Events

Christmas at the Fort

Christmas at the Fort – Saturday, December 2, 2023 – 11 am – 5 pm

The Museum is Located at 389 Canal Street, Fort Plain, NY 13339

40% – 50% Off Clearance Book Sale – Many Titles to Choose From – All other books and gift shop items 20% Entire Purchase

German Beer will be served by Eisenadler Brauhaus – There will be plenty Refreshments and Christmas Cheer!

2023 Author Fair (Authors will be selling their books):

***NEW BOOK RELEASE***
Defeating Slavery: Hamilton’s American System Showed the Way by Nancy Bradeen Spannaus

Also by Nancy – Hamilton Versus Wall Street: The Core Principles of the American System of Economics

Wanda Easter Burch – The Home Voices Speak Louder Than the Drums: Dreams and the Imagination in Civil War Letters and Memoirs

Ken Jones – Sam’s Sam the Gallows Bird – Ken also has other local titles too

Kiersten Marcil – Witness to the Revolution

Rosemay Nichols – Building the Erie Canal – Murder in Rome – Stolen – Civil War Series Volume 1

Jeff O’Connor – Skohere and the Birth of New York’s Western Frontier 1609 – 1731 Volume I 1609 – 1686 and Volume II 1687 – 1731 – The Old Stone Fort: Guardian of Schoharie County History Since 1772

Veronica Pastecki – Whipponnock Creek: The Life and Times of Will Traylor

Don Rittner – Watervliet Historic Images – Remembering Albany: Heritage on the Hudson – Albany Through Time – Schenectady: Frontier Village to Colonial City – Troy Through Time – & many others on Local History!

Heidi Sprouse – Whispers of Liberty – Liberty’s Promise – Liberty’s Legacy – Liberty’s Price

Phillip D. Weaver – The 3rd New Jersey in New York: Stories from The Jersey Greys of 1776

Don Williams – Grandfather’s Tool Chest – Saga Of Nicholas Stoner, Or, A Tale Of The Adirondacks: Saga Of Nicholas Stoner – Don Williams’ Inside the Adirondack Blue Line & many other titles on the Adirondacks and Local History

Wayne Lenig – Fort Plain, Fork Plank, Fort Rensselaer: The Revolutionary War Forts of Canajohary

Norman J. Bollen – George Washington and the Mohawk Frontier

Thank you for supporting the Fort Plain Museum & Historical Park, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All book sale proceeds go to historic preservation, artifact acquisition, exhibit building and educational programming.

Firework’s Displays in the County for the Holiday weekend and beyond!

Posted on June 30, 2022

Here is a line-up of Firework’s displays happening in the County over the Holiday Weekend and beyond.

For a full list of events happening in the county, please check our Event Calendar HERE.

Saturday, July 02, 2022

Amsterdam Mohawks Game, Shuttleworth Park, Crescent Ave, Amsterdam
- After Game

Sunday, July 03, 2022

Amsterdam’s Independence Day Fest, Riverlink Park
- 9:30 PM

4^th on the Weekend, Wiles Park, Fort Plain
- Fireworks at dusk

Firecracker 50, Fonda Speedway, Fonda
- After Race

Saturday, July 9, 2022

Wishfest, Riverlink Park, Amsterdam
- At Dusk

After the 4^th Celebration, Village of Fonda Recreation Park, Park St, Fonda
- 9:00 PM

New Local History Book – Fort Plain, Fork Plank, Fort Rensselaer: The Revolutionary War Forts of Canajohary

Posted on May 13, 2020

The Fort Plain Museum recently published a new local history book, Fort Plain, Fork Plank, Fort Rensselaer: The Revolutionary War Forts of Canajohary by Wayne Lenig. Lenig is a Fellow of the New York State Archaeological Association, vice-president of the Van Epps-Hartley Chapter NYSAA, archaeological curator and vice-chairman of the Fort Plain Museum Board of Trustees, and Research Associate in Archaeology at the New York State Museum.

