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The Online Resource for Historians, Educators, Students and Visitors since 1997
Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's Explorations on the lake
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America's Historic Lakes
Upcoming events featuring our staff and guest contributors


Jim Millard
Author/Publisher
America's Historic Lakes


Jim Millard at the Fort Montgomery ruins, Rouses Point, NY
Jack LaDuke photo


Publishing and Promoting
Local/Maritime History

Books by Jim Millard

The cover of Jim Millard's latest book. Click here to learn more...
Available direct from
America's Historic Lakes, at 
select locations  and online

Click here to learn more or to purchase Jim Millard's "Secrets of Crab Island"
Available direct from
America's Historic Lakes, at 
select locations  and online

  Click here to learn how you can purchase "FORT MONTGOMERY: Through the years..." by Jim Millard
Available direct from
America's Historic Lakes, at
select locations  and online


Title page of one
of Jim's Fort Montgomery presentations

  Jim Millard presenting to the Northern New York  American-Canadian Genealogical Society, May 2003
Jim Millard presenting in 2003
Roger Harwood photo

Jim Millard signing books at the Alburgh Public Library, May 2006
Jim signing books, May 2006
Roger Harwood photo
 

 
AARCH Fort Montgomery tours,
August 2007
Charles Barney photo.


Fort tour for Journalists
January 2009
Ian Barrett photo.

COMING LATE SUMMER/FALL 2009!
"Bulwarks on the Border: The Great Stone Forts on Lake Champlain at Rouses Point"

A comprehensive history of all of the fortifications in the Rouses Point,
New York area


 

Public Presentations, tours and events
 by Jim Millard and AHL Guest Contributors 2008-2009
Don't miss the Fort Montgomery Tours
A very special opportunity! See October for 2009 dates

April 2, 2008 11:00 am
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Vermont presents Lake Champlain’s ‘Fort Blunder’ and ‘Fort Montgomery‘ - A Closer Look  with Jim Millard, local author and Publisher of America's Historic Lakes. The ruins of old Fort Montgomery have fascinated local residents and travelers crossing the Rouses Point, New York/Alburgh, Vermont bridge for generations. Long a feature of North Country legend, it has for an equally long time been difficult to sort the truth from the myth about the ruins known to locals as "Fort Blunder". Jim will discuss many of the misconceptions about this mysterious structure and will share dozens of vintage photographs, plans and maps. Since he has been given unprecedented access to the deteriorating ruins for his research Jim will provide a fascinating visual tour of the fort as it stands today.
Part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's Spring Lecture Series. Admission is free for members, $5 for non-members. For more information about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and this presentation, click here (pdf 105k). All lectures will be on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and will be held at the St. Albans Historical Museum, third floor, corner of Church and Bishop Streets in St. Albans. The site is handicap accessible with parking behind the museum.

April 30, 2008 7:00 pm
The Rouses Point/Champlain Historical Society presents Lake Champlain’s ‘Fort Blunder’ and ‘Fort Montgomery‘ - A Closer Look  with Jim Millard. The ruins of old Fort Montgomery have fascinated local residents and travelers crossing the Rouses Point, New York/Alburgh, Vermont bridge for generations. Long a feature of North Country legend, it has for an equally long time been difficult to sort the truth from the myth about the ruins known to locals as "Fort Blunder". Jim will discuss many of the misconceptions about this mysterious structure and will share dozens of vintage photographs, plans and maps. Since he has been given unprecedented access to the deteriorating ruins for his research Jim will provide a fascinating then and now visual tour of the fort as it stands today.
South Hero, Vermont resident Jim Millard is the publisher of the popular America's Historic Lakes website- http://www.historiclakes.org . He is also the author of The Secrets of Crab Island, Fort Montgomery: Through the Years- A Pictorial History of the Great Stone Fort on Lake Champlain and the recently published Lake Passages: A Journey Through the Centuries. He is currently writing a second, comprehensive volume detailing the history of all of the fortifications in the Rouses Point, New York, Alburgh, Vermont area— Fort "Blunder", Fort Montgomery, and the never constructed fortifications planned for Stony and Windmill Points.  Rouses Point Elementary School, Rouses Point, NY. Free and open to all.

