Ft. Plain Hardware 12 Willett Street, Fort Plain Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 7:30-4, Sun. 9-1 518-993-3834 EasyCare PAINTS BENJAMIN MOORE PREMIUM PAINT PAGE 2 • 2021 MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY DIRECTORY Buy or Rent to Own, No Credit Check 518-231-6084 Free Delivery within 30 miles 5 Year Fix-It-All Warranty 114 Aker Drive, Cobleskill (Old Guilford Mills Building) empireshedmfg.com 2021 MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • PAGE 3 MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS / COUNTY EXECUTIVE The strategic location of Montgomery County, the “Gateway County Annex Bldg., 20 Park St., Fonda . .518-853-4304 to the West,” and its valuable river, turnpike, canal and rail- CHAMBER OF COMMERCE road transportation routes make Our History rich and com- Fulton Montgomery Regional plex. fultonmontgomeryny.org Midpoint between today’s celebrated Cooperstown and 1166 River Front Center, Amsterdam . .518-725-0641 Saratoga attractions, Montgomery County has long been the center of some of the most important events in our nation’s CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION history. Abundant natural resources sustained the Mohawk Annex Building, Fonda, NY . .518-853-2135 tribal people whose villages once dotted the river corridor. COUNTY CLERK The Dutch and then German, British and other settlers arrived County Office Bldg., 64 Broadway, Fonda in the early 1700s. It was at the center of intense fighting dur- Phone: . .518-853-8111 ing the American Revolution. Postwar soldiers and pioneers . .Fax: 518-853-8116 traveled by river bateaux, then turnpike and then via the Erie Canal to settle its fertile banks and supply the migration into COUNTY COURTS the West. See nycourts.gov for full listing With its natural break in the Appalachian Mountains at “The DISTRICT ATTORNEY Noses,” Montgomery County anchored America’s main east- New Courthouse, Fonda . .518-853-8250 west axis enabling New York to become one of the greatest manufacturing regions in the world. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT County Office Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-4011 MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICES HISTORIAN www.co.montgomery.ny.us Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar . .518-853-8186 BOARD OF ELECTIONS Old Courthouse, 9 Park St., Fonda . .518-853-8180 PAGE 4 • 2021 MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY DIRECTORY MONTGOMERY FULTON COUNTY MAX BUS SERVICE . .518-853-8334 HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY Fulton County is blessed with rich inviting history that con- MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC tinues to impact the charm and vitality of the area today. 427 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam . .518-853-8220 The county began as a frontier with primitive homesteads MOTOR VEHICLE and settlements where many sensitive negotiations took place County Office Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-8125 between the English King’s representatives and the Native American national leaders. Thanks to the dynamic personali- MOSA-SOLID WASTE ty of Sir William Johnson, the area took its shape as an eco- Route 5s, Randall . .518-853-8174 nomically prosperous dwelling place. One of the great NORTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND shapers of New York colonial history, Sir William’s legacy AT ALBANY (NABA) still leaves an impression. He created Tryon County which https://naba-vision.org later divided into Fulton and Montgomery counties; Brought 301 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 in early settlers and established the glove and leather indus- ........................................................................518-463-1211 tries which survived for more than 200 years; Planned and contributed to the public buildings and institutions which are NYS COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND still in active use today. Most noteworthy of which is the email; ocfs.ny.gov/main/cb/district-contacts.asp Fulton County Court House, the oldest working in the state www.visionloss.ny.gov and one of the oldest in the nation. Albany District Office Other Fulton County natives who made notable accomplish- 52 Washington St., Room 202 South Bldg. ments to the world include Elizabeth Cady Stanton, pioneer Rensselaer, NY 12144 woman suffragist. Dr. Mahlon Loomis, a dentist by profes- ......................................................................518-473-1675 sion, but the inventor who conducted a series of experiments OFFICE FOR THE AGING which resulted in the first wireless telegraph communication 135 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam . .518-843-2300 system. The county’s namesake is Robert Fulton, who improved the steamship invention. PERSONNEL Throughout the county, landmarks and early history archi- County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-8214 tecture remind residents and tourists of Fulton County’s col- PROBATION orful history, as the remains as promising and inviting as it County Office Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-8380 was more than 200 years ago. PUBLIC DEFENDER FULTON COUNTY OFFICES Old County Courthouse, Fonda . .518-853-8305 www.fultoncountyny.gov PUBLIC