Glens Falls, New York

The area is originally called Chepontuc ("difficult place to get around") in the Iroquoian languages of the area's Indigenous inhabitants. It also referred to as the "Great Carrying Place." Later, European-American settlers named the area "The Corners" in English.^[6]

As a halfway point between Fort Edward and Fort William Henry, the falls was the site of several battles during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. The then-hamlet was mostly destroyed by fire twice during the latter conflict, forcing the Quakers to abandon the settlement until the war ended in 1783. Fire also ravaged the village in 1864, 1884, and 1902.^[6]

In 1766 it was renamed Wing's Falls for Abraham Wing – the leader of the group of Quakers who established the permanent settlement – and for the falls on the Hudson River. Wing's claim to the name of the falls and the hamlet was transferred to Colonel Johannes Glen of Schenectady in 1788, either on collection of a debt, as a result of a game of cards, or in exchange for hosting a party for mutual friends, depending on which local legend is believed.^[5][6][7] Colonel Glen changed the name to "Glen's Falls," though it was often printed with varying spelling such as "Glenn's," or "Glens". The spelling "Glens Falls" came to be the common usage.^[5]

A post office was established in 1808.^[6] Glens Falls became an incorporated village in 1839,^[6] and was re-incorporated in 1874 and 1887,^{[citation needed]} expanding the village to what would become the city limits^[8] when the state legislature granted the city charter in 1908,^[8] at which time the city became independent from the town of Queensbury.

In 2003, with permission from Queensbury,^[9] Glens Falls annexed approximately 49 acres (0.20 km²) of the town. The land, known as Veterans Field^[10] or the Northway Industrial Park, is on Veterans Road between Luzerne Road and Sherman Avenue^[9] and is just east of I-87.^[11] The land was vacant at the time.^[9] A thin, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) strip of Sherman Avenue^[12] was part of this annexation,^[10] to comply with state law on contiguity of annexed land. As a result, the city and town share co-own this stretch of highway.^[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.9 square miles (10 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (2.54%) is water.

The city is on the Hudson River, in the Adirondack foothills, at the border of Saratoga County.

As of the census of 2010, there were 14,707 people, 6,548 households, and 3,529 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,685.97 inhabitants per square mile (1,423.16/km²). There were 7,112 housing units at an average density of 1,782.46 per square mile (688.21/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.7% White, 1.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.3% of the population.^[4]

There were 6,548 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.91.^[4]

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 20, 6.8% from 20 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 20 and over, there were 90.9 males.^[4]

The median income for a household in the city was estimated for 2016 at $46,305, and the median income for a family at $60,545. Males had a median income of $41,993 versus $37,988 for females. About 12.6% of families and 16% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 8% of those age 65 or over.^[4]

The Glens Falls region is a major producer of medical devices. Glens Falls is home to Navilyst Medical, a medical device maker, previously a regional office of Pfizer and Boston Scientific Corporation.^[17][18] Glens Falls is also a principal provider of medical services for a vast 2,600-square-mile (6,700 km²) region from Saratoga County to the south, extending northward to the central Adirondacks. These services are centered around the Glens Falls Hospital, a 410-bed facility downtown.^[19] Founded in the summer of 1897 by a group of twelve local physicians, the Glens Falls Hospital was meant to serve the entire Upper Hudson River Valley. Solomon A. Parks donated his home in Glens Falls for the original hospital. The present structure has been extensively modified, enlarged, and modernized several times to better serve the needs of the community, and it is the region's fast-response trauma center.^[20] The hospital is now the area's biggest employer.^[21] A VA outpatient facility serves veterans' medical needs.^[22]

Danfloss Flomatic Corporation is headquartered on Pruyn's Island in Glens Falls. The company is a leading manufacturer of industrial and municipal valves. Also on Pruyn's Island is Umicore, a Belgium-based company manufacturing silver-based contact materials.^[23]

Finch Paper LLC, headquartered at the base of Glen Street hill, is a major regional employer and a manufacturer of specialty paper and forest products. It is by far the largest taxpayer in the City of Glens Falls, owning property assessed at $60-million in 2006, according to city records. In mid-June 2007, Finch Pruyn & Company announced it had sold all of its assets, including 161,000 acres (652 km²) of forestland in the Adirondacks, to Atlas Holdings of Greenwich, Conn. The Company name was then changed to Finch Paper LLC. Atlas then sold all of the forestland to The Nature Conservancy.