A great deal of confusion has developed regarding the historical identities of Fort Plain, Fort Plank and Fort Rensselaer. This book reviews and analyzes the published secondary sources in chronological order to gain an understanding of when and how misconceptions developed. Following that review are chapters on the archaeology and historical research from primary sources, placing the final four years of the Revolutionary War on the New York frontiers into the broad fabric of contemporary events. A fourth chapter reviews the evidence for an earlier Colonial Anglo-American fort on the site of Fort Plain. This is the most comprehensive study of the most important American outpost during the final four years of the War for Independence.

The book is 8.5 by 11 with over 260 glossy pages with color images and maps. To order the book, please visit the museum’s online book store at https://fortplainmuseum.square.site/ or email info@fortplainmuseum.org. 100% of the book proceeds go to the museum for exhibits and education programming.

Book Talk – The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President

Posted on February 5, 2020

Book Talk – The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President

The Fort Plain Museum welcomes Matthew R. Costello, the Acting Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History and the Senior Historian White House Historical Association as he presents his new book, “The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President”

This Book Talk is on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 6:30 PM at The Fulton-Montgomery Community College’s Allen House located at 2805 NY-67, Johnstown, NY 12095. There is a $10 Admission Fee and the speaker’s book will be available for sale ($5 off with paid admission).

Please visit the Museum’s website, http://www.fortplainmuseum.com for more information and how to register.

Washington’s resting place at his beloved Mount Vernon estate was at times as contested and in Costello’s telling, the many attempts to move the first president’s bodily remains offer greater insight to the issue of memory and hero worship in early America. While describing the efforts of politicians, business owners, artists, and storytellers to define, influence, and profit from the memory of Washington at Mount Vernon, this book’s main focus is the memory-making process that took place among American citizens. As public access to the tomb increased over time, more and more ordinary Americans were drawn to Mount Vernon, and their participation in this nationalistic ritual helped further democratize Washington in the popular imagination. Shifting our attention from official days of commemoration and publicly orchestrated events to spontaneous visits by citizens, Costello’s book clearly demonstrates in compelling detail how the memory of George Washington slowly but surely became The Property of the Nation.

Fall Foliage Report: September 25-October 1

Posted on September 25, 2019

I LOVE NY started the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 11 and will continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November. Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Reporting station: Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) , Fort Hunter

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend: 20%

Brilliance: Dull to average as more color emerges

Predominating colors: Greens with pops of orange and reds developing

Rating: Beginning with a lot more brilliant and beautiful colors to come

Green is still predominant with more orange and yellow showing through.

Enjoy a night of music and dancing! Friday night at the Elk’s Lodge in Amsterdam, Grand Central Station (opens in a new tab) will perform; wings and craft brews will be available to purchase.

Saturday features A Taste of History, the Garden Bug Fall Festival, Family Fun Day, the Friends of Sanford Stud Farm Open House and so much more (opens in a new tab) .

The Friends of Sanford Stud Farm Open House (opens in a new tab) will feature food trucks, vendors, and crafters. Tour the historical Hurricana Barn and enjoy a variety of local vendors.

Mohawk Valley Collective (opens in a new tab) in collaboration with the Fort Plain Free Library (opens in a new tab) host “Family Fun Day (opens in a new tab) ” in Haslett Park, Fort Plain. Including the popular Chalk-on-the-Walk where art is drawn on the sidewalk around the park, a bounce house, and many other family friendly events. Food and ice cream will also be available.

The Montgomery County Historical Society’s annual fall fundraiser, A Taste of History (opens in a new tab) , features over a dozen soups, along with freshly baked breads and homemade pies. Benefiting the preservation of Old Fort Johnson (opens in a new tab) , this year’s event will be held at the Century Club (opens in a new tab) in Amsterdam. Seating is limited seating and advance tickets are recommended. Admission includes unlimited soup samples, bread, pie, beverage and a special souvenir mug. Tickets can be purchased online (opens in a new tab) .

The annual Garden Bug Fall Festival (opens in a new tab) will have a variety of agricultural products and fall decor available for purchase: mums, pumpkins, indian corn, bows, hay bales, corn stalks, and more. Vendors and crafters will be on hand both Saturday and Sunday. Music, bounce house, cider donuts, wagon rides, car cruise-in (Saturday only beginning at noon), food and gifts are all available.

