James Dean Fish, a wealthy and respected banker, and his unscrupulous young partner Ferdinand Ward, were responsible for the financial ruin of Ulysses S. Grant in the spring of 1884.  To generate income shortly thereafter, Grant began work on his memoirs spanning the period from his childhood through the Civil War. One year later, days before his death, he finished Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant in the shelter of what we now know as Grant Cottage.  James Fish was a self-made millionaire who married three times.  Join Amy Halsted, the great-great granddaughter of Fish on the porch of Grant Cottage to learn her ancestor’s story, involving a gifted young actress, a mysterious trunk, U.S. Grant, and whole lot of scandal.

The suggested donation for Grant Cottage Porch Programs is $5 per person. These programs are made possible thanks to a grant from the Adirondack Trust Community Fund. Our events are supported with funding from the New York State Park and Trail Partnership Program (NYSPTPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSPTPP is administered by Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.