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All About Glens Falls, New York

LOCATION

Glens Falls Is located In the northeastern corner of New York State at the 'Big Bend' area of the Hudson River. Known as Hometown USA, it has twice been selected as the nation's 'most typical' small city. First in 1944 by Look Magazine, and again in 1964 by Swedish National Television. It is known for its tree-lined streets, neat residential neighborhoods, and well kept commercial buildings.

Glens Falls is the 'Gateway to the Adirondacks,' and the Lake George-Lake Champlain Region. It is nearly mid-way between New York and Montreal and 200 miles west of Boston. Albany is 50 miles to the south and Saratoga Springs 20 miles, while Lake George is nine miles and Plattsburgh 133 miles to the north. U.S. Route 9 passes through the city and U.S. Route 4 just to the east.

Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce 5 Warren Street Glens Falls, NY 12801 Phone: 518-798-1761 Fax: 518-792-4147 frontdesk@AdirondackChamber.org There are three Interchanges of the Adirondack Northway (I-87) serving Glens Falls: Exits 17, 18 and 19. The city has a total area of 3.8 square miles and a population of 13,000.

TOPOGRAPHY

Glens Falls is located on a flat plain that rises sharply in the west to begin the Adirondack Mountains. It is bounded on the east and south by the Hudson River. The City is 367 feet above sea level at the falls in the Hudson River, and there is another climb of 50 feet from the river to the plain of the city.

The fan shape of the streets radiating from the downtown area is unusual. New streets have provided cross-town access and the city is easy to get around. Centennial Circle, a roundabout in the center of the city, opened in May of 2007, making the convergence of five streets much simpler to navigate. Glens Falls is noted for the beauty of its location, surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains and adjacent to the 40 foot falls in the Hudson River.

HISTORY

The Indians called what is now Glens Falls 'Chepontuc,' a Mohawk word meaning 'hard place to get around,' because of the falls blocking the Hudson River at that point. A settlement was founded in 1763 by Abraham Wing, who came from Duchess County, New York, to survey the Queensbury patent. Wing headed a Society of Friends (Quakers) who took large grants in the area. He built a sawmill and later owned a tavern. The community was called Wing's Falls, but Wing lost the name of the town to Colonel Johannes Glen of Schenectady to settle a debt and it became Glen's Falls, later changed to Glens Falls.

The area was on the route from Fort Edward to Fort George and Fort William Henry at Lake George during the French and Indian War. The community was later harassed by the British army under "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne on its way to defeat at the Battles of Saratoga in 1777 during the American Revolution. In the "Great Burning" of 1780, a British punitive expedition from Canada burned the village to the ground. It was re-established on a broader basis, and early on was called the "Corners," the "Pearl Village" and even "Glenville," but in 1944 when Look Magazine dubbed Glens Falls "Hometown U.S.A.", the nickname stuck. Glens Falls was incorporated as a city in 1908, and celebrated its Centennial last year with a number of special events.

Some well known Glens Falls area natives include:

• J. Allard, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft; creator of Xbox.
• Charles Reed Bishop married a Hawaiian princess and became de facto prime minister of Hawaii. The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is dedicated to him.
• Gail Purdy Brophy, national speed skating champion.
• Michael Cleary, poet.
• Henry Crandall, lumberman and philanthropist. Crandall Public Library, Crandall Park, Glens Falls YMCA founder.
• Douglas Crockwell, nationally renowned illustrator.
• Jim "Hacksaw" Duggan, professional wrestler. His father was Glens Falls' Police Chief for many years.
• Erin Whitten Hamlen, first woman to play in the National Hockey League.
• Edwin "Poodles" Hannaford, equestrian clown and circus star.
• Charles Evans Hughes, NYS Governor, Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.
• Willard Hunter, major league ball player.
• Louis and Charlotte Pruyn Hyde. Established The Hyde Collection art museum.
• Tom Jacobs, Olympic Nordic Skiier and owner of Reliable Racing Supply/Inside Edge in Queensbury. David LaPoint, major league baseball pitcher.
• Teo Macero, jazz musician.
• Norma Fox Mazer, author.
• Mark Mahoney, The Post-Star. 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.
• Bronco Charlie Miller, Pony Express rider and showman.
• Lorrie Moore, best-selling author.
• Philip and Susan Morse, founder of North American Instrument Co., now Navilyst Medical. Part owners of the Boston Red Sox. Philathropists.
• David Palmer, major league baseball pitcher. Robert Porter Patterson, US Secretary of War (Truman administration).
• Edward Prescott received the 2004 Nobel Prize in Economics.
• Samuel Pruyn, co-founder of Finch, Pruyn & Co. paper company. Philanthropist.
• Rachael Ray, TV cooking personality.
• Ricky Richardson, TV and film actor.
• David Sheridan, founder of four medical device companies. Philanthropist.
• Misty Blue Simmes, women's professional wrestling champion.
• Seneca Ray Stoddard, Photographer and mapmaker of the Adirondacks.
• Kate White, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan magazine.
• Charles R. Wood, founder of the The Great Escape Fun Park, and with Paul Newman, Double H Ranch. Philanthropist.

INDUSTRY

The industry of Glens Falls was established on a base of lumber, limestone, black marble and water power. The black marble in the Washington Monument in DC comes from Glens Falls. The abundant lumber of the Adirondacks caused many mills to be built along the river in Glens Falls, and the black fossiliferous limestone, which underlies most of the area, provided the raw material for what was called in 1832 "Jointa Lime". Later it was used for manufacturing of Portland Cement, which is still an important part of the local industrial complex.

The first paper mill was built in 1864 and the Glens Falls Paper Company grew to be what is known today as International Paper Corporation. SCA Tissue North America now occupies the original site. Shirt and collar mills began operation in 1867. The region has a very diversified base for manufacturing, including medical devices, paper, lumber, millwork, beverages, paper mill machinery, cement, cement blocks, electrical components, industrial pallets, facial and toilet tissue, packaging materials, ornamental iron, prefabricated buildings, printing, and plastic products. The 2000 Census reported that 57,811 persons were employed in the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (Warren and Washington Counties).

The area enjoys unusually favorable working conditions and excellent labor-management relations. The labor force is about 60 percent male and 40 percent female. The summer tourist industry and winter sports provide seasonal employment for several thousand persons. The 2007 Capital Region ranking by the Public Policy Institute, research affiliate of The Business Council of New York State, and the Empire Center for New York State Policy rated Glens Falls as the city with the highest per capita total expenditure at $2,165. Counties in the Capital Region include Albany, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington.

For more information about Glens Falls, visit www.cityofglensfalls.com.