Explore our countryside, enjoy our events (opens in a new tab) , and take in the autumn season!

Call for Travel Guides and Specialty Maps!

1.800.743.7337

Fall Foliage Report: September 18-24

Posted on September 18, 2019

I LOVE NY starts the “New York Fall Foliage Report (opens in a new tab) ” on September 11 and will continue until the end of the foliage season, around the first or second week in November. Montgomery County has started its own annual report this year as well.

Aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site

Reporting station: Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (opens in a new tab) , Fort Hunter

Percent of trees predicted to have changed by the coming weekend: 10%

Brilliance: Dull

Predominating colors: Mostly green with small hints of yellow and reds (sumac)

Rating: Just beginning

The leaves are still mostly green but more color is starting to show through – hints of yellow and red are currently the main colors.

This Saturday, September 21, the Town of Minden will hold its 5^thannual History Fair (opens in a new tab) in Haslett Park, downtown Fort Plain. There will be historical displays, demonstrations and exhibits by local residents, historians, and collectors. Amongst the fun are an Old Tyme Movie Theatre, Old Farmer’s Market, scavenger hunt, and new this year will be the Chocolate Jumbles Baking Contest. A historical walking tour of the village will take place at 1pm. Admission is free.

The Ames Museum (opens in a new tab) is also hosting their End of Summer Festival on Saturday. Enjoy the fall colors, tour the museum, talk with and shop through the assorted vendors, 5K run/walk beginning at 9am.

Explore our countryside, enjoy our events (opens in a new tab) , and take in the autumn season!

Call for Travel Guides and Specialty Maps!

1.800.743.7337

American Revolution Mohawk Valley Conference

Posted on May 1, 2019

(opens in a new tab)

The Fort Plain Museum’s

5th Annual American Revolution Mohawk Valley Conference

June 6-9, 2019

The American Revolution Mohawk Valley Conference celebrates its 5th year with more speakers and an early sign-up special. Pre-registration is required. The early sign-up special is $10 off if you sign-up by May 7, 2019. Please Click Here for Conference Registration/Information (opens in a new tab) .

There is a great line-up of 12 notable historian/authors presenting on a wide variety of topics related to the American Revolution.

Presenting this year:

David L. Preston – First in Peace: The Delaware Indian Nation and its 1778 Treaty with the United States

Eric H. Schnitzer – Benedict Arnold at Saratoga: How a Newly Discovered Letter Changed History

Mark Edward Lender – The Plot against General Washington: The Conway Cabal Reconsidered

James Kirby Martin – The Man Who Wouldn’t Be King: George Washington, an Exceptional Revolutionary Leader

Holly A. Mayer – Women at War: Continental Army Followers

John Buchanan – The Road to Charleston: How Major General Nathanael Greene Dealt with Logistics, Savage Civil War, and Politics in the Carolina’s and Georgia

Bruce M. Venter – Defending the Mohawk Valley: Forts and Homes Illustrated by Rufus Grider’s Art Work

Glenn F. Williams – Beyond the Mohawk: the Battles of Newtown and Groveland (240th Anniversary)

Albert Louis Zambone – The Rewards of Persistence: Daniel Morgan in the Saratoga Campaign

Tony Williams – George Washington & Alexander Hamilton: A Revolutionary Relationship

Christian Di Spigna – Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero

Douglas J. Pippin – The American Revolution in the St. Lawrence Valley

Also welcoming back the voice of the Mohawk Valley, Bob Cudmore, who will serve as Master of Ceremony.

Genealogy Day – Friday, June 7

Visit Mohawk Country historic sites (sites, schedules and admission fees will be posted separately). Sites will have presentations or historians on hand to discuss the families that fought on both sides during the American Revolution.

An Incident at Caughnawaga – Fundraising Dinner – Saturday, June 8

Join Mohawk Valley Historian, Norm Bollen as he describes the “Incident at Caughnawga” that ignited the Revolution in the Mohawk Valley in 1775. This incident includes neighbor against neighbor, an angry mob and a loyalist sheriff shooting at the rebels. The dinner includes a choice of one of three entrees with sides, salad and dessert. There will also be a Cocktail Hour with cash bar.

