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77-506: In about 1837, brothers John Wesley (1812–96) and Silas S. Fallass came to West Michigan from Tompkins County, New York . The area was being surveyed, and in 1839 was opened for purchase. The Fallass brothers acquired by pre-emption a section of land where Fallasburg is now located. Later that year, they constructed a sawmill on the Flat River, and in 1840 constructed a matching gristmill. J. Wesley Fallass built his own house soon after, and

154-432: A cemetery and the remains of a sawmill and gristmill. The structures include 12 houses, a schoolhouse, and Fallasburg Bridge . These structures primarily date from the early 1840s to the late 1860s, and are vernacular frame buildings with little decoration. Some have simple Greek Revival details, but only two structures have even the basic Greek Revival gable returns. Tompkins County, New York Tompkins County

231-608: A few more years. The Mohawk River at Schenectady is crossed by the Western Gateway Bridge, originally built in 1923-25, and replaced in 1971. From 1874 to 1925 the Mohawk River had been crossed by a bridge running from the foot of Washington Ave., Schenectady to Washington Ave., Scotia, a steel bridge built upon the seven piers of a former wooden bridge, built in 1808, called the Burr Bridge. The city

308-402: A household in the city in 2000 was $ 29,378 (2010–$ 37,436), and the median income for a family was $ 41,158. Males had a median income of $ 32,929 versus $ 26,856 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,076. About 20.2% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. The largest religious body

385-542: A major industrial and economic force and helped establish the city and region as a national manufacturing center. GE became important nationally as a creative company, expanding into many different fields. American Locomotive Company also developed here, from a Schenectady company, and merging several smaller companies in 1901; it was second in the United States in the manufacture of steam locomotives before developing diesel technology. Like other industrial cities in

462-613: A number of buildings have been renovated for new uses. Numerous small businesses, retail stores and restaurants have developed on State Street downtown. Price Chopper Supermarkets and the New York Lottery are based in Schenectady. In December 2014, the state announced that the city was one of three sites selected for development of off-reservation casino gambling, under terms of a 2013 state constitutional amendment. The project would redevelop an ALCO brownfield site in

539-418: A period into their early 20s. Union College established a school for black children in 1805, but discontinued it two years later. Methodists helped educate the children for a time but public schools did not accept them. In the 1830s, the abolitionist movement grew in Schenectady. In 1836, Rev. Isaac Groot Duryee (also recorded as Duryea) co-founded the interracial Anti-Slavery Society at Union College and

616-478: A prosperous glove and leather industry, as well as legacy tourism traffic to Lake Sacandaga north of Gloversville. Instead, roads were improved, automobiles became cheaper and were purchased more widely, tourists traveled greater distances by car, and the Great Depression decreased business overall. FJ&G ridership continued to decline and in 1938 the state of New York condemned the line's bridge over

693-664: A variety of fields across the country. Schenectady is home to WGY , the second commercial radio station in the United States, (after WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts , named for Westinghouse ). WGY was named for its owner, General Electric (the G), and the city of Schenectady (the Y). In 1928, General Electric produced the first regular television broadcasts in the United States, when the experimental station W2XB began regular broadcasts on Thursday and Friday afternoons. This television station

770-561: Is a county located in the U.S. state of New York . As of the 2020 census , the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca . The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins , who served as Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States . The county is part of the Southern Tier region of the state. Tompkins County comprises the Ithaca Metropolitan Statistical Area . It

847-504: Is a growing Guyanese population in the area. The top ancestries self-identified by people on the census are Italian (13.6%), Guyanese (12.3%), Irish (12.1%), Puerto Rican (10.1%), German (8.7%), English (6.0%), Polish (5.4%), French (4.4%). These reflect historic and early 20th-century immigration, as well as that since the late 20th century. The Schenectady City School District is very diverse; (71%- 2011)(80%–2013) of district students receive free or reduced lunch. The student population of

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924-551: Is home to Cornell University , Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College . When counties were established in the British Province of New York in 1683, the present Tompkins County was part of Albany County . This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean . This county

