Was Fort Johnson, the fortified homestead built by British Indian agent Sir William Johnson in 1749, ever attacked?
An attack occurred in 1757, according to Jim Major, a trustee of the Montgomery County Historical Society that operates the facility at the intersection of Routes 5 and 67 as a tourist attraction.
In July of 1757, Sir William Johnson set off from his home for German Flatts to meet with Sachems of the Six Iroquois Nations to try to settle an incident in which two Indians—an Oneida and a Mohawk—had been killed by an Albany trader named Thomas Smith. An Oneida chief named Nickus had presented the case to Sir William who wrote to the mayor of Albany asking that the suspect be arrested and tried.
While Johnson was away on this delicate mission, a party of Indians allied with the French tried to surprise the fort the night of July 14.
Lieutenant Claus reported, “After several Shot being exchanged & some Cannon fired the Enemy disappeared.”
Farrell Wade delivered Johnson a letter from Klaus with this news. According to the Sir William Johnson papers, “On receiving this News Sir William set off from Cannajohary and arrived at his own House at about 12 a Clock at night.”
Fort Johnson will open for the season on Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Opening day is free but donations are welcome. There will be tours and historical talks. Other highlights of the season this year will be an architecture tour on Saturday, June 21 led by State Museum curator Ron Burch and a family field day on Saturday, July 26. The movie “Drums Along the Mohawk” will be shown on Saturday, August 16.
PRESERVING THE FORT
The Montgomery County Historical Society formed in 1904. The original goal was to establish a museum in Amsterdam but Fort Johnson, a mile west of the city, soon became the focus.
At the time, farmer and lawyer Ethan Akin owned the historic building. Ethan’s son Theron, a dentist, led the drive to name the surrounding community the Village of Akin. Theron Akin was elected to Congress, moved to Amsterdam and spent four tumultuous years as mayor. Later, the community around the fort was renamed Fort Johnson.
In 1905, the Society bought the fort from the Akin family for $5,900. Amsterdam merchant W. Max Reid found a benefactor to put up the money, Major General John Watts DePeyster of Tivoli, New York. DePeyster was the grand nephew of Lady Mary Watts Johnson, wife of Sir John Johnson, Sir William’s son.
Amsterdam carpet mill owner Stephen Sanford came up with a $15,000 endowment in 1906 and a committee of women furnished the fort. A 1770s era carriage house became the home of the first caretakers, Alpha and Helen Child.
In 1919, $100 was spent on a pageant depicting the life of Sir William. The New York State Historical Association described it as “the most elaborate historical pageant ever seen in the Mohawk Valley.”
In 1965, Rebecca Morris Evans became Society president and, in the 1970s, restored the fort to reflect the period when Sir William lived there. Evans secured National Historic Landmark status for the building in 1974.
Samuel and Lily Canavan became caretakers in 1959. A native of Northern Ireland, Sam Canavan worked as custodian at Amsterdam Savings Bank, where his energy and style impressed bank president and Historical Society board member Charles French.
Lily Canavan died in 1980 and Sam Canavan moved back to Ireland in 1983 where he died in 1994.
Today, Scott Haefner is site manager at Fort Johnson and Alessa Wylie is museum coordinator.