It was 208 years ago the New York State Legislature approved the secession of Warren County from neighboring Washington County, creating this wonderful Southern Adirondack county we call home.
Eleven towns, one village and one city make up Warren County, each with its own rich and diverse history.
Warren County Planning Department and Warren County Historian Stan Cianfarano recently undertook an effort to chronicle this history in one online portal, creating a new website titled, “The History of Warren County, from 1813 to today.”
The site takes viewers through an historic overview of the county as a whole, as well as each town, the village of Lake George and city of Glens Falls.
It also highlights major factors in Warren County’s development into what it is today, from its place in the French & Indian War to the building of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad and the growth of the tourism industry that became one of the county’s largest industries.
The site includes many interesting but little-known facts, such as:
- The town of Hague was originally known as Rochester.
- Queensbury was once home to wooly mammoth, as a tusk and tooth were recovered in town.
- In August of 1642, Father Isaac Jogues and two others paddled over Lake George as the first white men to set eyes on Lake George.
- Johnsburg was home to one of the county’s first distilleries, which produced rye whiskey in the 1790s.
- The towns of Stony Creek and Thurman were initially one town called Athol, but in 1852 they split into two and were renamed.
Designed by Warren County Junior Planner Amanda Beck, the site includes interactive displays, maps, historic photos and more, as well as a look at Warren County’s Bicentennial Celebration from 2013.
“Understanding our history helps us develop empathy and perspective, which are desperately needed just now,” said Johnsburg Supervisor Andrea Hogan, Chairwoman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors Economic Growth & Development Committee, which oversees Warren County Planning. “Once again, we are so thankful for our Planning Department and the work they do connecting us all to our past.”
The site can be found at warrencountyny.gov/history.