Joshua Webster was born in Scarborough, Maine and moved to Fort Plain upon completion of his medical degree around 1797. In 1801 he married Catherine Wagner, daughter of Joseph Wagner, at the Stone Arabia Reformed Church. He is considered by some accounts as one of the original founders of the village. He practiced medicine in the village until his death. During the War of 1812 he served as a surgeon in the 138th Regiment of the New York Volunteers. In 1822 he was elected to the New York State Assembly and was President of the Fort Plain Bank from 1838 until his death in 1849. On October 26, 1825 he participated in the villages festivities celebrating the opening of the Erie Canal. In 1827 he petitioned the New York State Senate to build a bridge across the Mohawk River connecting Nelliston and Fort Plain. It has also been written that he was a personal friend of Governor George Clinton who initiated the building of the Erie Canal. Webster’s home was once located on the present site of Haslett Park. A portion of this home was removed to Webster Street where it still stands today. The other half was moved to State Street. One of the children of Catherine and Joshua Webster was Peter Gansevoort Webster (1814-1888). Peter was a lawyer in the village. In 1836, he built the home which today houses the Fort Plain Free Library