1001-533: Is now WRGB ; for many years it was the Capital District's NBC affiliate. It has been the area's CBS affiliate since 1981. The city reached its peak of population in 1930, approximately 95,000. The Great Depression caused a loss of jobs and population in its wake. In the postwar period after World War II, some residents moved to newer housing in suburban locations outside the city . In addition, General Electric established some high-tech facilities in

1078-773: Is the Catholic church, with 44,000 adherents, followed by Islam, with 6,000 followers. The third largest religious body is the Reformed Church in America, with 3,600 members. The fourth is the United Methodist denomination, with 2,800 members. Notable congregations are the First Presbyterian Church (Schenectady, New York) , which is affiliated with the PCA. First Reformed Church RCA is formed in

1155-461: Is the county seat. As of the 2020 census , the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populous city and the twenty-fifth most-populous municipality. The city is in eastern New York, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany , which is about 15 miles (24 km) southeast. Schenectady was founded on

1232-534: Is usually geographically grouped with the Finger Lakes region, but some locals consider themselves to be part of Central New York or the Southern Tier . As of the census of 2000, there were 96,501 people, 36,420 households, and 19,120 families residing in the county. The population density was 203 people per square mile (78 people/km ). There were 38,625 housing units at an average density of 81 units per square mile (31/km ). The racial makeup of

1309-715: The Tompkins County Public Library , the Southworth Library and the Ulysses Philomathic Library . 42°27′07″N 76°28′25″W  /  42.451944°N 76.473611°W  / 42.451944; -76.473611 Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( / s k ə ˈ n ɛ k t ə d i / skə- NEK -tə-dee ) is a city in Schenectady County, New York , United States, of which it

1386-693: The Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville Railroad . The nearly 200 leather and glove companies in the Gloversville region generated considerable traffic for the line. Sales representatives carrying product sample cases began their sales campaigns throughout the rest of the country 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. Through

1463-655: The Schenectady massacre . A total of 27 persons were taken captive, including five enslaved Africans; the raiders took their captives overland about 200 miles to Montreal and its associated Mohawk mission village of Kahnawake . Typically the younger captives were adopted by Mohawk families to replace people who had died. Through the early 18th century in the raiding between Quebec and the northern British colonies, some captives were ransomed by their communities. Colonial governments got involved only for high-ranking officers or other officials. In 1748, during King George's War ,

1540-819: The Sun Belt and abroad. Corporate headquarters for GE Vernova are now in Cambridge, Massachusetts . ALCO produced steam locomotives for railroads for years. Later it became renowned for its "Superpower" line of high-pressure locomotives, such as those for the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1930s and 1940s. During World War II , it converted to support the war, making tanks for the US Army. As diesel locomotives began to be manufactured, ALCO joined with GE to develop diesel locomotives to compete with GM's EMD division . But corporate restructuring to cope with

1617-581: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.49 km ), of which 10.9 square miles (28.23 km ) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) of it (1.27%) is water. It is part of the Capital District , the metropolitan area surrounding Albany , the state of New York's capital. Along with Albany and Troy , it is one of the three principal population and industrial centers in

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1694-784: The 17th century, one of the oldest churches in the town. St George's Episcopal Church dates back to 1735; it shared facilities with the Presbyterians for more than 30 years. Amtrak , the national passenger rail system, provides regular service to Schenectady, with Schenectady station at 322 Erie Boulevard. Trains include the Ethan Allen , Adirondack , Lake Shore Limited , Maple Leaf , and Empire Service . Schenectady also has freight rail service from Canadian Pacific Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway . The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) provides bus service throughout Schenectady along with connections to

1771-529: The 1900s and into the early 1930s, the line was quite prosperous. In 1932 the FJ&;G purchased five lightweight "bullet cars" (#125 through 129) from the J. G. Brill Company . These interurbans represented state-of-the-art design: the "bullet" description referred to the unusual front roof that was designed to slope down to the windshield in an aerodynamically sleek way. FJ&G bought the cars believing that there would be continuing strong passenger business from

1848-571: The 19th century as part of the Mohawk Valley trade, manufacturing, and transportation corridor. By 1824, more people worked in manufacturing than agriculture or trade; like many New York cities, it had a cotton mill that processed cotton from the Deep South . In the 19th century, nationally influential companies and industries developed in Schenectady, including General Electric and American Locomotive Company (ALCO), which were powers into

