Hidden History of Lake Champlain

Book excerpt: Lake Champlain is one of America's most historic waterways, but much of its history has remained hidden. With the arrival of Europeans, the lake became a vital route between the English in New England and the French in Quebec. Its isolated beauty contrasted sharply with the bloody military campaigns that unfolded there. While enormous forts were erected, colonial villages blossomed, and 18th century naturalist Peter Kalm spread the word of its bucolic charm. William Miller attracted large audiences as he preached that the world would end in the 1840s. Valcour Island developed its own commune, and when Prohibition took effect, the towns near the Canadian border became a hotbed of bootlegging. From presidential visits to shipwrecks, local authors Jason Barney and Christine Eldred chronicle some of the lake's lesser-known contributions to American history.