Fort Ticonderoga
Our day in Fort Ticonderoga was a return to what our historical tourism usually involve--fortresses, strong walls, and cannons. Lots and lots of cannons.
Fort Ticonderoga had been originally built by the French and was then called Fort Carillon. In many ways its history parallels Pittsburgh's Fort Pitt (once Fort Duquesne). The two forts are separated by hundreds of miles, and the military campaigns of those regions differed greatly, but they both sat in the border areas disputed among the Native Americans, the French, and the British. Eventually, the British took both forts and renamed them.
When the British troops evacuated in 1777, they destroyed much of Fort Ticonderoga. In another parallel, though this time with the Great Wall, stones and other building materials from the abandoned fort were salvaged by area residents. Many buildings of that era on both the New York and Vermont sides of Lake Champlain were built with Fort Ticonderoga's stones. One of these is this storehouse at Larrabee's Point, right by the ferry.
Fort Ticonderoga was still in ruins when it started to become a popular tourist attraction. Many of the souveniers of the era are romantic images of the remains, the likes of which I admit a fascination with as well. In the early 20th century the Pell family began the restoration of the fort and endowed an Association to run in in perpetuity.
The officer's quarters were all that still stood, though in pieces, prior to renovation. Here it is today.
A few other views around the fort
I mentioned the cannons, right? Lots and lots of cannons.
And what would an American historic site be without the costumed staff? They were as knowledgeable of their in-character duty (leather worker, shoemaker, cook, etc) as they were about history. This group of soldiers were cooking their lunch as they would have in the 18th century. The beef was being cooked on a spade, and when that were done, hardtack was cooked in the fat on the shovel.
There was also a fife and drum corps that played several times throughout the day. They announced when a scheduled program was about to begin, like one on period muzzle loaders, and also paraded to and performed in King's Garden.
In addition to the period workrooms, exhibitions were housed in the buildings. One area was devoted to artifacts from different time periods and occupations of Fort Ti or the surrounding area--Native American, French, British, then American.
One of my favorite pieces, one that made me smile, was a certain powder horn. Carved horns are an interesting part of our historical record.
Sometimes a soldier would inscribe his horn with maps, or a re-telling of the battles he has seen, or, in the case of one Hezekiah King, a reminder that theft of his horn would bring the thief shame.
Before there were pens monogrammed with "Stolen from the desk of..." there was this horn.
We stayed until the end of the afternoon to watch the lowering of the flag. Again, this was announced by the fife and drums, and some of the corps escorted the honor guard.
The road exiting the fort goes past the site of the Battle of Carillon. In just two days prior to that 1758 battle, the French constructed these zig-zagging earthen defense walls called the French Lines. The French were able to hold their position even though they were seriously outnumbered by the British. When the French retreated during a subsequent attack by the British in 1759, the British were then able to use the French lines to their advantage as they finally took the fort from the French. During the Revolutionary War, the Americans reinforced the French Lines for the final time. These details are necessary to understand the next picture, what remains of the French Lines, earthen and log walls first built in just two days in 1758, and rebuilt less than twenty years after that.
Especially because of our China experiences, I think, we are have a heightened interest in structures that stand through centuries and structures that decay (and sometimes beautifully). How is it these dirt banks have remained for 250 years when brick and mortar structures of the same time have not?
That same road also housed many memorials commemorating both French and British troops in the Battle of Carillon. For the bicentennial of the battle, French Americans erected this cross, similar to one placed by Montcalm at the fort following the victory.
And this one honored the Black Watch, who suffered most of the British casualties.
Was it the distance of time that allowed the tributes to opposing sides in such a bloody battle to place their markers almost side-by-side? Or is this helped by the fact that the land over which that war was fought now belongs to a third country?
If taking the kids to the Wilder house was something of a dream for me, taking the kids to Fort Ticonderoga was like that for Randy. I'm sure we will try to make it back through there again someday.
