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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 20 2009 : 1:32:42 PM
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I just thought I'd share with you some photos I took of the Fort William Henry restoration at Lake George Village, N. Y. while on vacation last month. There have been a few changes since I saw it last, over a decade ago. Still, for a now over 50-year-old "restoration"/reconstruction, it's not too bad. Recent archological work in the past several years show it not to rest exactly on its original foundation on its eastern side, probably due to erosion there in the intervening years between its destruction in 1757 and rebirth in the 1950's. It's supposedly off about a foot on that side, with the corner bastions being "skewed, probably to stay on the embankment at the time of the reconstruction" according to the newest book on the subject, recommended elsewhere.
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: November 27 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 21 2009 : 09:25:27 AM
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To me, the biggest draw of Fort William Henry is its location and situation. Lake George (the lake, not the village) is one of my favorite places in NY State, and I really enjoy standing on the northern rampart and gazing out at the lake. One has to clear all of the tourist attractions, the people, and the tour boats out of the visual field, and with imagination, it can be done. |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 21 2009 : 1:49:06 PM
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Of course I agree with you about having to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h your imagination while at Lake George Village; yet I really enjoyed one of the distractions you mentioned. When there previously, I'd taken the cheesy 1-hour "cruise" on the open 20-passenger Ethan Allen which made a big loop around the area of the village on the south end of Lake George. ( I understand about 4 years ago, after it had been "retro-fitted" with a cover - making it topheavy - it SANK, drowning its entire compliment of 20 retiree passengers! )
This time I availed myself of the much larger and appropriately-named Mohican, which has just reached its own centennial! This 2 1/2 hour trip went halfway down ( north ) the lake, all the way past Bolton's Landing to the islands in The Narrows ( which I didn't even know existed ) on an absolutely beautiful - if a bit chilly - Fall day. Among other things pointed out to us was the beach in a cove where Montcalm's army had landed in 1757! ( Of course it's now filled with beachhouses and mini-mansions. )
Altogether, this gave me a great new perspective to be able to see things from the water, much as Pere Jogues, Montcalm, and even Burgoyne must have. ( Not to mention our fictional heroes and villians! )
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: November 27 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 22 2009 : 5:03:41 PM
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That sounds like something I would enjoy doing. It's good to have a first-hand report about that tour, James. Thanks.
Btw, the accident you refer to did indeed kill 20 senior citizens. However, there were actually 47 people on board, and 27 were pulled out of the water alive. |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 6:25:10 PM
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Always glad to help, W.W.! I talked to a couple of different people there, one with the company that owns the Mohican and Lac du Ste. Sacrement. Both told me the same figure for dead and I probably assumed it was everyone on board, because I remember that thing as being really tiny; it was probably overloaded, too. They said that when everybody on board moved to one side to look at something, IT ROLLED OVER!
I was torn between 2 different options: a 2 hr. noon lunch/dinner cruise on the Lac du Ste. Sacrement; or the 2PM 2 1/2 hr. one that I took. ( The guy with the company had advised me to go on Mohican. ) My problem was that it being late in the season, I was afraid that cruise wouldn't "make" the 20 passengers necessary and would cancel; whereas the other was ready to go! ( The trip including the meal was $40; half that without eating - same as for Mohican. ) I took my chances and decided to wait, touring Ft. William Henry again in the time between the 2 cruises.
Here are another couple of "lake" pictures I tried to post before I had it all figured out!
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Kan-Tuck-EE
Pioneer
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: December 31 2008
Status: offline
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 10:01:18 PM
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Great pictures James! Thank you so much for sharing! At my age I am not sure I will ever get to see Ft. William Henry in person so this is wonderful. Thanks again. |
Kan-Tuck-EE |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]: October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 23 2009 : 10:12:15 AM
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Kan-Tuck-EE,
I know very well what you mean! ( I turn 63 myself THIS week, the day after Thanksgiving! ) This vacation was a rather unexpected opportunity to return here for the first - and at this age always the distinct possibility it may be the LAST! - time in over a decade. I'd been thinking about it for a while; and when the opportunity arose, siezed it! I revisited many of the places I'd enjoyed previously, adding a few "new" ones along the way like Cooper's Cave and the Narrows here.
Plus, I only now have "discovered" digital photography and all the possibilities it provides. Here's an example of what I mean in this amazing shot I took earlier the same morning as these of the fort and lake, just as the sun cleared a low-lying cloudbank: the sky, Lake George in the middle distance, and parts of the ground are all WHITE; the mountains BLUE! ( I PROMISE this has in NO way been "photoshopped", unbelieveable at that may seem. )
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Glad you enjoyed my humble efforts! |
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