Today is April 23rd, which is celebrated in England as St. George’s day. There are traditions like flying the St. George’s Cross flag, wearing red roses and special parades. While it is not a public holiday, it is a significant cultural day. The video below describes who St. George actually was and why he is considered the patron saint of England.
What does any of this have to do with Lake George, NY?
On August 28, 1755, William Johnson led British colonial forces to occupy the area in the French and Indian War. He renamed the lake as Lake George for King George II. It had been named Lac du Saint-Sacrement (Lake of the Holy Sacrament) by the French, while it was under their control.
On September 8, 1755 the Battle of Lake George was fought between the forces of Britain and France resulting in a strategic victory for the British and their Iroquois allies. After the battle, Johnson ordered the construction of a military fortification at the southern end of the lake. The fort was named Fort William Henry after King George II’s grandson Prince William Henry, a younger brother of the later King George III.
All English kings named George, were named after the original St. George, patron saint of England. So that is how our great and spectacular lake got to be named Lake George.