WCHS to honor late William B. Gates at annual meeting

QUEENSBURY | The Warren County Historical Society (WCHS) and the family of John Austin have announced that William P. Gates, formerly of Bolton Landing, has been posthumously awarded the 2025 "Hon. John D. Austin Contribution to History Award." This honor is given annually to a local person who has demonstrated a consistent dedication to Warren County and regional history and/or genealogy through work or volunteer service, and is awarded in memory of the late Judge John D. Austinof Queensbury, who was a founding member of the Society. William P. Gates, pictured here during his stint as a Lake George steamboat captain, will be posthumously given the Hon. John D. Austin Contribution to History Award by the Warren Co. Historical Soc. at a reception in the Lake George Holiday Inn on Jan. 24. Nominated by Anthony Hall of Lake George, Bill Gates, who passed away in July, was lauded for his outstanding career devoted to Warren County history, including his professional work and service, his involvement in community historyand events, his prolific writing about local history (especially Bolton), and his significant contribution to furthering the promotion of regional historical institutions and museums. Mr. Gates was an educator (33 years as a sixth grade teacher in the Glens Falls City School District), Lake George steamboat captain, co-town historian for Bolton, and author of 12 local history books. He grew up ln Lake George, worked in his parents' "Bill Gates' Diner" in Bolton Landing, and was a lifelong collector of local historical memorabilia and stories. He was a seventh-generation member of the Gates family in Bolton and was the fifth generation to live in his family's 1830 Gates Homestead, which is on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. He loved history and served as a mentor to many local historians and historical organizations, serving on the board of the Bolton Historical Museum and as a member of the Bolton Bicentennial Committee. He was a wealth of knowledge about Lake George and Bolton and was frequently sought after for his insights and recollections about the area and its evolution. He was a great friend to many and was an avid supporter of the community through his involvement in boating, aswell as in theater, and as a board member of the Marcella Sembrich Museum. In addition, he was instrumental in the development of Bolton's Welcome Center. The family of Bill Gates will receive his award at the WCHS Annual Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Lake George. Tickets for the luncheon and ceremony are $35. Please call 518-743-0734 or email secretary@wcnyhs.org to make a reservation.

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WCHS to honor late William B. Gates at annual meeting

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