19th century Fort Edward — ‘Balm of Gilead’ tree

An heirloom tree that dated back to before the Revolutionary War was toppled.

“The old Balm of Gilead tree which had stood for nearly 150 years on the foot of Fort Street is nearly demolished. About six o’clock yesterday morning early one-half of it came down with a terrible crash, ” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star of Glens Falls on June 11, 1895. “This was the largest tree in this section. It is said that it stood at the northeast corner of the old fort wall and was used to hang the gates on.”

In other 19th century Fort Edward news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

• It was a calamity for administrators and students alike.

“A fire broke out in the Fort Edward Institute, and the building was totally destroyed,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on Nov. 30, 1877.

The fire caused $125,00 — the equivalent of $3.71 million in 2024 dollars — in damage, of which $90,000 was covered by insurance.

“At the time, two hundred students of both sexes were in attendance, and many of them lost all their clothing and money.”

• “The local telephone company is meeting with good success,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star of Glens Falls on April 29, 1895. “The service is so cheap that a large number of business places and offices cannot afford to be without one.”
• “New plush seats are being put into the opera house, and the building is being otherwise improved and cleaned. This pleasing change will be thoroughly appreciated by the theater going public,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star on April 29, 1895.
• “The well-laid stone wall along the river in the rear of Edgar Hull’s residence is a marked improvement,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star on May 29, 1895. “James Kelleher is building an addition to his place on East Street. It will be occupied by William Murphy for a barber shop.”
• “A merry-go-round has been located for a short time on East Street, between Moon’s photograph gallery and Hubbell’s livery,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star on June 6, 1895.

“The merry-go-round on East Street is receiving liberal attention,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported on June 8, 1895.

• “One of Peter Carpenter’s new stores near the Feeder Bridge will be used by Howard Whitford for an ice cream parlor,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star on June 10, 1895.
• “Messrs’ Pomeroy and Barber are manufacturing Armstrong’s Washing Machine, a very useful invention,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Fort Edward Ledger on May 18, 1860. “Mr. Pomeroy has the reputation of keeping a very choice stock of groceries, and we know his pies and oyster stews are unexcelled. Mr. Barber takes pictures for Fire Institute.”

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