Around 1710, early Palatine Germans began trying to settle here. Most were working in an English camp along the Hudson to pay back their passage by ship from London. In 1716, the Mohawk sold a portion of the land to Philip Groat. This part of New York was Mohawk territory for centuries before European colonization. In 1739, William Johnson, an influential Anglo-Irish colonist who had previously lived closer to Amsterdam, purchased land including the site of the village. He established a mill in 1744. The original name of the settlement was "Mount Johnson." The community was the original seat of power of William Johnson before he moved on to found the City of Johnstown further west. He rose to become the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the northern colonies and was highly influential because of his strong relationships with the Iroquois, especially the Mohawk. His former home here is preserved as Old Fort Johnson. Johnson had Molly Brant, a Mohawk woman, as his longtime. Old Fort Johnson was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Geography
Fort Johnson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water. The village is on the north bank of the Mohawk River at the influx of the Kayaderosseras Creek . Pepper Island in the Mohawk River is south of the village. New York State Route 5, an east-west highway, passes through the south part of the village, where it is joined by New York State Route 67, Fort Johnson Avenue.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 491 people, 198 households, and 139 families residing in the village. The population density was 659.8 people per square mile. There were 220 housing units at an average density of 295.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 98.17% White, 0.61% African American, 0.20% Native American, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population. There were 198 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couplesliving together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.89. In the village, the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $37,639, and the median income for a family was $44,750. Males had a median income of $31,776 versus $22,813 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,172. About 2.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