1925-892: The Anti-Slavery Society of Schenectady in 1837. Freedom seekers were supported via the Underground Railroad route that ran through the area, passing to the west and north to Canada, which had abolished slavery. In 1837 Duryee, together with others who were free people of color , co-founded the First Free Church of Schenectady (now the Duryee Memorial AME Zion Church). He also started a school for students of color. The abolitionist Theodore S. Wright , an African-American minister based in New York City, spoke at

2002-708: The Deep South. It was one of many such mills in upstate whose products were part of the exports shipped out of New York City. The city and state had many economic ties to the South at the same time that some residents became active in the abolitionist movement. 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

2079-622: The Fort Orange area, they may have anticipated working as fur traders, but the Beverwijck (later Albany) traders kept a monopoly of legal control. The settlers here turned to farming. Their 50-acre lots were unique for the colony, "laid out in strips along the Mohawk River", with the narrow edges fronting the river, as in French colonial style . They relied on rearing livestock and wheat. The proprietors and their descendants controlled all

2156-680: The French and Indians attacked Schenectady again, killing 70 residents. In 1765, Schenectady was incorporated as a borough. During the American Revolutionary War the local militia unit, the 2nd Albany County Militia Regiment , fought in the Battle of Saratoga and against Loyalist troops. Most of the wars in the Mohawk Valley were fought further west on the frontier in the areas of the German Palatine settlement which

2233-702: The Hudson Valley beginning in 1614, the Mohawk called their settlement skahnéhtati, , also transiliterated to ‘’Sche-negh-ta-da”, meaning "beyond the pines", referring to a large area of pine barrens between the Mohawk settlements and the Hudson River. About 3,200 acres of this unique ecosystem are now protected as the Albany Pine Bush . Eventually, this word entered the lexicon of the Dutch settlers. The settlers in Fort Orange used skahnéhtati to refer to

2310-424: The Mohawk River at Schenectady. The bridge had once carried cars, pedestrians, and the interurban, but ice flow damage in 1928 prompted the state to restrict its use to the interurban. When the state condemned the bridge for interurban use, the line abandoned passenger service, and the bullet cars were sold. Freight business had also been important to the FJ&G, and it continued over the risky bridge into Schenectady

2387-472: The Mohawk Valley, in the early 20th century, Schenectady attracted many new immigrants from eastern and southern Europe, as they could fill many of the new industrial jobs. It also attracted African Americans as part of the Great Migration out of the rural South to northern cities for work. General Electric and American Locomotive Company (ALCO) were industrial powerhouses, influencing innovation in

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2464-603: The Mohawk had cultivated these bottomlands for maize for centuries. Van Curler took the largest piece of land; the remainder was divided into 50-acre plots for the other first fourteen proprietors; Alexander Lindsey Glen, Philip Hendrickse Brouwer, Simon Volkertse Veeder, Pieter Adrianne Van Wogglelum, Teunize Cornelise Swart, Bastia De Winter atty for Catalyn De Vos, Gerrit Bancker, William Teller, Pieter Jacobse Borsboom, Pieter Danielle Van Olinda, Jan Barentse Wemp(le), Jacques Cornelize Van Slyck, Marten Cornelize Van Esselstyn, and Harmen Albertse Vedder. As most early colonists were from

2541-450: The Schenectady settlement. They were among the few métis 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. Van Slyck family descendants retained ownership through the 19th century. In 1664, an English fleet conquered

2618-601: The Tompkins County legislature unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing freedom from domestic violence as a fundamental human right. In doing so, Tompkins County became the first rural county in the United States to pass such a resolution. There are three institutions of higher education in Tompkins County: The county is served by several school districts (the largest being Ithaca City School District ), and several public libraries including

2695-610: The ZIP code every year. Schenectady has a humid continental climate that is hot-summer ( Dfa ) bordering upon warm-summer ( Dfb .) Average monthly temperatures range from 22.9 °F (−5.1 °C) in January to 71.8 °F (22.1 °C) in July. These are estimates made by local amateur observers and aren't official as Schenectady does not have a weather station of its own (its "official" temperatures come from nearby Albany). Schenectady

2772-427: The age of 18 living with them, 41.20% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.50% were non-families. 32.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93. In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.00% under

