Bob Cudmore’s scheduled talk Thursday night in Hagaman has been cancelled.

We’ve raised $5000 so far for our yearly Historians Podcast fund drive.  That’s over 80% of our $6000 goal.  We need to raise $1000 in the next two months.  Please donate online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historians-podcast-2022  Or send a check made out to Bob Cudmore to 125 Horstman Drive, Scotia, NY 12302.  You may give anonymously and no donation is too small.  Our latest donation was from Dave Northrup.

Story behind Richard Montgomery

By Bob Cudmore

          Richard Montgomery, for whom Montgomery County in the Mohawk Valley was named, was a hero of the American Revolution.

   According to historian Hugh Donlon’s book “Outlines of History,” Montgomery was born in 1736 near Raphoe, Ireland.  Other sources say Montgomery was born in Dublin.  He joined the British army at 18 and served against the French in North America and the West Indies.

   Donlon said Montgomery was part of the Amherst Expedition that passed through the Mohawk Valley as part of the British conquest of Canada in 1760.

          Montgomery left America to live in England from 1765 to 1772, when he moved to New York City.  He married Jane Livingston, daughter of Judge Robert Livingston in Rhinebeck, a leading figure in the growing rebellion. 

          When war broke out, Montgomery became a brigadier general on the rebel side.  Montgomery’s forces took Montreal in November 1775.  When General Philip Schuyler of Albany became ill, Montgomery took command of Schuyler’s troops.

          Forces commanded by Montgomery and Benedict Arnold, although relatively small, laid siege to Quebec City.  They attacked the city in a snowstorm on December 31.  The British repelled the attack and Montgomery was killed.  Montgomery was buried on the spot.

          His widow pleaded with Canada’s government for 43 years before her husband’s remains were brought back to America.  According to Donlon’s story, when Montgomery’s remains were passing his aged widow’s home at Annandale-on-Hudson, the steamer paused.  Mrs. Montgomery is said to have saluted the vessel, then collapsed.

          Montgomery is buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard in New York City.  Benjamin Franklin directed creation of a stone memorial that was made in Paris that states, “This monument is erected by order of Congress, 25th of January, 1776, to transmit to posterity a grateful remembrance of the patriotic conduct, enterprise and perseverance of Major General Richard Montgomery.”

          Maryland and Virginia moved quickly to name counties for the war hero.  North Carolina followed suit in 1778 and New York was fourth in 1784.  In all there are Montgomery counties in 17 states.

   In New York, Montgomery’s name was given to what had been Tryon County, created in 1772 and named for New York’s British colonial governor, William Tryon.

   Tryon became unpopular in the Revolution, according to Donlon.  He was called “Bloody Billy” and reports circulated that Tryon was part of a plot to kidnap and assassinate George Washington.  Tryon served the British as a military commander when the colony he had headed was placed under martial law.  Tryon led forces that attacked civilians in southern Connecticut.  He returned to England in 1780 and died in London in 1788.

   The original Tryon County was created during the heyday of Sir William Johnson and his family in the local area and the county seat was in Johnstown.  In 1836, the county seat of Montgomery County was moved to Fonda. There was an outcry from the people of Johnstown who were granted their own county. 

   Fulton County split off from Montgomery County in 1838.  That county is named for Robert Fulton, an American inventor credited with creating the first commercially successful steamboat.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022- From the Archives-Episode 433-A history of the Mohawk River with Mary Zawacki, executive director of the Schenectady County Historical Society.  When the last Ice Age began to melt 22,000 years ago, the Mohawk River flowed with more force than Niagara Falls.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

People and pigeons in Amsterdam fire.

   People, pigeons and a coin collection were all at risk on Friday, November 23, 1962 in a major fire at 29-31 Market Street in Amsterdam.

   Information was provided by Joseph Inglese of the town of Florida. 

Friday, November 4, 2022-Episode 447-2022 Highlights Edition with excerpts from Joe Collea on Ilion, N.Y.; Giovanni Ruscitti visits his Italian roots; Chris Carola discusses Mohawk chief Joseph Brant; Alyson Richman on writing historical fiction David Pietrusza dissects FDR’s landslide 1936 victory;  Norm Bollen meets filmmakers interested in Mohawk Valley; Rod Correll on learning to be a Leatherman.

Mohawk Valley Weather, Tuesday, November 1, 2022

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