Whitehall, New York

History

The village was founded in 1759 as "Skenesborough" by Major Philip Skene, who built the barracks at Crown Point under Gen. Jeffrey Amherst. He sold out his commission in the British army to establish the community and the many associated enterprises he planned and later carried out. It was the first settlement at Lake Champlain and became an important trade center. It was on one of two routes between English and French colonies.

On May 9, 1775, Lieutenant Samuel Herrick, leading as an advance party for Benedict Arnold's and Ethan Allen's attack on Fort Ticonderoga, surprised Major Skene and his small garrison. While he intended to use Skene's boats to ferry men across the lake, his party did not arrive in time. Skene's schooner was used later to capture St. John's.

In 1776, General Philip Schuyler built a small fleet of ships here. They were used by Benedict Arnold in the Battle of Valcour Island in October. The event led to Whitehall's modern-day claim to be the birthplace of the United States Navy. The surviving vessels returned to be destroyed to prevent their capture. General John Burgoyne led his forces southward through this area during the Saratoga Campaign.

The escaped murderer Jason Fairbanks was captured here in 1802 and returned to Dedham, Massachusetts to hang.

From the History section of Whitehall (village), New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.