Fort Canajoharie

Fort Canajoharie (1747-1752, 1755-1763) - A King George's War Fort established in 1747 near the present day town of Danube, Herkimer County, New York. Named Fort Canajoharie after the locale. Abandoned in 1752. Restablished as Fort Hendrick in 1755 during the French & Indian War and again abandoned in 1763. Name Confusion Confusion between the two different forts makes it difficult to know which one is being discussed in the different sources. It seems clear that there were two different forts with the first fort being called Fort Canajoharie (or not named) and the second fort called Fort Hendrick. It is not clear where each fort was located and how far apart they were or what years each operated. Two descriptions of the location(s) are available: Location #1 - "...south river shore, about opposite the mouth of East Canada Creek." Location #2 - "...on the flatts just east of Nowadaga Creek and South of the Mohawk River." These could be two different locations or a single location. For purposes here it is assumed that Fort Canajoharie (1747-1752) was at or near the same location that Fort Hendrick (1755-1763) was later built. The terrain has been greatly modified by the Erie Barge Canal and New York Thruway road construction and the exact sites are lost. The map point and GPS coordinates below approximate Location #1 above and may not be accurate. Fort Canajoharie (1747-1752) Established in 1747 during King George's War to protect the Upper Castle of the Mohawks who were British allies. The Upper Castle was built on the flats just below Nowadaga Creek along the Mohawk River. Reportedly built as a small 150 foot square stockade with two 24 foot square blockhouses. Fort Hendrick (1755-1763) Established in 1755 during the French & Indian War by Sir William Johnson to protect the Upper Castle of the Mohawks who were still British allies. Named for the Mohawk "King" Hendrick Theyanoguin, who was killed at the Battle of Lake George on 8 Sep 1755. The Fort was built as a square 15' high stockade measuring 100 paces on each side with portholes, an interior platform with small cannons at each corner bastion. Buildings on each wall were used for stores and barracks. The colonial garrison consisted of one Officer and about 25 men. Abandoned about 1763-64, toward the end of the war. Current Status No remains, two separate markers, one for each fort name. Location: Danube, Herkimer County, New York. The map point and GPS coordinates below approximate Location #1 above and may not be accurate. Maps & Images Lat: 42.99829 Long: -74.74446 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' See Also: Mohawk Valley Forts Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 540. New York State Museum - The British Forts Links: North American Forts - Fort Canajoharie New York State Military Museum - Fort Canajoharie New York State Military Museum - Fort Hendrick Visited: No