Fort Ann, New York

Colonial period Fort Ann is located on the historic route linking the French and English colonies. The area was the site of several forts built by various nations, from a small French fort called "The Pickets" near the southern end of Lake Champlain in 1689, in the northwestern area of the town, to a series of forts (including "Fort Schuyler" and "Queen's Fort") closer to where the village of Fort Ann stands today. The first of these was likely the Stone Fort, built by Englishman Fitz John Winthrop in 1692. The English expedition led by Francis Nicholson built Fort Schuyler, approximately one-half mile south of the present village, in 1709. (The old Champlain Canal passed through a part of the site.) Nicholson burned the fort when he and his army left, but he returned in 1711 and built the Queen's Fort, later renamed Fort Anne (after Queen Anne of Great Britain), at the same site. It fell into ruins during the English colonial period. Fort Anne was rebuilt in 1757 by the English, during the French and Indian War. The 1777 Battle of Fort Anne took place here during the Saratoga Campaign of the American Revolutionary War. The early town Part of the town was in the Artillery Patent of 1764, granted to 24 officers of the British army. Settlement of the town did not occur until 1775. The town was established as the "Town of Westfield" on March 23, 1786, and was renamed Fort Ann on April 6, 1808, It is unknown why the spelling was changed. Parts of the original town were used to form the later town of Hartford (1793), Putnam (1806). 19th century In 1820, the village of Fort Ann incorporated as a municipality within the town. In 1823, the Champlain Canal was completed, linking the area to the outside world. Later the Delaware and Hudson Railway established a depot at Fort Ann village. ==Notable people==

• Orestes Garrison, Wisconsin State Assemblyman • Edwin R. Reynolds, former US Congressman ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (1.20%) is water. The western border is defined as the Warren/Washington county border with the towns of Queensbury and Bolton. The shoreline of Lake George defines the Bolton-Fort Ann border. Across the town's northern border is the town of Dresden. The eastern border is the towns of Whitehall and Granville. The southern border is shared with Granville, Hartford, and Kingsbury. The town lies partially within the Adirondack Park. Of the county's 17 towns, Fort Ann is the largest by area. ==Demographics==

Fort Ann is the third-most populous of Washington County's 17 towns. With two all-male state prisons in Comstock, the data presented is likely to be skewed in comparison with the general town population and the population of neighboring non-prison towns, particularly with regard to ethnicity and the female:male ratio, because a disproportionate percentage of the prison population is male and black or Hispanic. == Communities and locations in the Town of Fort Ann ==

Communities • Comstock – A hamlet near the intersection of US-4 and NY-22; originally a shipping center founded by Peter Comstock, now the site of two state prisons (Great Meadow Correctional Facility and Washington Correctional Facility). • Johnnycake Corners – A historic location in the town. • Pilot Knob – A hamlet on the shore of Lake George at the northern end of County Road 32. It is part of a larger community, East Lake George, which includes the northernmost part of the Town of Queensbury. East Lake George attempted to incorporate as a village, a measure rejected by voters in 2010. • Shelving Rock – A hamlet on the shore of Lake George, northwest of Shelving Rock Mountain and Shelving Rock Brook. • South Bay – A hamlet on County Road 16 in the northern part of the town by South Bay Creek. • West Fort Ann – A hamlet in the southwestern part of the town. • Halfway Creek – A stream that runs from the southwestern corner of town to the Champlain Canal in Fort Ann village. • Lake Nebo – A lake at the Adirondack Park Boundary. • Lakes Pond – A lake north of Lake Nebo. • Palmertown Mountains – Elevated land on the western side of Fort Ann by Lake George. • Pilot Knob – An elevation near Lake George and south of the community of the same name. • Putnam Mountain – An elevation west of West Road. • Sleeping Beauty Mountain – An elevation in the northwestern corner of Fort Ann. • Sugar Loaf Mountain – An elevation by the town line with Queensbury. • South Bay – The southern end of Lake Champlain lies in the northeast corner of the town. • Van Warner Bay – A bay of Lake George by - but not in - the southwestern part of the town. • Winchell Creek – A small river in the southern part of the town. ==References==