Schenectady, New York Schenectady, New York Official seal of Schenectady, New York Location in Schenectady County and the state of New York.
Location in Schenectady County and the state of New York.
State New York County Schenectady Schenectady /sk n kt di/ (sk -nek-t -dee) is a town/city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat.
The name "Schenectady" is derived from a Mohawk word skahnehtati meaning "beyond the pines".
The town/city was established on the south side of the Mohawk River by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, many from the Albany area.
Connected to the west via the Mohawk River and Erie Canal, the town/city developed quickly in the 19th century as part of the Mohawk Valley trade, manufacturing and transit corridor.
Through the 19th century, nationally influential companies and industries advanced in Schenectady, including General Electric and American Locomotive Company (ALCO), which were powers into the mid-20th century.
The town/city is in easterly New York, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers.
It is in the same urbane region as the state capital, Albany, which is about 19 miles (31 km) southeast. In December 2014, the state announced that the town/city was one of three sites chose for evolution of off-reservation casino gambling, under terms of a 2013 state constitutional amendment.
When Dutch pioneer developed Fort Orange (present-day Albany, NY) in the Hudson Valley beginning in 1614, the Mohawk called their settlement skahnehtati, meaning "beyond the pines," referring to a large region of pine barrens that lay between the Mohawk settlements and the Hudson River.
The pioneer in Fort Orange used skahnehtati to refer to the new village at the Mohawk flats (see below), which became known as Schenectady (with a range of spellings). They also attained land in the Schenectady settlement. They were among the several metis who seemed to move from Mohawk to Dutch society, as they were described as "former Indians", although they did not always have an easy time of it. In 1661 Jacques inherited what became known as Van Slyck's Island from his brother Marten, who had been given it by the Mohawk.
In 1664 the English seized the Dutch New Netherland colony and retitled it New York.
They confirmed the monopoly on the fur trade by Albany, and issued orders to prohibit Schenectady from the trade through 1670 and later. Settlers purchased additional territory from the Mohawk in 1670 and 1672.
(Jacques and Hilletie Van Slyck each received portions of territory in the Mohawk 1672 deed for Schenectady.) Twenty years later (1684) Governor Thomas Dongan granted letters patent for Schenectady to five additional trustees. On February 8, 1690, amid King William's War, French forces and their Indian allies, mostly Ojibwe and Algonquin warriors, attacked Schenectady by surprise, leaving 62 dead, 11 of them African slaves. American history notes it as the Schenectady massacre.
Colonial governments got involved only for high-ranking officers or other officials. In 1748, amid King George's War, the French and Indians attacked Schenectady again, killing 70 residents.
During this period, migrants poured into upstate and New York from New England, but there were also new immigrants from England and Europe.
New York had passed a law for gradual abolition of standardized in 1799, but in 1824, there were still a total of 102 slaves in Schenectady County, with nearly half residing in the city.
That year the town/city of Schenectady had a total populace of 3939, which encompassed 240 no-charge blacks, 47 slaves, and 91 foreigners. They finally attained freedom in 1827.
In the 19th century, after culmination of the Erie Canal in 1825, Schenectady became an meaningful transportation, manufacturing and trade center.
It was one of many such mills in upstate whose products were part of the exports shipped out of New York City.
Schenectady benefited by increased traffic connecting the Hudson River to the Mohawk Valley and the Great Lakes to the west and New York City to the south.
The Albany and Schenectady Turnpike (now State Street) was constructed in 1797 to connect Albany to settlements in the Mohawk Valley.
The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad started operations in 1831 as one of the first stockyards lines in the United States, connecting the town/city and Albany by a route through the pine barrens between them.
Developers in Schenectady quickly established the Utica & Schenectady Railroad, chartered in 1833; Schenectady & Susquehanna Railroad, chartered May 5, 1836; and Schenectady & Troy Railroad, chartered in 1836, making Schenectady "the rail core of America at the time" and competing with the Erie Canal. Commodities from the Great Lakes areas and commercial products were shipped to the East and New York City through the Mohawk Valley and Schenectady.
The last slaves in New York and this town/city gained freedom in 1827, under the state's gradual abolition law.
Isaac Groot Duryee (also recorded as Duryea) was a co-founder of the interracial Anti-Slavery Society at Union College and in 1837 of the Anti-Slavery Society of Schenectady.
Wright, an black minister based in New York City, spoke at the dedication of the church and praised the school. Through the late 19th century, new industries were established in the Mohawk Valley, and powered by the river.
In 1892, Schenectady became the command posts of the General Electric Company.
