America at 250 with Johnstown Historical Society and Fulton County Historical Society & Museum

The Johnstown Historical Society is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a large scale America 250 event in the historic downtown Johnstown district in 2026 during the 4th of July weekend. This event will be a multifaceted event featuring lectures, storytelling, living history, specialty tours, hands-on activities, entertainment, food, and so much more. We are working with the Fulton County Historian, City of Johnstown, and the Committee for Tourism and Special Events as well as a number of other not for profit organizations such as the Johnstown Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Masons of St. Patrick’s Lodge. 

July 4th - 10:30 A.M. Kateri Tekakwitha talk at the Courthouse:

“Confederacy, Revolution & Statehood in the Mohawk Valley”
Nathan M. Turowsky, Archives Assistant at the Saint Kateri Shrine & Historic Site, will take a look at the roles that the various nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy played on both sides of the conflict for independence for Britain. This presentation draws on land-transfer documents in the Shrine museum’s collection, as well as the Liberty Pole raising that took place in May 1775 on what is now Shrine grounds.

July 4th - 2:30 P.M. Road To Revolution talk at the Courthouse:

What was life like on the New York frontier in the years leading up to the American Revolution? White settlers who made homes in the Mohawk Valley in the mid-18th century were rewarded with fertile farmland, but life on the “frontier” was not a bucolic idyll. Rural life was physically demanding. European encroachment on native land and discontentment with British policy contributed to the tension and sometimes resulted in violence. During periods of unrest, the settlements on the borders were the most exposed to raids and destruction.
Join FCHS Executive Director Samantha Hall-Saladino as we consider the experiences of the various groups of people living in Tryon County. From the Haudenosaunee who had to weigh the consequences of supporting a side or remaining neutral, to enslaved Africans who heard calls for liberty while they had little recourse for their own, to farmers, merchants, families, soldiers, and everyone in between — war loomed on the horizon. What would the coming years bring?

July 4th - 10:30 A.M. Women in the Revolution at the James Burks Inn:

Johnstown DAR Chapter & Johnstown Historical Society
Step into the debut of the Women in Early America Exhibit. View restored home items, clothing, and samplers crafted by women and children, all preserved by DAR descendants. You might find a connect to families from the area.
 

July 4th - 1:30 P.M. 18th Century Gardening at the James Burks Inn:

Johnstown DAR Chapter & Johnstown Historical Society
explore the role of early kitchen gardens. Discover how Native and European plants offered food, remedies, and drinks to the people who lived and traveled through this early American tavern. Enjoy a lively talk and plant demonstration from yesterday and today.

July 4th - 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Professional Storyteller David Neilsen

 

 

 

 

We will be welcoming professional storyteller, David Neilsen, to the Drumm House lawn for 3 performances!
At 11am and 1pm you can catch his performance about British Intelligence Officer Major John Andre (and how he has some ties to Johnstown).
45-minute one-man show recounts the life and trials of British Major John Andre during the American Revolution. Major Andre was intricately involved in General Benedict Arnold’s plot to betray Continental forces. His astounding misadventure–from receiving the plans to West Point from General Arnold’s hands in Haverstraw to his capture in Tarrytown to his ultimate execution–is filled with amazing twists and turns that together show how very close Arnold’s plot was to succeeding, an act which would have altered the course of the American Revolution.
And at 5pm we will be ending our day with his performance of Sleepy Hollow which also has some Johnstown Connections.