Tuesday morning, local officials and representatives from historical organizations gathered at Knox Trail Marker #7 in Lake George Battlefield Park to pay tribute to Colonel Henry Knox, who led the ambitious winter 1775-1776 expedition that successfully delivered artillery captured at Fort Ticonderoga to George Washington outside of Boston. With the armaments, Washington was able to end the months-long siege of Boston, driving the British and loyalists out of the city in March 1776.
Knox’s 300-mile journey from Ticonderoga to Boston is marked with 59 bronze and granite markers, five of which are in Warren County. Ceremonies were also held on Tuesday at the Knox Trail Markers in Queensbury, Bolton Landing and Silver Bay.
Warren County and the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance installed signs at the Knox Trail markers in Warren and Washington County. New York State DAR Custodian Heather Mabee dedicated the Lake George sign, saying, “History tells us that what is needed today is not just a show of greatness and a parade of power, but a dedication to the great ideas.”
Vinnie Crocitto, Jr., Town of Lake George Supervisor, thanked the Battlefield Park Alliance, the 250 Commission, the Historical Society, and the town historian for their work in elevating the region’s history. “This historic and heroic feat of going to Ticonderoga and back, right here, is really where the early seeds of our independence were planted. So, it’s very, very important.”
New York State Assemblyman Matt Simpson also spoke: “It’s our job to ensure that people never do forget the origins of our great country and what people sacrificed. I mean, to travel 300 miles in the North Country this time of year. This is a reminder,” Simpson said, acknowledging that ceremony attendees were standing outdoors in bitterly cold temperatures, “but imagine doing this continuously over such a long period of time. And, you know, the grit and determination that those people had at that time is just incredible. So, it’s amazing to be part of this.”
The brief ceremony included a wreath-laying and presentation of a replica linstock, a device used to ignite cannons in 18th-century warfare. Mabee explained that the replica linstock was present at the start of the Noble Train reenactment in Crown Point this past weekend and will be brought to each marker in New York State along the Knox Trail.
Tuesday’s ceremonies are a lead-up to the series of events planned at Lake George for Friday, Dec. 12, which will feature a re-enactment of Henry Knox’s arrival at the head of the lake.
As part of America’s Semiquincentennial celebrations, counties along the Knox Trail in New York and Massachusetts are reenacting the Noble Train of Artillery. The reenactment began in Ticonderoga on Dec. 5, the day in 1775 when Henry Knox arrived at the fort to select the artillery that would best serve the Continental Army.
The Ticonderoga reenactment continued through Dec. 7 as replica cannons were brought to the North shore of Lake George. The Noble Train will arrive, by boat, at the head of the lake on Beach Road in the Village of Lake George at 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. The public is invited to attend and join Henry Knox at Fort George, where he will discuss his journey thus far.
The Noble Train will arrive in Washington County on Saturday, Dec. 13, and then continue through New York along Knox’s route. On January 10, 2026, the artillery train will be transferred to Massachusetts and continue to Boston.
Feature photo: DAR Custodian Heather Mabee speaks at the tribute to Colonel Henry Knox at the Knox Trail Marker in Lake George Battlefield Park. In attendance, (L-R) New York State Assemblyman Matt Simpson, Dr. Carol Collins, Heather Mabee, Lake George Town Supervisor Vinnie Crocitto, Jr., Vice Chair 250th Commission Paul Tackett, Benefactor Lorna Hainesworth, Municipal Historian Margy Mannix, and County Historian Dr. Stan Cianfarano.
Discover more from The Lake George Examiner
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.