Prior to the construction of any forts, the area was known by the old Native American name “Wahcoloosencoochaleva” or the “Great Carrying Place,” because it was the starting point of a portage between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain.
By the mid-1700s, Fort Edward’s first documented structure was built: a fur trading post known as Lydius House or Fort Lydius. The Great Carrying Place went on to become a strategic military base of operations. From the French and Indian War to the American Revolution, Rogers Island and the adjacent fort on the mainland saw many struggles for control of the area.
By the mid-1700s, Fort Edward’s first documented structure was built: a fur trading post known as Lydius House or Fort Lydius. The Great Carrying Place went on to become a strategic military base of operations. From the French and Indian War to the American Revolution, Rogers Island and the adjacent fort on the mainland saw many struggles for control of the area.
The town of Fort Edward was established in 1818 from Argyle and Greenwich, and the village was set off from the town in 1849. Fort Edward’s proximity to the Feeder Canal, built in the 1820s, made it a great location for mills and manufacturing. Clothing, paper, iron ore, lumber, pottery, and more were made here.
Fort Edward today is home to a number of businesses with an unintentional nod to the town’s past, from craft beer to paper products. The Feeder Canal remains as well, and is now a recreational trail for kayakers as well as bikers and runners.
Fort Edward today is home to a number of businesses with an unintentional nod to the town’s past, from craft beer to paper products. The Feeder Canal remains as well, and is now a recreational trail for kayakers as well as bikers and runners.
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The west town line of Fort Edward is defined by the Hudson River, and is the border of Saratoga County, New York.
