Ticonderoga Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
Ticonderoga is a city in the Adirondacks that borders both Lake George and Lake Champlain.
Ticonderoga is situated on a high promontory overlooking the LaChute River, which connects Lake George and Lake Champlain, giving it an important strategic location. It was a boundary marker from the earliest days. According to historians, Indian tribes met and fought at this location prior to European settlement. Samuel de Champlain, accompanied by Mohawks, fired upon the Iroquois here in 1609. The French and the British battled here, and the Loyalists and Patriots struggled here during the American Revolution. Ticonderoga is unique in Essex County for its graphite business. The ore, in a very pure form, was discovered on Lead Mountain in 1815. Its first general use was for polishing stoves which were replacing fireplaces. In 1839, a patent was issued to a local entrepreneur for lead pencils. American Graphite Company made the Ticonderoga Pencil famous. Fire laid waste to the town in 1875 as they prepared to celebrate the centennial of Ethan Allen’s capture of the Fort during the Revolution. In 1976, the bicentennial was celebrated with a reenactment of the takeover of the Fort by the Patriots at the same time of night as the original siege. Tourists in southern Essex County can follow an historic trail in Ticonderoga to The Black Watch Library, a Carnegie Library, to the Hancock House, a replica of John Hancock’s Boston home.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Ticonderoga
