Johnstown (New York)

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Johnstown
Johnstown (New York)
Johnstown
Johnstown
Location in New York
Basic data
Foundation : 1758
State : United States
State : new York
County : Fulton County
Coordinates : 43 ° 0 ′  N , 74 ° 23 ′  W Coordinates: 43 ° 0 ′  N , 74 ° 23 ′  W
Time zone : Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Residents : 8,743 (as of 2010)
Population density : 693.9 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 12.6 km 2  (approx. 5 mi 2 ) of
which 12.6 km 2  (approx. 5 mi 2 ) are land
Height : 209 m
Postal code : 12095
Area code : +1 518
FIPS : 36-38781
GNIS ID : 979110
Website : cityofjohnstown.ny.gov

Johnstown is a city in the US state of New York in Fulton County . The city was named by its founder William Johnson after his son John Johnson. From the middle of the 19th century, Johnstown (together with the neighboring town of Gloversville ) was the center of the American glove industry for over 100 years.

geography

The city is located in eastern New York state halfway between the Mohawk River and the city of Gloversville. Cayadutta Creek flows south through the city. In an east-west direction, New York State Route 29 (Main Street) runs through the city.

founding

As a reward for his service during the "French and Indian War" , the former major general of the British armed forces William Johnson received large tracts of land in what is now Fulton County. After living for over ten years in Old Fort Johnson , which he built on the Mohawk River , he founded a settlement a few kilometers north in 1762, which he named "John's Town" after his son John.

William Johnson became one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of New York City. He was the largest landowner in the Mohawk Valley, with an estate of more than 400,000 acres (1,600 km 2 ) before his death. He expanded his economic interests as a trader to include a sawmill with a timber trade and a flour mill. Johnson became the largest slave owner in the region, possibly New York State (he had enslaved around 60 Africans who worked for him). In addition, he also recruited many tenants from Scotland and Ireland to work on his lands. The District Court, built by William Johnson in Johnstown in 1772, still stands today and is the oldest operating courthouse in New York.

Sir William Johnson died in 1774 before the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain. The Battle of Johnstown on October 25, 1781 with 1,400 soldiers was one of the last in the War of Independence . The Continental Army, led by Marinus Willett of Johnstown, routed the British. During this time, many British loyalists from Johnstown and the surrounding area fled to Canada, including surviving family members of William Johnson. Their properties were looted and soldiers from the Continental Army were billeted there. Thereafter, the entire property of the loyalist went to the state because of its active support of British interests. Sir William Johnson's mansion ("Johnson Hall") was subsequently bought by Silas Talbot , a naval officer and hero of the American Revolution.

Johnson Hall was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1960 . It is operated by New York State as a historic site with regular events.

Leather industry

Former factory building in the city center

The wooded area was characterized by the hemlock (hemlock), the bark of which was an important substance in the tanning of leather. The Cayadutta Creek (a tributary of the Mohawk ) supplied the water that was also needed. The industrial development was also favored by the connection to the rail network. From 1870 there was a rail connection to Fonda , a few kilometers on the Mohawk , later to Schenectady in eastern New York State and from there to New York Central Station . Railway operations were stopped in 1984. The route was later expanded to become a hiking and biking trail ("Fulton County Rail Trail"). Between 1890 and 1950, 90 percent of all gloves sold in the United States came from this region. Many other production and service companies established themselves around leather processing (cardboard manufacturers, sewing machine mechanics, weavers, dealers, etc.). The peak of this industry was around 1905, when 237 factories were operating in Johnstown / Gloversville.

At the beginning of the 21st century there were only one glove manufacturer and two tanneries in Johnstown, plus a few leather dealers. Many of the former factory buildings are still there but are mostly empty.

Associated with Johnstown

Web links

Commons : Johnstown  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cityofjohnstown.ny.gov: "Our History-Early - Colonial History"
  2. ↑ johnstownnyhistory.com: "Johnstown, New York - A Brief History" ( Memento of the original December 7, 2013 Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link is automatically inserted and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.johnstownnyhistory.com
  3. ↑ nysparks.com: "Johnson Hall State Historic Site"
  4. ↑ fjgrr.org: "The Beginning Of The Fonda Johnstown And Gloversville Railroad"
  5. ↑ nytimes.com: "Heir to a Glove Town's Legacy"
  6. ↑ gloversandtanners.com: "Gloversville Glove & Leather Directory"