Richard Montgomery, for whom Montgomery County in the Mohawk Valley was named, was a hero of the American Revolution.
According to historian Hugh Donlon’s book “Outlines of History,” Montgomery was born in 1736 near Raphoe, Ireland. Other sources say Montgomery was born in Dublin. He joined the British army at 18 and served against the French in North America and the West Indies.
Donlon said Montgomery was part of the Amherst Expedition that passed through the Mohawk Valley as part of the British conquest of Canada in 1760.
Montgomery left America to live in England from 1765 to 1772, when he moved to New York City. He married Jane Livingston, daughter of Judge Robert Livingston in Rhinebeck, a leading figure in the growing rebellion.
When war broke out, Montgomery became a brigadier general on the rebel side. Montgomery’s forces took Montreal in November 1775. When General Philip Schuyler of Albany became ill, Montgomery took command of Schuyler’s troops.
Forces commanded by Montgomery and Benedict Arnold, although relatively small, laid siege to Quebec City. They attacked the city in a snowstorm on December 31. The British repelled the attack and Montgomery was killed. Montgomery was buried on the spot.
His widow pleaded with Canada’s government for 43 years before her husband’s remains were brought back to America. According to Donlon’s story, when Montgomery’s remains were passing his aged widow’s home at Annandale-on-Hudson, the steamer paused. Mrs. Montgomery is said to have saluted the vessel, then collapsed.
Montgomery is buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard in New York City. Benjamin Franklin directed creation of a stone memorial that was made in Paris that states, “This monument is erected by order of Congress, 25th of January, 1776, to transmit to posterity a grateful remembrance of the patriotic conduct, enterprise and perseverance of Major General Richard Montgomery.”
Maryland and Virginia moved quickly to name counties for the war hero. North Carolina followed suit in 1778 and New York was fourth in 1784. In all there are Montgomery counties in 17 states.
In New York, Montgomery’s name was given to what had been Tryon County, created in 1772 and named for New York’s British colonial governor, William Tryon.
Tryon became unpopular in the Revolution, according to Donlon. He was called “Bloody Billy” and reports circulated that Tryon was part of a plot to kidnap and assassinate George Washington. Tryon served the British as a military commander when the colony he had headed was placed under martial law. Tryon led forces that attacked civilians in southern Connecticut. He returned to England in 1780 and died in London in 1788.
The original Tryon County was created during the heyday of Sir William Johnson and his family in the local area and the county seat was in Johnstown. In 1836, the county seat of Montgomery County was moved to Fonda. There was an outcry from the people of Johnstown who were granted their own county.

Fulton County split off from Montgomery County in 1838. That county is named for Robert Fulton, an American inventor credited with creating the first commercially successful steamboat.
YMCA correction
The daughter of a man who was an official of the Amsterdam YMCA has corrected information in a recent column about the 50-year old men’s handball club at the local YMCA.
Bill Jenick was one of the original handball players, according to his daughter Julie Jenick of Amsterdam. The earlier column gave an incorrect last name. Jenick’s title was physical director at the YMCA, which was located at the time on Division Street in Amsterdam. His daughter said Jenick was a lifeguard and swimming teacher. Today’s Amsterdam Family YMCA is located in Hagaman.