HEALTH & RABIES HELPLINE BOARD OF ELECTIONS County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-3531 County Office Building REAL PROPERTY TAX SERVICE 2714 State Hwy 29, Johnstown . .518-736-5526 County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-3996 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SHERIFF'S OFFICE County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5540 200 Clark Dr., Fultonville . .518-853-5500 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOCIAL SERVICES Fulton Montgomery Regional County Office Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-4646 fultonmontgomeryny.org 2 N. Main St., Gloversville . .518-725-0641 SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION Fultonville . .518-853-4015 COMMUNITY SERVICES 57 East Fulton St., Gloversville . .518-773-3557 TREASURERS County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-8175 COUNTY CLERK County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5555 VETERANS SERVICES Fonda . .518-853-8152 COUNTY TREASURER County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5580 WORKERS COMPENSATION County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-8368 COUNTY COURTS See nycourts.gov for full listing YOUTH BUREAU County Annex Bldg., Fonda . .518-853-4355 2021 MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY DIRECTORY • PAGE 5 kets, bricks, caskets, featherbeds and tin boxes were made in FULTON COUNTY the Village. There was also a silversmith and a hatter. There were several hotels and inns in and around the community. In HISTORIAN 1796, the first Baptist Church was established one mile west email: [email protected] of the Village. In 1832, the Baptist Church was built in the . .518-736-5667 Village. .Fax: 518-762-0224 The Methodist Church was built in 1839, on land deeded to them by Abil and Susan Bingham. They also gave the land to DISTRICT ATTORNEY build the academy on, which was built in 1835 by their County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5511 slaves. The lower walls are 33” deep and the upper walls are MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC 26” deep. This served as a school for higher education. In 57 E. Fulton St., Gloversville . .518-786-5571 1876 it became a public school; 1945 it centralized with Canajoharie Central School. In 1959, the school closed. In MOTOR VEHICLE 1988 it became a museum. On Sept. 24th, 2001 Ames County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5557 Academy Building was placed on the State Register of histor- OFFICE FOR THE AGING ical places. On Feb. 20, 2002 the Ames Academy Building fcofa.org was placed on the National Register of historic places. 19 N. William St., Johnstown . .518-736-5650 Ames was the home of several doctors. It was also the birth- place of Alexander Randall, who later became governor of PLANNING Wisconsin, Postmaster General of the United States and rep- 1 E. Montgomery St., Johnstown . .518-736-5660 resentative of the U.S. to the Papal States. His birthplace is PROBATION still standing. Ames had a post office, an opera house and a 57 E. Fulton St., Gloversville . .518-773-3565 music hall. In 1903, the I.O.O.F. Hall was built. Through the efforts of the I.O.O.F. members, streetlights were brought to PUBLIC DEFENDER Ames (1911-1912). See fultoncountyny.org for full listing Scotts Opera House block (approx. 1881-1883) was built on PUBLIC HEALTH & RABIES HELPLINE the corner of Ames. At one time, part of the building was an 2714 State Hwy 29, Johnstown . .518-736-5720 undertaker’s parlor. On the other side was a hardware and grocery store where dry goods, groceries, drugs and shoes REAL PROPERTY TAX SERVICE were sold. It also housed the Post Office on the first floor and County Office Bldg., Johnstown . .518-736-5507 the Music Hall was upstairs. Later, an ice cream parlor occu- SHERIFF’S OFFICE pied half of the bottom floor. The opera house/music hall was Rte. 29, Johnstown . .518-736-2118 complete with stage and auditorium. The museum has plagues and artifacts from Scotts’ Opera House and Winnies’ Music SOCIAL SERVICES Hall. Rev. Warden, a well-known postman, preacher and 4 Daisy Lane, Johnstown . .518-736-5600 humorist resided in Ames 12 years as the Baptist Minister. He VETERANS SERVICES wrote for many New York papers. His 3-act play “Asleep and 19 N. William St., Johnstown . .518-736-5651 Awake”, which he wrote while he was here, was put on at the Music Hall (1883). The original play is in the Museum. The original building is still standing and is now known as AMES “Sunset Corners” occupied in its entirety as a Luncheonette and gift shop. Ames has had several stores: In 1800, a store HISTORY OF AMES built by a man who operated the Ames Tannery. Here, the first In 1924, the Village of Ames became the smallest incorpo- Post Office was located (approx. 1830) and the first tele- rated village in New York State. Ames has a long history of phone in Ames was installed about 1885 in the old store and having been settled prior to 1760. Early settlers in and around was connected with the Argusville Silk Mill. Ames differ from the pioneers locating on the river, inasmuch Dr. Mereness’ home was a place where students that attend- as they came mostly from New England while the latter were ed the Academy boarded. It also served as part of the of German extraction.