2849-467: The age of 18, 26.00% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 37,272, and the median income for a family was $ 53,041. Males had a median income of $ 35,420 versus $ 27,686 for females. The per capita income for

2926-638: The census of 2010, there were 66,135 people, 26,265 (2000 data) households, and 14,051 (2000 data) families residing in the city. The population density was 6,096.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,353.9/km ). There were 30,272 (2000 data) housing units at an average density of 2,790.6 units per square mile (1,077.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 59.38% (52.31% Non-Hispanic) (7.07 White-Hispanic) White , 24.19% African American , 14.47% Hispanic or Latin of any race, 8.24% from other races , 5.74% from two or more races, 2.62% Asian American , 0.69% Native American , and 0.14% Pacific Islander . There

3003-488: The central part of the state. New settlers were predominantly of English and Scotch-Irish descent. In 1819, Schenectady suffered a fire that destroyed more than 170 buildings and most of its historic, distinctive Dutch-style architecture. New York had passed a law for gradual abolition of slavery in 1799, however in 1824 there were still a total of 102 slaves in Schenectady County with nearly half residing in

3080-500: The changing locomotive procurement environment led to ALCO's slow downward spiral. Its operations fizzled as it went through acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s. Its Schenectady plant closed in 1969. In the late 20th century, due to industrial restructuring, the city lost many jobs and suffered difficult financial times, as did many former manufacturing cities in upstate New York. The loss of employment caused Schenectady's population to decline by nearly one-third from 1950 into

3157-527: The church's dedication and praised the school. Through the late 19th century, new industries were established in the Mohawk Valley and powered by the river. Industrial jobs attracted many new immigrants, first from Ireland, and later in the century from Italy and Poland. In 1887, Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. In 1892, Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company . This business became

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3234-525: The city along the waterfront, with hotels, housing and a marina in addition to the casino. In February 2017, the Rivers Casino & Resort opened with 66 table games and 1,150 slot machines on a 50,000-square-foot gambling floor with a steakhouse and a restaurant lounge. The $ 480 million (~$ 587 million in 2023) residential-retail project on 60 acres includes a marina, two hotels, condos, apartments and retail and office space for tech firms. In

3311-480: The city of Quebec , replacing the name of the hated British governor. In 1789, Montgomery County was reduced in size by the splitting off of Ontario County . The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany , Cattaraugus , Chautauqua , Erie , Genesee , Livingston , Monroe , Niagara , Orleans , Steuben , Wyoming , Yates , and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties. Herkimer County

3388-497: The city. That year the city of Schenectady had a total population of 3939, which included 240 free blacks, 47 slaves, and 91 foreigners. In the 19th century, after completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, Schenectady became an important transportation, manufacturing and trade center. By 1824 more of its population worked in manufacturing than agriculture or trade. Among the industries was a cotton mill, which processed cotton from

3465-731: The colony of New Netherland and renamed 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 land from the Mohawk in 1670 and 1672. (Jacques and Hilletie Van Slyck each received portions of land 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, during 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 enslaved Africans. American history notes it as

3542-416: The county strongly supported Clinton over Trump (67.7% to 24.3%). It swung even further to Joe Biden in 2020 , who took 73.5% to 24.3% for Trump, the highest voteshare it has given any candidate since 1956 when incumbent president Dwight D. Eisenhower won the county with 78.3% of the vote. The Tompkins County Legislature consists of fifteen members, each from a single-member district. In November 2014,

3619-521: The county was $ 19,659. About 6.80% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.00% of those under age 18 and 5.40% of those age 65 or over. †   County seat Tompkins County was once a reliably Republican county. From 1856 to 1980, the only Democratic candidates to carry it in a presidential election were Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 . However, Democrats have won Tompkins County in every presidential election since 1984, helped by

3696-574: The county was 85.50% White , 3.64% African American , 0.28% Native American , 7.19% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.09% from other races , and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.08% of the population. 12.4% were of German , 11.7% English , 11.1% Irish , 9.2% Italian and 6.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000 . 2.85% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.86% speak Chinese , 1.07% Korean , and 1.00% French . There were 36,420 households, out of which 25.80% had children under

