Rogers Island is an island on 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 N ...

, 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 * '' ...

, that once formed part of the third largest "city" in colonial North America, and is considered the "spiritual home" of the United States Special Operations Forces, particularly the

United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...

.Rogers Island Visitors' Center
retrieved on March 10, 2007

Geography

Rogers Island is located in the middle of the Hudson River, in the south-western area of

Washington County, New York Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,302. The county seat is Fort Edward. The county was named for U.S. President George Washington. Washington County is part of the Glen ...

. It is a part of the Village of Fort Edward, which itself is part of the Town of Fort Edward, north of Albany and east of Syracuse.

History

Archaeological discoveries on Rogers Island show Native American hunting and fishing activities dating back approximately to 4000 BC. Native Americans remained in the area until the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century. The archaeological site was 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 v ...

on 1973. The

Royal Blockhouse Royal Blockhouse is a historic archaeological site located near Moreau, Saratoga County, New York. It was the site of a three-story, 90-feet square, blockhouse constructed in 1758 as part of the Fort Edward / Rogers Island complex. It was built ...

site was listed on the

in 2012. Due to its strategic location on the Hudson, Rogers Island and Fort Edward opposite became a fortress operated by the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, involved in 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 ...

(1754–1763) with invasions into

French Canada French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

to the north often beginning from the area.Rogers Islan
History
retrieved on March 10, 2007 Due to the expansion required to house such large numbers of troops, estimated to be 16,000, Fort Edward and Rogers Island became the third largest community in North America, after

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. From 1756 to 1759, Rogers Island was used as a training ground for Major

Robert Rogers Robert Rogers may refer to: Politics * Robert Rogers (Irish politician) (died 1719), Irish politician, MP for Cork City 1692–1699 *Robert Rogers (Manitoba politician) (1864–1936), Canadian politician * Robert Rogers, Baron Lisvane (born 1950), ...

, from which the island takes its name. Here, Rogers trained irregular fighting forces and composed his 28 ranging rules. Captain

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

was stationed on the island in 1756. The following February, he sustained injuries in putting out a fire in a row of barracks nearest the magazine, which kept Putnam out of active service for a month. Fort Edward and Rogers Island were evacuated in 1766 and left to ruin during the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, though it was briefly garrisoned until 1777. Evidence found in seven unmarked graves unearthed on Rogers Island in 2006 suggest that the site contains a military cemetery from the time of the French and Indian War. The Island was also home to a British army smallpox hospital during the war, although some of the deaths could have resulted from wounds incurred in skirmishes with the French.Carola, Chris. "Report released on mysterious Rogers Island remains", ''Glens Falls Post-Star'', December 1, 2011
/ref> During the 1800s, the island was used to train militia for the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, with the northern tip being inhabited by civilians.

Rogers Island Visitors Center

On July 6, 2001, the Rogers Island Visitors Center was opened on the island. Exhibits at the Visitors Center tell the story of the Fort Edward area, from the earliest Native Americans that lived here through the Revolutionary War. The Visitors Center also serves as the home base of operations for the Adirondack Community College Archeological Field School for six weeks each summer. The Rogers Island Visitors Center hosts an annual

French & 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 s ...

Encampment each September that has proven to be popular with reenactors and the general public. Living history demonstrations, drills and skirmishes are conducted along the banks of the Hudson River.

References

* {{National Register of Historic Places in New York New York (state) in the American Revolution Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Archaeological sites in New York (state) Colonial forts in New York (state) Geography of Washington County, New York Forts in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, New York

Geography

History

Rogers Island Visitors Center

See also

References