American Locomotive Company also advanced here, from a Schenectady company, and merging a several smaller companies in 1901; it was second in the United States in the manufacture of steam locomotives before developing diesel technology.
Like other industrialized cities in the Mohawk Valley, in the early 20th century, Schenectady thriving many new immigrants from easterly and southern Europe, as they could fill many of the new industrialized jobs.
Schenectady is home to WGY-AM, the second commercial airways broadcast in the United States, (after WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts, which was titled for Westinghouse.) WGY-AM was titled for its owner, General Electric (the G), and the town/city of Schenectady (the Y). In 1928, General Electric produced the first regular tv broadcasts in the United States, when the experimental station W2 - XB began regular broadcasts on Thursday and Friday afternoons.
In the latter part of the 20th century, Schenectady suffered from the massive industrialized and corporate revamping that affected much of the US, including in the barns s.
It is part of the Capital District, the urbane region surrounding Albany, New York state's capital.
City of Schenectady The town/city was a manufacturing center known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World" a reference to two prominent businesses in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric), and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO).
In the late 20th century, due to industrialized revamping, the town/city lost many jobs and suffered difficult financial times, as did many upstate New York former manufacturing cities.
The loss of employment caused Schenectady's populace to diminish by nearly one-third from 1950 into the late 20th century (see Enumeration table).
In the 21st century, Schenectady began revitalization.
Price Chopper Supermarkets and the New York Lottery are based in Schenectady.
In December 2014, the state announced that Schenectady was one of three sites chose for evolution of Class III casino gambling, under terms of a state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2013 that allowed such gaming in off-reservation sites.
The Schenectady project, to be called The Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor, will redevelop the old American Locomotive Company (ALCO) site, a brownfield along the waterfront.
The Schenectady City School District is very diverse ; (71%- 2011)(80%-2013) of precinct students receive no-charge or reduced lunch.
Notable congregations are the First Presbyterian Church (Schenectady, New York) which is affiliated with the PCA, First Reformed Church RCA is formed in the 17th century, one of the earliest churches in the town.
Sales delegates carrying product sample cases would begin their revenue campaigns throughout the rest of the nation by taking the interurban to reach Schenectady's New York Central Railroad station, where they connected to trains to New York City, Chicago and points between.
The bright orange FJ&G interurbans were scheduled to meet every daylight New York Central train that stopped at Schenectady.
FJ&G ridership continued to decline, and in 1938 New York state condemned the line's bridge over the Mohawk River at Schenectady.
An accordion-playing guide welcomes visitors to a restored Dutch home in the Schenectady Stockade District Schenectady City Hall It is New York state's first historic district, designated in 1965 by the Department of Interior and titled after the historic stockade that originally surrounded the colonial settlement. The Schenectady County Historical Society has a History Museum and the Grems-Doolittle research library.
The History Museum tells of the history of Schenectady, the Yates Doll House, the Erie Canal, and the Glen-Sanders Collection, etc.
The Mabee House in close-by Rotterdam Junction is owned and directed as a home exhibition by the Schenectady County Historical Society.
Central Park is the crown jewel of Schenectady's parks.
Central Park was titled after New York City's Central Park.
Schenectady City Hall is the focal point of government in the city.
Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC) is a improve theater group on Franklin St in downtown Schenectady.
The town/city is served by the Schenectady City School District, which operates 16 elementary schools, a middle school and the chief high school Schenectady High School.
Schenectady's tertiary educational establishments are Union College, a private liberal arts college, and Schenectady County Community College, a enhance community college. Due to its early importance in nationwide history and the economy, Schenectady figured in prominent culture.
Doctor Octopus, a Marvel Comics supervillain, was born in Schenectady.
The Way We Were (1973) was filmed on locale in Schenectady at Union College, and in close-by Ballston Spa.
Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer is born in Schenectady in 2112.
The Time Machine (2002), the remake starring Guy Pearce, features Schenectady's Central Park in the ice skating scenes, standing in for New York City's Central Park.
Synecdoche, New York (2008) is a film partially set in Schenectady, where some scenes were shot.
Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009) was entirely filmed in Schenectady County, but is set in Wisconsin, where the historic affairs took place.
It features the Schenectady, the Town of Rotterdam, and the Village of Scotia, all in New York.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2013), starring Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling, was filmed locally in 2011 near the Schenectady Police Headquarters and other areas of Schenectady.
President, lived in Schenectady while attending Union College Maria Brink (born 1978), lead singer of band In This Moment, was born in Schenectady Pat Cadigan (born 1953), science fiction author, was born in Schenectady Greg Capullo (born 1962), comic book artist, was born in Schenectady Davis (1926-2014), actress (Schultzy on The Bob Cummings Show and Alice Nelson on The Brady Bunch), was born in Schenectady.
