Johnstown Wedding

The City of Johnstown, located within the Town of Johnstown, is the county seat of Fulton County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city had population of 8,511. The city bears the name of John Johnson, the son of its founder, Sir William Johnson. Johnstown and the adjacent City of Gloversville are together known as the "Glove Cities."

The city, originally John's Town, was founded in 1762 by Sir William Johnson, a Baronet, and named by him for his son, John Johnson. (Decker, back cover) William Johnson came to the British colony of New York from Ireland in 1732. (Decker, p.7) He was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, as well as a Major General in the British forces during the French and Indian War. He received as a reward for his services large tracts of land in what is now Hamilton and Fulton counties, where he established Johnstown and became one of New York's most prosperous and influential citizens. Having begun as an Indian trader, his business interests came to include various enterprises including a lumber business and a flour mill. Johnson, the largest slaveholder in the county and perhaps in the state of New York, had some sixty slaves working these businesses. (Williams-Myers, p. 24; 29-30). In acknowledgement of Johnson's successful business endeavors, the local Native American inhabitants dubbed him "Warragghivagey," or "he who does much business." (Decker, p. 29)