Fort Edward is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in Washington County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. It is part of the

Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area The Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in Upstate New York, anchored by the city of Glens Falls. It is considered to be a part of the greater Capital D ...

. The village population was 3,375 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the younger brother of King George III, Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany.History of Fort Edward and Roger's Island
/ref> The village is part of the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

of Fort Edward, which contains the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Washington County just north of the village limits.Washington County, New York
Retrieved Jan. 14, 2015.

History

Early history

Fort Edward, or "The Fort", has been strategically important during its long and illustrious history, for it commands the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...

and

Champlain River The Champlain River is 66.7 km long flowing on the north shore of St. Lawrence river. This river flows between Saint-Maurice River and the Batiscan River watershed, in Les Chenaux Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Ma ...

valleys. The

at this point north is no longer a navigable waterway because of waterfalls and rapids. Historically, travelers through this area would leave the Hudson at Fort Edward and carry their canoes overland to Lake George."Village History", Village of Fort Edward
/ref> The Indians called the area around Fort Edward ''Wahcoloosencoochaleva,'' which means "The Great Carrying Place." Fort Edward's location was the most northerly point on the Hudson River for the early Dutch, and was near the boundary between the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...

and

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

. As early as 1709 during

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...

, a stockade (Fort Nicholson) was erected in the area due to its strategic importance. Fort Nicholson was garrisoned by 450 men, including seven companies of “regulars in scarlet uniform from old England.” A crude stockade was built to protect storehouses and log huts. It was later abandoned and then re-constructed in 1731 as Fort Lydius, the

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

of John Lydius, a fur trader from Albany. In 1755, the fortification was reconstructed as Fort Lyman during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

in 1755; however,

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

that same year renamed it Fort Edward. Also at this time, a large military complex was constructed on nearby Roger's Island. Today this site is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

(NRHP). Another smaller fort was constructed on the opposite shore of the Hudson River. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, the area was taken by British forces under

John Burgoyne General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several bat ...

in 1777.

Post Colonial history

The completion of the

Champlain Canal The Champlain Canal is a canal in New York that connects the Hudson River to the south end of Lake Champlain. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal for use by commercial vessels, fully opening in 1823. Today, it is mostly used b ...

, in 1823, linked the areas to the north and south, and replaced a smaller canal that bypassed local rapids. The village of Fort Edward incorporated in 1849, setting itself off from the town of Fort Edward.

The Old Fort House Museum

The Old Fort House Museum Campus on Lower Broadway in the village is home to the Fort Edward Historical Association. It houses: * The Old Fort House, built in 1772 from timbers salvaged from the abandoned Fort Edward, * An 1840s Plank Road Tollhouse, * The 1853 law office of a Washington County Judge who practiced law in Fort Edward, * The one-room Riverside Schoolhouse, * The Cronkhite Pavilion, which features Native American, military, and historic displays regarding the Fort Edward area, and * The Fort Edward Water Works Barn, which houses exhibits on early transportation and farming.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²), of which 1.8 square miles (4.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.4 km²) (7.25%) is water. New York Route 197 joins

U.S. Route 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the sta ...

at Fort Edward, and the

joins the

south of the village. Fort Edward is on the opposite shore of the

from the town of Moreau in Saratoga County.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 3,141 people, 1,247 households, and 835 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 1,751.1 people per square mile (677.5/km²). There were 1,399 housing units at an average density of 779.9 per square mile (301.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.69%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.35%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.19% Native American, 0.38% Asian, and 0.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population. There were 1,247 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $32,347, and the median income for a family was $39,550. Males had a median income of $35,380 versus $22,361 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $17,555. About 7.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

First Amendment Controversy

September, 2022, a first amendment auditor, by the channel name o
Press NH Now
went to the Fort Edward Village Office. After a few minutes of filming, a deputy clerk took issue with the recording. After a verbal exchange, they instructed an employee to call the police. The responding officer demanded the auditor leave the building. The auditor proceeded to call the sheriff's office. After these events the auditor was once again allowed back into the building.

References

External links

Village of Fort Edward official siteFort Edward Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Glens Falls metropolitan area Villages in Washington County, New York New York (state) populated places on the Hudson River