Sir William Johnson (1715-1774), an Indian trader, statesman, diplomat, and Colonial Empire Builder, built Johnson Hall in 1763 as the center of his estate and the scene of many Indian conferences. Coming from Ireland in 1738, he traded with the Indians and acquired great influence over them. After defeating the French at Lake George in 1755, he was created a baronet and made Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Colonies. In 1766 he ended the Pontiac uprising, and in 1768 negotiated the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. At Johnstown, which he founded and colonized, Johnson Hall stands as a monument to his constructive achievement.
