Glens Falls Area
Historic New York
Where the Hudson River runs eastward before turning south is a series of falls, an obstacle to navigation but also a source of power. These lay athwart the north-south trail between Albany and Montreal. The Queensbury Patent of 23,000 acres was laid out in 1759. A small village was begun, but was burned by the British after Burgoyne’s invasion of 1777. In 1780 John Glen, a Schenectady merchant, acquired land, built mills and gave his name to the site.
Proximity to the Adirondack forests made Glens Falls a lumbering center. Millions of feet of timber were annually floated down the waters on Spring “drives.” Booms across the river were built of timber and chains to hold the logs and permit sorting. Papermaking began in the 1860’s and became the principal industry, utilizing pulp wood. Later mills were used to manufacture cellulose products. There was little diversification of industry although limestone was used for cement.
Glens Falls is a gateway to the Adirondack Forest Preserve and to the recreational area of Lake George and Champlain. Travel was by stage coach until railroad lines were built beginning in the 1870’s. Modern highway transportation has made these areas more accessible to the general public.
Marker is on Interstate 87, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
