Date: May 16, 2016
Contact: William Sawyer
On Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29, Fort Stanwix National Monument will be hosting the French and Indian War Encampment. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Lord Jeffery Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of British forces, as well as learn about the history and activities of the British and French units encamped at the fort. Events will include military drills, weapons demonstrations, and daily fort life activities. Children will have the opportunity to play 18th Century games as well as try various other hands on activities.
Featured during this year’s encampment is a historic discussion series. “French Raids of the Mohawk Valley” will take place in the fort at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday at 1 p.m. in the fort, park volunteer George Walters will share his work on the “Roseboom Waste Books,” period ledgers that recorded trade in the area. Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rome Historical Society, Emmy award winner Eleanor Labine, will be offering a dramatized multimedia presentation of “Evangeline,” a poem about the plight of the Acadian people in the aftermath of the war as boundaries were redrawn.
The original Fort Stanwix was built during the French & Indian War, a struggle for control of North America between the British and the French. Throughout this conflict, Fort Stanwix protected the Mohawk Valley corridor and the gates to the original 13 Colonies. “This is the only event to focus solely on the British occupation of the fort, and there’s always plenty to do for both families and history enthusiasts alike,” said Park Ranger William Sawyer, “We welcome all to view the fort through the eyes of the original builders, listen to the words of the peoples of the area, and step back in time to the 1750s.”
On Saturday, events will run from 9:15 a.m. until 4:45 p.m., with Ms. Labine’s presentation at 7 p.m. at the Rome Historical Society. On Sunday, programs take place from 9:15 a.m. until 3 p.m. There is no charge to participate in any program.
Fort Stanwix National Monument is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the park is free. For more information about upcoming events please call the park at (315) 338-7730. Please visit the park’s web page at www.nps.gov/fost, or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, for additional information about the park and up-to-date news about park events. Fort Stanwix is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks, visit www.nps.gov.
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