3773-609: The dominant presence of Cornell University in Ithaca. In 2008, Tompkins County was the only county in New York State in which Senator Barack Obama beat Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary . In the 2008 United States presidential election , Obama won the county by a 41% margin over John McCain , with Obama winning by 25.5% statewide. It was his highest percentage by county in upstate New York . In 2016

3850-540: The early trustees and gained representative government. The settlement was chartered as a city in 1798. Long interested in supporting higher education and morals, the members of the city's three oldest churches—the Dutch First Reformed Church, St. Georges Episcopal Church, and First Presbyterian Church—formed a "union" and founded Union College in 1795 under a charter from the state. The school had started in 1785 as Schenectady Academy. This founding

3927-418: The gristmill had five employees, and did nearly $ 20,000 in business every year for surrounding farmers. A new school was constructed in 1867. In 1875, John Wesley Fallass's sons took over operation of the mill. However, the 1850s and 1860s were the high point for Fallasburg's economy. Soon the railroad network criss-crossed Michigan, making neighboring Lowell a boomtown, but bypassing Fallasburg completely. At

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4004-556: The land of the town for generations, essentially acting as government until after the Revolutionary War, when representative government was established. Beginning from the first decades of European colonization , Dutch colonists formed relationships with Mohawk women, though these did not usually result in marriage. Their children were raised within Mohawk communities, as the tribe had a matrilineal kinship system, and these multiracial offspring were considered to be born into

4081-406: The late 20th century. The early industries had left many sites contaminated with hazardous wastes. Such environmental brownfields have needed technical approaches for redevelopment. In the 21st century, Schenectady began revitalization. GE established a renewable energy center that brought hundreds of employees to the area. The city is part of a metropolitan area with improving economic health, and

4158-547: The mid-20th century. Schenectady was part of emerging technologies, with GE collaborating in the production of nuclear-powered submarines and, in the 21st century, working on other forms of renewable energy. When first encountered by Europeans, the Mohawk Valley was the territory of the Mohawk nation , one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy , or Haudenosaunee. They had occupied territory in

4235-510: The mother's clan. During the colonial era , the fur trade formed one of the important trading relationships between Indians and colonists. In response to labor shortages among Dutch colonists, enslaved Africans were imported to work on farmsteads in Schenectady. Some Euro-Indian descendants, such as Jacques Cornelissen Van Slyck and his sister Hilletie van Olinda , who were of Dutch, French and Mohawk ancestry, became interpreters and intermarried with Dutch colonists. They also gained land in

4312-555: The neighboring town of Niskayuna , which contributed to continuing population growth in the county. In the latter part of the 20th century, Schenectady suffered from the massive industrial and corporate restructuring that affected much of the US, including in the railroads. It lost many jobs and population to other locations, including offshore. Since the late 20th century, it has been shaping a new economy, based in part on renewable energy. Its population increased from 2000 to 2010. According to

4389-414: The new village at the Mohawk flats (see below), which became known as Schenectady (with a variety of spellings). In 1661, Arendt van Corlaer , (later Van Curler), a Dutch immigrant, bought a large piece of land on the Mohawk River's south side. The Colonial government gave other colonists grants of land in this portion of the flat fertile river valley, as part of New Netherland . The settlers recognized

4466-595: The region since at least 1100 AD. Starting in the early 1600s the Mohawk moved their settlements closer to the river and by 1629, they had also taken over territories on the Hudson River's west bank that were formerly held by the Algonquian -speaking Mahican people. In the 1640s, the Mohawk had three major villages, all on the Mohawk River's south side. The easternmost one was Ossernenon, about 9 miles west of present-day Auriesville, New York . When Dutch settlers developed Fort Orange (present-day Albany, New York ) in

4543-606: The region. Interstate 890 runs through Schenectady, and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) is nearby. Amtrak has a station in Schenectady. The nearest airport is Schenectady County Airport ; the nearest commercial airport is Albany International Airport . ZIP code 12345, which is used by the GE plant in Schenectady, has attracted media attention on account of its simplicity. Thousands of letters and Christmas lists addressed to Santa Claus are mailed to

4620-403: The same time, the sawmill closed and was torn down in 1878. The gristmill, now competing with more modern mills, declined and was torn down in 1912. Several businesses and residences were destroyed by fire, and in 1905 the post office was closed. Even though Fallasburg declined in the last 1800s and early 1900s, it did not disappear. Because it was a somewhat isolated location and much of the area

