Hamilton County comprises nine towns, four hamlets, and one incorporated village. With fewer than 5,000 year-round residents, it is the most rural county east of the Mississippi River. Hamilton County was formed in 1816 from the larger county of Montgomery. Originally part of Haudenosaunee and Algonquian hunting territory, its first white colonists were farmers, lumbermen, tanners, miners, trappers, and others who came to exploit the rich natural resources of the Adirondack forest. Over the course of two hundred years, this industrial economy has given way largely to tourism. Located entirely within New York State's storied Adirondack Park, a six-million acre wilderness preserve, it hosts millions of annual visitors and seasonal residents.
