the museum, and access to all the trails.

Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, is near the end of Mount Independence Road six miles west of the intersection of Vermont Routes 22A and 73 in Orwell and is one of the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War sites.

It includes an air conditioned visitor center and museum and nearly six miles of hiking trails, including the award-winning Baldwin Trail, which meets outdoor standards for handicapped accessibility and features new interpretive signs.

Call (802) 948-2000 for more information or visit www.HistoricVermont.org/sites.

Photo: American Revolutionary War Soldiers firing at Mount Independence. Courtesy Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

Champlain Maritime Museum Small Boat Fest

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A celebration of small-boating will be held at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont on Saturday and Sunday, July 17th, and 18th. The event will include the Grand Opening of the new Hazelett Watercraft Center and the exhibit “Celebrating the Small Watercraft of Lake Champlain,” displays by contemporary boat builders, on-water boat trials, workshops, and illustrated talks. On Saturday there will be a Kids Duct Tape Regatta. On Sunday the Lake Champlain Challenge Race will be held during which participants with their own non-motorized boat, kayak, or canoe compete in a three-mile race from the museum’s North Harbor.

For information call 802 475-2022, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.lcmm.org.

Photo: The grand opening of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s newest exhibit building, the Hazelett Watercraft Center, will kick off the Small Boat Festival on Saturday July 17. The 1902 Ice Yacht Storm King is the centerpiece, surrounded by canoes and vintage wooden boats made and used on the lake.

Abenaki Focus of Vermont July 4th Event

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On the anniversary of American independence, a historical re-enactor will visit one of the historic sites from that period and detail its connections to the Native Americans who also inhabited the area.

Wes “Red Hawk” Dikeman of Ticonderoga, New York, will be coming to the Mount Independence State Historic Site on Saturday, July 3, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to share his extensive knowledge about the Abenaki connections to the area in the American Revolution and as first inhabitants.

“Dikeman is a riveting storyteller who has been studying and interpreting this history for many years,” said Elsa Gilbertson, Regional Historic Site Administrator with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. “He often takes part as a re-enactor in the annual Revolutionary War living history weekends at the Hubbardton Battlefield and Mount Independence.”

She said the program will be an informal afternoon with Red Hawk, and a special discussion at 2:00 p.m.

&#8220He will show some of his artifacts, as well as Revolutionary War attire and gear,” Gilbertson said. “Native Americans have had a very long history at Mount Independence, first digging chert quarries for making stone tools, and then participating in the American Revolution.”

Mount Independence, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1776-77 by American troops as a defense against British attack from Canada, and named after the Declaration of Independence.

On the night of July 5 and 6, 1777, the American Army under General Arthur St. Clair withdrew from Mount Independence and nearby Fort Ticonderoga after British General John Burgoyne sailed down Lake Champlain in an effort to cut New England off from the rest of the United States.

Since a British force more than twice his size had occupied higher ground from which they could bombard his positions with impunity, St. Clair abandoned the fortifications without a fight.

Two days later at the Battle of Hubbardton, soldiers from Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire fought in a decisive rear guard action to halt Burgoyne’s army.

The fact that his decisions preserved the army and ultimately led to the American victory in October at the Battle of Saratoga didn’t stop an outraged Congress from officially censuring St. Clair for the loss of the forts. He argued that his conduct had been honorable, demanded review by a court martial, and was ultimately exonerated

Admission is $5.00 for adults and free for children under 15, and includes a visit to the museum and access to all the trails.

The site is located nearly the end of Mount Independence Road, six miles west of the intersections of Vermont Routes 22A and 73 near Orwell village. Regular hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily through October 12. Call 802-948-2000 for more information.

Photo: Wes Dikeman.