May 31, 2008 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Meet the Author Day at Plattsburgh Farmers and Crafters Market. Book signing by America's Historic Lakes' Jim Millard, and other local authors. Local history author Jim Millard will be selling and signing copies of his newest book "LAKE PASSAGES: A Journey through the Centuries" and his earlier titles "Secrets of Crab Island" and "Fort Montgomery Through the Years." Plattsburgh Farmers and Crafters Market. Durkee Street Parking Lot, Plattsburgh, NY

August 23, 2008 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
****CANCELLED DUE TO HIGH WATER****
Guided tours of the ruins of Fort Montgomery, Rouses Point, New York. Sponsored by AARCH- Adirondack Architectural Heritage. This is a rare opportunity to explore the ruins of this historic Civil War era fort; the property is privately owned and access is prohibited to the public. These tours will be especially exciting since the ruins were recently cleared of decades of accumulated brush and vegetation. The ruins will be accessible in ways not seen since the 1940's. Last year's tours sold out early, so make sure to get on the list ASAP. We will be led by Jim Millard, publisher of America's Historic Lakes and author of Fort Montgomery: Through the Years, LAKE PASSAGES: A Journey through the Centuries and The Secrets of Crab Island. Wear clothes and shoes suitable for walking through the ruins. There will be two tours: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The fee for this tour is $30 for AARCH members and $35 for non-members. Tour participants will each get a signed copy of Jim's Fort Montgomery through the years. For more information about this rare opportunity or to register for one of the tours, contact AARCH at info@aarch.org or (518) 834-9328.

October 11, 2008  9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
SATURDAY TOURS FILLED- ADDITIONAL TOUR OFFERED for Sunday, October 12!
Guided tours of the ruins of Fort Montgomery, Rouses Point, New York. Sponsored by the Rouses Point/Champlain Historical Society. This is a rare opportunity to explore the ruins of this historic Civil War era fort; the property is privately owned and access is prohibited to the public. These tours will be especially exciting since the ruins were recently cleared of decades of accumulated brush and vegetation. The ruins will be accessible in ways not seen since the 1940's. The 2007 tours were sold out early, so make sure to get on the list ASAP. We will be led by Jim Millard, publisher of America's Historic Lakes and author of Fort Montgomery: Through the Years, LAKE PASSAGES: A Journey through the Centuries and The Secrets of Crab Island. Wear clothes and shoes suitable for walking through the ruins. There will be two tours. There will be a fee for these events. Tour participants will each get a signed copy of Jim's Fort Montgomery through the years. For more information about this rare opportunity or to register for one of the tours, call 518-297-6138 or e-mail Geri Favreau at gerifavreau@yahoo.com. Click here to download a promotional tour poster of the event [pdf 91k]

November 3, 2008 7:00 pm
The Grand Isle Historical Society presents Lake Champlain’s ‘Fort Blunder’ and ‘Fort Montgomery‘ - A Closer Look  with Jim Millard. The ruins of old Fort Montgomery have fascinated local residents and travelers crossing the Rouses Point, New York/Alburgh, Vermont bridge for generations. Long a feature of North Country legend, it has for an equally long time been difficult to sort the truth from the myth about the ruins known to locals as "Fort Blunder". Jim will discuss many of the misconceptions about this mysterious structure and will share dozens of vintage photographs, plans and maps. Since he has been given unprecedented access to the deteriorating ruins for his research Jim will provide a fascinating then and now visual tour of the fort as it stands today. Grand Isle Methodist Church, 12 Hyde Road, Grand Isle, Vermont. Free and open to all.

2009

Please note: During 2009 Jim Millard will be cutting back his schedule to in order to finish his new book and spend more time with family.
Thank you for your understanding.

May 13, 2009 6:30 pm
winterThe Village of Rouses Point will host Roger Harwood presenting Lighthouses of Lake Champlain, a brief history of the Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island, its three-year restoration project and the subsequent relighting project.  Roger will also feature the Windmill Point, Isle LaMotte, and Point au Roche Lighthouses with aerial photos of all the Lake Champlain Lighthouses from Windmill Point to Crown Point. Rouses Point Civic Center, Rouses Point, NY. More information contact gerifavreau@yahoo.com 

 

October  10-11, 2009 Saturday and Sunday
Click the thumbnail to see the tour poster with more information
Guided tours of the ruins of Fort Montgomery, Rouses Point, New York. Sponsored by the Rouses Point/Champlain Historical Society. This is a rare opportunity to explore the ruins of this historic Civil War era fort; the property is privately owned and access is prohibited to the public. These tours will be especially exciting since the ruins were recently cleared of decades of accumulated brush and vegetation. The ruins will be accessible in ways not seen since the 1940's. The 2007 tours were sold out early, so make sure to get on the list ASAP. We will be led by Jim Millard, publisher of America's Historic Lakes and author of Fort Montgomery: Through the Years, LAKE PASSAGES: A Journey through the Centuries and The Secrets of Crab Island. and the upcoming Bastions on the Border: The Great Stone Forts at Rouses Point on Lake Champlain. There will be three tours. There will be a fee for these events. Tour participants will each get a signed copy of Jim's Fort Montgomery through the years. For more information about this rare opportunity or to register for one of the tours, call 518-297-6138 or e-mail Geri Favreau at gerifavreau@yahoo.com.

Jim enjoys speaking about the America's Historic Lakes project and the rich history of the Lake Champlain/Lake George region. He is known for his passionate, interesting and image-rich presentations. Civic groups and organizations interested in a presentation by Jim can find his contact information here.

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