Essex County, New York

Adsit Log House Aiken, Abraham, House Amherst Avenue Historic District Asgaard Farm Ausable Club Barngalow Beer's Bridge Black Watch Library Bogie Cottage Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite Burleigh, H. G., House Camp Dudley Road Historic District Camp Santanoni Central Powerhouse Central School Church of the Nazarene Clark House Clark, Peyton, Cottage Community Building Coulter Cottage Crandall Marine Railway Crown Point Green Historic District Cure Cottage at 43 Forest Hill Avenue Delano, Clayton H., House Delaware & Hudson Railroad Depot Denny Cottage Edgewater Farm Essex County Fairgrounds Essex County Home and Farm Essex County Municipal Complex Essex Village Historic District Fallon Cottage Annex Ferris House First Congregational and Presbyterian Society Church of Westport First Congregational Church and Cemetery Flat Rock Camp Fort Crown Point Fort St. Frederic Fort Ticonderoga Frazier Bridge Fried, Samson, Estate Gilligan and Stevens Block Gooley Club Hancock House Hand-Hale Historic District Helen Hill Historic District Henry's Garage Highland Park Historic District Hubbard Hall Hurricane Mountain Fire Observation Station Ironville Historic District Keene Valley Country Club Keene Valley Library Keith and Branch Ford Motors Factory and Showroom Kennedy Cottage Lake George Avenue Historic District Lake View Grange No. 970 Lane Cottage Larom-Welles Cottage Leetch, Dr. Henry, House Lent Cottage Liberty Monument Ligonier Point Historic District Marquay Cottage Marvin Cottage Moore, Silas B., Gristmill Morgan Cottage Moriah Town Office Building Mount Adams Fire Observation Station Mount Moriah Presbyterian Church Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run North-Sprague Farm Notman Bridge NYS Armory Octagonal Schoolhouse PAD Factory, The Partridge Cottage Pittenger Cottage Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain Fire Observation Station Port Henry Fire Department Building Putnam Camp Ranney Bridge Rembrandt Hall Sheldon-Owens Farm Sherman Free Library Slater Bridge Stevenson Cottage Tahawus Masonic Lodge Talichito Ticonderoga High School Ticonderoga National Bank Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company Office Tomlinson House Trudeau Sanatorium Uplands, The US Post Office-Lake Placid US Post Office-Ticonderoga Van Ornam & Murdock Block Walton Bridge Watson, Elkanah, House Wells Memorial Library Wellscroft Westport Historic District Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway Complex Will Rogers Memorial Hospital Willsboro Congregational Church Willsboro School, The Wilmington Bridge Witherbee Memorial Hall