The Glens Falls Cement company, established 1893,^[24] is now a part of Lehigh Northeast, itself a division of HeidelbergCement, one of the world's largest cement producers.

Glens Falls has an old and prevalent history in the region's finance sector. Arrow Financial Corporation, headquartered downtown, is a publicly traded multi-bank holding company for Glens Falls National Bank & Trust Company (1851) and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. Evergreen Bank, N.A., formerly the First National Bank of Glens Falls, originated in 1853, and is now owned by banking conglomerate TD Banknorth. Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital firm, has its New York offices downtown.^[25]

Glens Falls has a tradition of minor league hockey. The highly successful Adirondack Red Wings, four-time Calder Cup champions of the American Hockey League, played in the city from 1979 to 1999. When the parent Detroit Red Wings disbanded the franchise, it was replaced by the Adirondack IceHawks of the United Hockey League, which was renamed "Frostbite" in 2004 before it folded in 2006. From 2009 to 2014, the city was the home to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms, the principal farm team of the Philadelphia Flyers. On May 16, 2014, the Calgary Flames announced the Adirondack Flames would be their AHL affiliate. The Flames played one season before the AHL underwent a large realignment before the 2015–16 season and the Calgary Flames moved their AHL team to Stockton, California (renamed to Stockton Heat) and moved their ECHL team to Glens Falls, called the Adirondack Thunder.

Glens Falls' East Field is home to the Glens Falls Greenjackets of the Empire Football League. The Greenjackets started in 1928 and is the second oldest-active semi-pro football team in the country. The Greenjackets are 2008 & 2009 NAFL Empire Division Champions (10–0) and the 2009 NAFL North Atlantic Region Champions (14–0), and finished the season at 14–1 as the NAFL Eastern Conference Runners-up, 2009 NAFL Elite 8.^[46]

The city is also home to the Glens Falls Dragons, a baseball team playing in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league.^[47] Since the team's inception in 2003^[48] it has played at East Field.^[49]

City Park is located in the city's business district and contains the public library.

Crandall Park has a lowland pond, war monuments and recreation facilities bordering the city's Coles' Woods International Ski Trail system

Glens Falls Civic Center^[50] opened in 1979 and hosts sports and entertainment events in downtown Glens Falls; it includes an arena for sporting events, concerts, family activities, dance, theater and trade shows as well as banquet facilities. The Adirondack Thunder and Adirondack Junior Thunder play here. The facility was renamed Cool Insuring Arena in 2017.^[51][52] Past teams include the Adirondack Wildcats basketball team of the USBL, and the one year (1994) roller hockey franchise Empire State Cobras, as well as the ice hockey teams Adirondack Flames, Adirondack Frostbite, Adirondack Phantoms, and the Adirondack Red Wings.

East Field is home to the Glens Falls Dragons, of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League; the Greenjackets semi-pro football team, the second oldest football team in America formed in 1928; and the Glens Falls High School Indians. It was home to the Glens Falls White Sox and Glens Falls Tigers of the Eastern League, the Glens Falls Redbirds of the New York–Penn League and the Adirondack Lumberjacks of the Northeast League/Northern League East.^{[citation needed]}

Glens Falls, since incorporation as a city in 1908, has had a strong mayor charter. The city's Common Council has six members; one is elected to represent the city at large while the other five are elected from wards. The city is represented on the Warren County Board of Supervisors by five supervisors; one supervisor is elected from each Common Council ward. Such "city ward supervisors" do not have any duties in city government but have all the rights and privileges as any other member of the County Board.

Departments of the City include: Cemetery, Community, Fire, Police, Public Works, Purchasing, Recreation, Controller, Assessment, Civil Service, Clerk, Water & Sewer, and Buildings and Codes.^[53]

The city falls within two school districts, both of which are independent of the city government.^[59] The majority of the city falls within the Glens Falls City School District,^{[citation needed]} which includes parts of the town of Queensbury.^[60]

The Glens Falls City School District operates Glens Falls High School, a middle school and four neighborhood elementary schools (Sanford Street School, Big Cross School, Jackson Heights School and Kensington Road Elementary School).^[61] Sanford Street School was closed at the end of the 2010–2011 school year.^[62]

The Glens Falls Common School District operates an independent public elementary school, Abraham Wing Elementary School, named for a founder of Glens Falls.^[63] Saint Mary's–Saint Alphonsus Regional Catholic School serves children in pre-kindergarten through grade eight as a regional parochial school.

