Archaeological discoveries on Rogers Island show
Native American hunting and fishing activities dating back approximately to 4000 BC. Native Americans remained in the area until the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century. The archaeological site was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Due to its strategic location on the Hudson, Rogers Island and Fort Edward opposite became a fortress operated by the
British Empire, involved in the
French and Indian War (1754–1763) with invasions into
French Canada to the north often beginning from the area. Due to the expansion required to house such large numbers of troops, estimated to be 16,000, Fort Edward and Rogers Island were evacuated in 1766 and left to ruin during the
American War of Independence, though it was briefly garrisoned until 1777. Evidence found in seven unmarked graves unearthed on Rogers Island in 2006 suggest that the site contains a military cemetery from the time of the French and Indian War. The Island was also home to a British army smallpox hospital during the war, although some of the deaths could have resulted from wounds incurred in skirmishes with the French. During the 1800s, the island was used to train militia for the
American Civil War, with the northern tip being inhabited by civilians. ==Rogers Island Visitors Center==