Fort Edward, known to native Americans as "The Great Carrying Place," marked the start of a portage between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain because the Hudson was no longer navigable farther north from that point. Two alternate routes developed, one over land to Lake George and the other over land to Wood Creek, which flows into Lake Champlain. The Dutch claimed the area and were succeeded by the British, who built a fortification there in 1755, and Fort Edward was named for Edward Augustus, brother of King George II. The Town of Fort Edward was created from Argyle in 1818, and the Village of Fort Edward was chartered in 1849 to provide local government for a growing boom town. As early as 1816, the Champlain Canal boosted the local economy, and as it expanded, businesses and industries grew along the canal and its feeders, with the Fort Edward and Glens Falls feeder canals linking local businesses directly to the Champlain Canal. Original features of the Old Champlain Canal remain visible from the trail, and nearby sites of interest include the Rogers Island Visitor Center, the Old Fort House Museum, built in 1772, and canal locks 6, 7, and 8.

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Photo: Steve Stoessel

Photo: Steve Stoessel