A few seats are open for each of the bus tours, call 518-774-5669 for details.

The Fort Plain Museum’s American Revolution Mohawk Valley Conference

Posted on April 19, 2018

The Fort Plain Museum’s American Revolution Mohawk Valley Conference (opens in a new tab) is back for 2018 and registrations are now being accepted. Pre-registration is required and please sign-up immediately, last year was a near sell-out. The Conference is held on June 7-10, 2018. Most of the conference will be held at the Fulton-Montgomery Community College (opens in a new tab) .

This year there are 11 Author/Historian Presentation and Panel Discussion. Starting on Thursday, June 7^th, Michael E. Newton will present “Alexander Hamilton’s Revolutionary War Service”. On Friday, June 8^th,Russell Shorto will present “Revolution Song: America’s Founding Era in Six Remarkable Lives”.

On Saturday/Sunday, June 9^th and 10^th, there are the following presentations:

Edward G. Lengel – George Washington and the Burning of New York City, 1776
Eric H. Schnitzer – “Hessians” at the Battle of Bennington, 1777
James L. Nelson – Benedict Arnold’s Navy: The Story of the Rag Tag Fleet that Lost the Battle of Valcour Island and Won the American Revolution
Don N. Hagist – Redcoats Along the Mohawk: British Soldiers in Western New York, 1777-1783
Bruce M. Venter – Benedict Arnold’s Nemesis: Colonel John Brown’s Fateful Journey to the Mohawk Valley
Jennifer DeBruin – Traitors, Spies & Heroes: Loyalist Espionage in the American Revolution
Glenn F. Williams – Sir William Johnson, the Iroquois Confederacy and Lord Dunmore’s War
John Buchanan – Two Warriors: George Washington and Sir William Howe
Wayne Lenig – The Tryon County Committee of Safety
New this year, a Panel Discussion where presenters and the audience will discuss which side they would choose, Patriot or Loyalist?

Stone Arabia Church — ©Mitch Wojnarowicz

On Thursday, June 7^th, there is a Bus Tour of the 1778 Battle & Raid Sites. The bus tour will feature the events of 1778; the Battle of Cobleskill, the Cherry Valley Massacre, Springfield, Andrustown, Adam Helmer’s Run, Fort Herkimer and Fort Plain/Rensselaer (opens in a new tab) . There is a lunch stop in Cooperstown.

New this year, is a Genealogy Day, this is held on Friday, June 8^th. Guests can visit the Mohawk Country (opens in a new tab) historic sites located throughout Montgomery County. Sites will have presentations and/or historians on hand to discuss the families that fought on both sides during the American Revolution.

On the evening of Saturday, June 9^th, “An Evening with Washington and Madison” including an all new Fundraiser Dinner held at the Bridge Walk at the Perthshire (opens in a new tab) . Join George Washington and James Madison, portrayed by Brian Hilton and Kyle Jenks, as they discuss their journeys to upstate New York and other founding moments.

To register or for further information such as pricing, locations and more details, please visit http://www.fortplainmuseum.com/conference (opens in a new tab) or email info@fortplainmuseum.org (opens in a new tab) or call 518-774-5669. This is the museum’s yearly fundraiser with 100% going back into museum exhibits and upkeep, your support is greatly appreciated.

2016 Fall Lecture Series Fort Plain Museum

Posted on October 5, 2016

Fort Plain Museum (opens in a new tab)

389 Canal Street, Fort Plain, NY 13339

fortplainmuseum@yahoo.com (opens in a new tab)

518-774-5669

Lectures start at 7:00pm

Admission is free but donations are appreciated.