We were staying in Vermont, so to reach Fort Ti in New York, we needed to cross Lake Champlain. Our GPS recommended the ferry. This was how we learned that the ferry is on our GPS. This picture is from on the way back to Vermont, but you get the idea.
Fort Ticonderoga had been originally built by the French and was then called Fort Carillon. In many ways its history parallels Pittsburgh's Fort Pitt (once Fort Duquesne). The two forts are separated by hundreds of miles, and the military campaigns of those regions differed greatly, but they both sat in the border areas disputed among the Native Americans, the French, and the British. Eventually, the British took both forts and renamed them.
When the British troops evacuated in 1777, they destroyed much of Fort Ticonderoga. In another parallel, though this time with the Great Wall, stones and other building materials from the abandoned fort were salvaged by area residents. Many buildings of that era on both the New York and Vermont sides of Lake Champlain were built with Fort Ticonderoga's stones. One of these is this storehouse at Larrabee's Point, right by the ferry.
Fort Ticonderoga was still in ruins when it started to become a popular tourist attraction. Many of the souveniers of the era are romantic images of the remains, the likes of which I admit a fascination with as well. In the early 20th century the Pell family began the restoration of the fort and endowed an Association to run in in perpetuity.
The officer's quarters were all that still stood, though in pieces, prior to renovation. Here it is today.
A few other views around the fort
I mentioned the cannons, right? Lots and lots of cannons.
And what would an American historic site be without the costumed staff? They were as knowledgeable of their in-character duty (leather worker, shoemaker, cook, etc) as they were about history. This group of soldiers were cooking their lunch as they would have in the 18th century. The beef was being cooked on a spade, and when that were done, hardtack was cooked in the fat on the shovel.
There was also a fife and drum corps that played several times throughout the day. They announced when a scheduled program was about to begin, like one on period muzzle loaders, and also paraded to and performed in King's Garden.
In addition to the period workrooms, exhibitions were housed in the buildings. One area was devoted to artifacts from different time periods and occupations of Fort Ti or the surrounding area--Native American, French, British, then American.
One of my favorite pieces, one that made me smile, was a certain powder horn. Carved horns are an interesting part of our historical record.
Sometimes a soldier would inscribe his horn with maps, or a re-telling of the battles he has seen, or, in the case of one Hezekiah King, a reminder that theft of his horn would bring the thief shame.
Before there were pens monogrammed with "Stolen from the desk of..." there was this horn.
We stayed until the end of the afternoon to watch the lowering of the flag. Again, this was announced by the fife and drums, and some of the corps escorted the honor guard.
The road exiting the fort goes past the site of the Battle of Carillon. In just two days prior to that 1758 battle, the French constructed these zig-zagging earthen defense walls called the French Lines. The French were able to hold their position even though they were seriously outnumbered by the British. When the French retreated during a subsequent attack by the British in 1759, the British were then able to use the French lines to their advantage as they finally took the fort from the French. During the Revolutionary War, the Americans reinforced the French Lines for the final time. These details are necessary to understand the next picture, what remains of the French Lines, earthen and log walls first built in just two days in 1758, and rebuilt less than twenty years after that.
Especially because of our China experiences, I think, we are have a heightened interest in structures that stand through centuries and structures that decay (and sometimes beautifully). How is it these dirt banks have remained for 250 years when brick and mortar structures of the same time have not?
That same road also housed many memorials commemorating both French and British troops in the Battle of Carillon. For the bicentennial of the battle, French Americans erected this cross, similar to one placed by Montcalm at the fort following the victory.
And this one honored the Black Watch, who suffered most of the British casualties.
Was it the distance of time that allowed the tributes to opposing sides in such a bloody battle to place their markers almost side-by-side? Or is this helped by the fact that the land over which that war was fought now belongs to a third country?
If taking the kids to the Wilder house was something of a dream for me, taking the kids to Fort Ticonderoga was like that for Randy. I'm sure we will try to make it back through there again someday.
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