Samuel De Champlain

On July 30, 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain and native allies met near here and fought the Battle of Ticonderoga. Born around 1567 in the coastal town of Brouage, France, Champlain became a remarkable man expert in many fields: a soldier by profession, a mariner by passion, and best known as an explorer, the first to step foot in this area. As a mapmaker, he set new standards with his precision and detail. As a naturalist, he planted experimental gardens and introduced roses into New France. Champlain was a humanist with an intense interest in and sympathetic respect for other peoples' differences, and he befriended Algonquin-speaking Indians, enjoying peaceful cohabitation. As a visionary, he found Lake Champlain to be a special place, beautiful and peaceful, full of hope and promise, and named it after himself. In fostering good relationships, he was unique in encouraging new cultural understanding and stood stalwart for peace through diplomacy. He is celebrated for his principles as a leader, his unequaled honesty with Native Americans and Europeans alike, and is remembered as the father of New France. Ticonderoga, a place named by the Iroquois "Tekonlaroken," was a meeting place of two waters, and La Chute Falls lay on the route there.

Ticonderoga, New York · United States