Thursday, October 13

“War on the Middleline – The Founding of a Community in the Kayaderosseras Patent in the Midst of the American Revolution” by James E. Richmond

Thursday, October 20

“Sir William Johnson and the Evolution of the Mohawk Valley Fur Trade” by Michael Perazzini

Thursday, October 27

“350 Years of Firearms” including the Hamilton/Burr Dueling Pistols by John Phillips (Phillips will discuss and showcase replica Hamilton/Burr Dueling Pistols made before the American Revolution Bicentennial)

Thursday, November 3

“Forgotten Pioneers: African Americans in the Mohawk Valley” by Wayne Lenig and “West African Drumming in Colonial America” (drumming demonstrations included) by Charles Lenig

Singer/songwriters kick off MVC Summer Concert Series June 18 at Unity Hall

Posted on June 13, 2016

Encore performances and a Battle of the Bands are among highlights of the Mohawk Valley Collective’s (opens in a new tab) 2016 Summer Music Series at Unity Hall this summer. Five concerts are on tap during the nonprofit’s third annual series, which kicks off on Saturday, June 18, with Singer/Songwriter Night at 19 Center Street, Fort Plain.

Musicians from the local folk group, Stone Soup, and New York City-based singer-songwriters Leah Shaw and Aviva Jaye will be the first performers to take the stage that night. Doors open at 5:30pm, with music starting at 6pm. Tickets are $7.50 and can be purchased at the door. Once again, refreshments will be available for purchase, and the Erie Station Bar & Grill will be on hand to provide wine and beer.

Mohawk Valley-based Stone Soup, featuring the talents of Suzanne Bladek, Joe Sinchak, Pete Liljeberg, Nick Frirsz, and David Bladek, performs American Roots music with a blend of folk, blues, gospel, traditional country, zydeco and the like. A crowd favorite, the acoustic group performed “unplugged” the last time they were in Unity Hall’s second floor performance space – once the sanctuary of the Universalist Church. To hear a sample of their music, go to http://bit.ly/1VgGmxw (opens in a new tab) .

Also turning up that night are returning artists Shaw and Jaye, who often perform together. Jaye, a trained vocalist, employs her voice, guitar, piano, ukulele and harp “to share raw material with simple, haunting motifs and transparent lyrics.” Her influences include old movie-musicals, classical music, Motown and pop. For samples of her music or more information about her, visit http://avivajaye.com (opens in a new tab) .

The multi-‐talented Shaw, who moved to New York from North Carolina, performs original music that pulls from soul, folk, country and pop influences. To learn more about her, visit her at http://leahshawmusic.com (opens in a new tab) or go to http://bit.ly/1qGJxSg (opens in a new tab) to hear a studio recording.

Other concerts include the July 16 Battle of the Bands, which features $500 in prizes. The current lineup includes Phil Arcuri, Stanley Hall, Heathcliff and Front of the House. Interested performers are asked to contact the MVC at info@mohawkvalleycollective.com (opens in a new tab) or by calling (518)993-5506 in order to sign up.

On July 30, Pat Ruddy, Leslie Kubica and the Matchstick Menagerie, The Eugene Tyler Band, and the Screaming Rebel Angels will hit the stage for Matchstick Menagerie and More; and on August 13, the fourth annual River Through Time celebration in Fort Plain’s Haslett Park will take place from 12pm to 5pm. Performance groups include Christie Belanger, Cosby Gibson and Tom Staudle, The Kennesaw Mt. Boys, and Caitlin Bingham, whose performances are offered at no cost to the public. Also featured during the event are the well-liked raffle drawing, which features Kayak and bike giveaways, face painting, vendors and a pulled pork barbecue.

The series will conclude on August 27 as Tumbleweed Highway, Steven Albert Wood, and Aircrafting perform during New York Country Night.

The local musicians support the mission of the non-profit MVC to host arts and cultural events in Montgomery County. The organization is dedicated to the restoration and adaptive reuse of Unity Hall and one of the area’s other historic architectural gems, the former West Hill School in Canajoharie.

Funding for 2016 programs and the River Through Time event has been made possible, in part, through grants by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the NYS Canal Corporation, and additional funding from the Montgomery County Occupancy Tax administered by the Montgomery County Legislature, the Stewart’s Foundation, and the Dominion Foundation. Also partnering in support of the concert programming is the Erie Station Bar & Grill of Fort Plain.

Go to http://mohawkvalleycollective.com/upcoming-events/ (opens in a new tab) for more information, advance tickets (cost doesn’t include third-party ticket seller’s processing fees), links to performers’ websites, and schedules. All proceeds go toward future event programming and preservation efforts.

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