150th Anniversary of the Capture of This Fort 1756 French Saw Mill on La Chute River 1873 Expansion 200th Anniversary of Washington’s Inspection A Busy Iron Port A Busy Iron Port A Dominating Presence with Many Names A landscape filled with legend and activity . . . A Layered Legacy A Layered Legacy A Monumental Structure A Soldier of France A Way to the World Abbott/Lockwood Abercrombie's Landing Adirondac An Abundance of Ore An Iron Making Complex Anatomy of the River Artillery Park Atlas F Missle Silo Site in Lewis, NY and War Veterans Breaking Ground Breaking Ground Camp Santanoni Capture of Fort St. Frédéric Carillon Bridge Carillon Outpost Carillon Park Carillon, July 8-1758 - 1958-13 Juillet Cedar Point House Champ Sightings in Bulwagga Bay Area Champlain Academy Charcoal Cliff Seat Coe Cottage Colonel Ethan Allen Colonel John Brown Colonial Battles Fought in this Vicinity Crossroads of a Community Crown Point Crown Point: Military Focus Daisy Godfrey David Henderson Death of Lord Howe Dressed Ore Eastern Terminus Edgar P. Wadhams Eighteen Colonial Soldiers Elizabethtown War Memorials First Sawmill Fort Carillon Fort St. Frédéric Fort Ticonderoga Freedom Walk French Bake Ovens, 1757 From Rock to Iron From this point south… Garrison Cemetery Garrison Garden Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail Gen. Henry Knox Trail George Augustus Viscount Howe Grace Leach Grand Carry Landing Hancock House Heavy Construction Henry J. Kaiser Henry Van Hoevenberg Here Lies Buried John Brown Historic English Gate Historic Valley Historic Walking Tour Historic Waterways History and Culture History of Fort Ticonderoga Hon. Clayton Harris DeLano Hudson Powered Hut Sites I ❤ NY Adirondack Attractions / The Adirondack Park Indian Trail Indian Trail Industrial Shoreline Inez Milholland Irondale Ironville Historic District Island Mill Israel Putnam Jennings Cottage John Brown John Brown’s Body Kate Smith Memorial Keeseville, New York War Memorial LaChute River Trail Lake Champlain & Moriah Railroad: The "Elsie and Em" Lakes to Locks Passage Lazy Lodge LC&M Caboose Lewis Hotel and Central School Liberty Monument Lord & Burnham Estate Greenhouse Lord Howe’s Grave Maccabee Hall and Other Lewis Landmarks MacNaughton Cottage Magasin du Roi, 1756 Making Bricks Making Iron Meacham House Men of Ticonderoga Military Heroes of Ticonderoga Mills Mineral Spring Mount Defiance Mount Defiance at War Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run Nathan West Near this spot stood Montcalm New York State Forest Preserve New York World War Veterans Memorial Highway Newcomb Campus Newcomb Vietnam Memorial Northwest Bay Road Office Bldg Office Building of Witherbee and Sherman Iron Ore Company Old Military Road Old Military Road On The Train Original Carillon Bridge Penfield Homestead Museum Penfield Pond Powerhouse Park Preservation and Restoration at Ticonderoga Rainbow Falls Hydroelectric Plant Realizing a Dream: the Rolling Stock Display Revolutionary War Patriots Richards' Dam Rist Mountain Rivière de La Chute Rogers’ Rangers Ruins of Pre-Revolutionary Village Samuel Champlain Samuel De Champlain Scale House School House Selecting a Bridge Location Sharing the Flow Shore Line Site of First Blast Furnace Site of Porter's and Lewis's Mills Sonja Henie Ice Fountain Split 13-inch Mortar State Land Streetroad Cemetery Summit of Mount Defiance Tahawus Clubhouse Taming the Wilderness Teamsters, Dock Wallopers and Child Captains The 1929 Lake Champlain Bridge The 1929 Lake Champlain Bridge The 1929 Lake Champlain Bridge The 2011 Lake Champlain Bridge The Adsit Cabin The Barracks The Birthplace of the Electrical Age The British at Crown Point The Carillon Battlefield The Club Era The Forge The French at Crown Point The French Lines The French Lines & Carillon Battlefield The Money Men The Power of Water The Roosevelt-Marcy Memorial Highway The Soldiers' Monument The Sons of Temperance Hall The White Flag The Wilmington Bridge The XIII Winter Olympic Games Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Thomas F. Conway Three Communities Through this entrance . . . Toll-Gate House Tower Avenue Grindstones Town of Lewis Veterans Park Town of Minerva World War II Memorial Transportation Troops of Colonial Wars at Ticonderoga Veterans Memorial Village Green Village of Port Henry W.R.K. Taylor Jr. Welcome To Crown Point State Historic Site Welcome To The Lake Champlain Bridge Heritage Area Wilmington Community Dam Witherbee Park and Town Hall World War I Memorial Honor Roll World Wars Memorial "C-Dam" “His Majesty’s Fort of Crown Point” “New” McIntyre Furnace “The Black Watch” “The Black Watch”
Essex County, located in northeastern New York, has a rich and diverse history that stretches back thousands of years. The region was originally inhabited by the Iroquoian-speaking Native American tribes, including the Mohawk and Abenaki peoples. These tribes utilized the dense forests for hunting, fishing, and gathering resources.

The arrival of European settlers in the 17th century brought significant changes to Essex County. French explorers, including Samuel de Champlain, extensively mapped the region and established fur trading posts. However, the area eventually fell under British control, leading to conflicts between the British and French during the French and Indian War.

During the American Revolution, Essex County played a significant role. The region was strategically important due to its proximity to Lake Champlain, a major waterway connecting New York and Canada. The Battle of Saratoga, a turning point in the war, took place just south of the county's borders in 1777. Essex County residents actively participated in the conflict, with some joining the militias and others supporting the cause through supplies and provisions.

In the 19th century, the county experienced a boom in industrialization. The expansion of transportation networks, such as the Champlain Canal and the railroad, facilitated the growth of industries like lumbering, mining, and iron production. The Iron Center in Essex County, particularly in the town of Mineville, became a leading center for iron mining and the production of iron ore. However, the decline of these industries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries left the county facing economic challenges.

Today, Essex County is known for its stunning natural environment, including the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Champlain, and numerous hiking and skiing trails. It continues to attract visitors for outdoor recreational activities and is home to charming towns and villages that showcase the region's rich history.
Brief timeline of the history of Essex County, New York:

  • 1615: Dutch explorer Adriaen Block is the first European to explore the region.
  • 1664: Essex County becomes part of the Province of New York after the English capture New Netherland.
  • 1777: The Battle of Saratoga takes place, a significant turning point in the Revolutionary War, with some action in Essex County.
  • 1785: Essex County is established as one of the original counties of the State of New York.
  • 1822: The first settlement in the Adirondacks is established in Essex County by Pliny Moore.
  • 1849: Iron ore mining becomes a major industry in the region, leading to rapid growth in Essex County.
  • 1892: Lake Placid Club, a popular vacation destination and site of 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games, is established.
  • 1901: The Adirondack Park is created, encompassing a large portion of Essex County.
  • 1932: Lake Placid hosts the Winter Olympics, bringing international attention to Essex County.
  • 1980: Lake Placid hosts the Winter Olympics for the second time, making it the only town in the United States to host the event twice.
  • Present: Essex County is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, and historical significance.

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Essex County, New York.