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• George S. Brown (1801–1886) – first African American pastor in the former Troy Annual Conference^[69]
• Joseph Bruno – former Majority Leader of New York State Senate; born in Glens Falls^[70]
• George H. Chase (1843–1918) - Member of the 1st Arizona State Legislature.
• Bradshaw Crandell - illustrator and Hollywood portrait artist; born in Glens Falls
• Douglass Crockwell (1904–1968) - artist and filmmaker (Glens Falls Sequence, 1946); moved to Glens Falls in 1933
• John Alden Dix – 41st governor of New York (1911–1913), born in Glens Falls^[71]
• Laura Don – born Anna Laura Fish at Glens Falls, actress-manager and playwright^[72]
• "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan – professional wrestler of Mid-South, WWF and WCW fame, Glens Falls native^[73]
• Lisa Eichhorn – actress, born in Glens Falls^[74]
• Warren Angus Ferris (1810–1873) – explorer of the American West and early surveyor of Dallas
• George Fitch – member of the Wisconsin State Senate
• Jimmer Fredette – former combo guard for Brigham Young University's basketball team and consensus 2011 college player of the year; Glens Falls native^[75]
• Joseph Girard III – college basketball player for Clemson University
• Ferris Greenslet – editor of the Atlantic Monthly (1902–07),^[76] born in Glens Falls^[77]
• Carlyle Harris – convicted murderer; executed in 1893 for poisoning his wife
• Lionel Hitchman – professional hockey player, 1929 Stanley Cup champion, died in Glens Falls^[78]
• Charles Evans Hughes – Governor of New York (1907–1910), presidential candidate (1916), and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1930–1941); born in Glens Falls^[79]
• Thomas M. Jacobs – Olympic Nordic skier^[80]
• Frederick Avery Johnson – Member of Congress, village president^[81]
• Dave LaPoint – retired Major League Baseball pitcher and 1982 World Series champion; owner of Dave LaPoint's Pitchers bar formerly on South Street; Glens Falls High School graduate^[82]
• Betty Little – State Senator serving 45th Senate District (includes Glens Falls); born in Glens Falls but resides in Queensbury^[83]
• Rob Loughan – entrepreneur and investor^[84]
• Peter Mahovlich – retired All-Star hockey player; was on four Stanley Cup-winning teams; member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame; resides in Glens Falls^[85]
• Barry Melrose – former head coach of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings, television commentator, former co-owner of Adirondack Frostbite UHL team and former coach of Adirondack Red Wings AHL team, both of which were based in Glens Falls
• Lorrie Moore – O. Henry Award-winning author^[86]
• Scott Murphy – U.S. Representative (2009–2011) for New York's 20th congressional district,^[87] which includes Glens Falls; Murphy also lives in Glens Falls^[88]
• Algernon Sidney Paddock – Secretary of Nebraska Territory and Governor of Nebraska; United States Senator; born in Glens Falls^[89]
• Dave Palmer – retired Major League Baseball pitcher^[90]
• Johnny Podres – pitcher for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers; retired to Glens Falls region^{[citation needed]}
• Edward C. Prescott – 2004 Nobel Prize in Economics, Glens Falls High School class of 1958^{[citation needed]}
• Edgar Preston Richardson – art historian and director of the Detroit Institute of Arts and Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library^[91]
• Ed Reulbach – MLB pitcher with the Chicago Cubs during the early 1900s; 1907 and 1908 World Series champion; died in Glens Falls^[92]
• Robert Rheinlander – noted architect and designer of several prominent Glens Falls buildings^[93][94]
• Rochelle Saidel – author, activist, and founder of the Remember the Women Institute
• Powel J. Smith – member of the New York State Assembly, City Chamberlain
• Gerald B. H. Solomon – United States Representative from New York (1979–1999)^[95]
• Kate White – former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine; identifies Glens Falls as her hometown^[96]

This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2017)

• The 1982 film Basket Case was partially filmed in Glens Falls.^[97]
• Glens Falls and the natural formation of the bedrock beneath it served as inspiration to James Fenimore Cooper in his historical novel The Last of the Mohicans (1826).^[98]
• In The Witch of Hebron (2010) by James Howard Kunstler, several characters visit Glens Falls.

• – Saga, Japan