Amir Derakh (born 1963), guitarist for modern band Orgy, was born in Schenectady Jamie Dukes (born 1964), football player, born in Schenectady Paul, was born in Schenectady Harold Gould (1923 2010), actor (The Golden Girls), was born in Schenectady Patricia Kalember (born 1957), actress, born in Schenectady Arnold Lobel (1933-1987), author and illustrator of children's books, was born in Los Angeles and raised in Schenectady Sir Charles Mackerras (1925 2010), Australian conductor, was born in Schenectady.
Shirley Muldowney (born 1940), auto racer, born and raised in Schenectady Ray Nelson (born 1931), science-fiction author and cartoonist, born in Schenectady Jean-Herve Peron (born 1949), Germany modern musician, lived in Schenectady in 1967-1968 as exchange student Pulver (born 1955), novelist, poet, editor, born in Schenectady Pat Riley (born 1945), NBA player and coach, was born in Rome, NY, lived in Schenectady representative, born in Schenectady Mickey Rourke (born 1952), actor, born in Schenectady John Sayles (born 1950), film director, born and raised in Schenectady Kenneth Schermerhorn (1929-2005), conductor of Nashville Symphony, born in Schenectady Stratton (born 1957), mayor, director of the New York State Canal Corporation Lynne Talley (born 1954), oceanographer, born in Schenectady Deborah Van Valkenburgh (born 1952), actress (The Warriors), was born in Schenectady Crowe II and Paul Nelson, "Fortune smiles on Schenectady casino proposal", Times Union, 18 December 2014, accessed 18 December 2014 Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661-1710, SUNY Press.
A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times.
Native American & Pioneer Sites of Upstate New York: Westward Trails from Albany to Buffalo.
John Pearson, "Chap 6: Division of Lands", A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times (1883), Schenectady Digital History Archive Wells, "Review: 'Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661-1710' by Thomas E.
Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661-1710.
George Rogers Howells and John Munsell, History of the County of Schenectady, 1662-1886, New York: W.W.
Sullivan, Schenectady County Public Library.
"A History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times 5: Introduction".
9, "Burning of Schenectady", History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times, 1883, pp.
Xii, History of the Schenectady Patent in the Dutch and English Times (1883), Library of Congress, full scanned text at Internet Archive A Gazetteer of the State of New-York, Embracing an Ample Survey and Description of Its Counties, Towns, Cities, Villages, Canals, Mountains, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks and Natural Topography.
Arranged in One Series, Alphabetically: With an Appendix (1824), at Schenectady Digital History Archives, chose extracts, accessed 28 December 2014 Don Rittner, "American Railroading Began Here", Schenectady county and town/city history, accessed 3 January 2015 a b Theodore Sedgwick Wright, "Speech given amid the dedication of the First Free Church of Schenectady, 28 December 1837", Emancipator, at University of Detroit Mercy, accessed 31 May 2012 "Underground Railroad and Anti-Slavery Movement in Schenectady", Schenectady Historical Society, July 2010 The History of Education in Schenectady, 1661-1962, Schenectady: Board of Education, City School District Scheltema, Gajus and Westerhuijs, Heleen (eds.),Exploring Historic Dutch New York, New York: Museum of the City of New York/Dover Publications, (2011) ISBN 978-0-486-48637-6 ...the city's two primary educational establishments, Schenectady County Community College and Union College.
"Great Inventors of New York's Capital District".
Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the Nineteenth Century, New York: New York History Company, 1902, full scanned text online at Allen Public Library, at Internet Archive.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schenectady, New York.
City of Schenectady (official website) Schenectady County Historical Society Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce City of Schenectady Info Schenectady City Court knowledge New York State Heritage Areas Our Town: Schenectady, Documentary video produced by WMHT (TV).
358 365, from The Empire State at War: World War II, compiled and written for the New York State War Council by Kurt Drew Hartzell, 1949, at Schenectady Digital History Archive Yates, Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the Nineteenth Century, 1902 - provides online transcription of chose seven chapters, including on the beginning and genealogy of early families, at Schenectady Digital Archives City of Schenectady Municipalities and communities of Schenectady County, New York, United States State of New York
Categories:
Schenectady, New York - 1661 establishments in North America - 1661 establishments in the Dutch Empire - Cities in New York - Cities in Schenectady County, New York - County seats in New York - Establishments in New Netherland - New York State Heritage Areas - Populated places established in 1661 - Populated places on the Mohawk River - Populated places on the Underground Railroad
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