4697-552: The school district is majority minority : 35% Black (48% Graduate), 32% White (71% Graduate), 18% Hispanic (51% Graduate), 15% Asian (68% Graduate). As of 2016, the graduation rate for the high school was 56%. Using 2010 data, there were 28,264 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.0% were married couples living together, 24.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who

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4774-487: The south side of the Mohawk River by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, many of whom came from the Albany area. The name "Schenectady" is derived from the Mohawk word skahnéhtati , meaning "beyond the pines" and used for the area around Albany, New York . Residents of the new village developed farms on strip plots along the river. Connected to the west by the Mohawk River and Erie Canal , Schenectady developed rapidly in

4851-662: 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 railway lines in the United States, connecting the city and Albany by a route through the pine barrens between them. Developers in Schenectady quickly founded 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 hub of America at

4928-450: The surrounding cities of Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Troy. In the early 20th century, Schenectady had an extensive streetcar system that provided both local and interurban passenger service. The Schenectady Railway Co. had local lines and interurban lines serving Albany, Ballston Spa , Saratoga Springs and Troy . There was also a line from Gloversville , Johnstown , Amsterdam , and Scotia into Downtown Schenectady operated by

5005-645: 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 Schenectady gained freedom in 1827, under the state's gradual abolition law. The law first gave freedom to children born to slave mothers, but they were indentured to the mother's master for

5082-403: The unplatted hamlet of Fallassburgh (later Fallasburg) prospered as more people moved to the area surrounding the mills. A school was constructed in 1842, and a post office was established in 1849. By 1860 there were two general stores in the small village, as well as a blacksmith and wagonmaker. In 1864, the saw mill was purchased by Charles Hecox, who began a small chair factory. By the same time,

5159-470: The west line of lots in Newfield to the newly formed Schuyler County , New York . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 492 square miles (1,270 km ), of which 475 square miles (1,230 km ) is land and 17 square miles (44 km ) (3.4%) is water. Tompkins County is in the west central part of New York State, south of Syracuse and northwest of Binghamton . It

5236-453: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the year 2010 population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for

5313-647: 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). GE retains its steam turbine manufacturing facilities in Schenectady and its Global Research facility in nearby Niskayuna . Thousands of manufacturing jobs have been relocated from Schenectady to

5390-404: Was formed by the splitting of Cayuga County. On April 7, 1817, Tompkins County was created by combining portions of Seneca and the remainder of Cayuga County. The county was named after then vice-president (to President James Monroe ) and former New York Governor Daniel Tompkins . Tompkins almost certainly never visited the county named for him. In 1854, the county lost the town of Hector and

5467-579: Was named for William Tryon , colonial governor of New York. In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada . In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War , the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County in honor of the general, Richard Montgomery , who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture

5544-437: Was one of three counties split off from Montgomery County (the others being Otsego and Tioga counties) in 1791. Onondaga County was formed in 1794 by the splitting of Herkimer County. Cayuga County was formed in 1799 by the splitting of Onondaga County. This county was, however, much larger than the present Cayuga County. It also included the territory of the present Seneca and Tompkins counties. In 1804, Seneca County

5621-656: Was owned by local government, the remnants of the hamlet survived, reasonably intact, into the 21st century. In addition, in later years, the Fallasburg Historical Society was dedicated to preserving the site and its open spaces from development. Thus, Fallasburg is notable as one of the few pioneer-era settlements in Michigan which survived the disruption of the railroads with a substantial portion of its historic character intact. The Fallasburg Historic District contains 14 historic structures, as well as

5698-417: Was part of the expansion of higher education in upstate New York in the postwar years. During this period, migrants poured into upstate and western New York from New England, but there were also new immigrants from England and Europe. Many traveled west along the Mohawk River, settling in the western part of the state, where they developed more agriculture on former Iroquois lands. A dairy industry developed in

5775-477: Was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of Cumberland County , and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of Gloucester County , both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County , contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary

5852-652: Was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city of Schenectady , and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River . The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county

5929-514: Was west of Little Falls . Because of their close business and other relationships with the British, some settlers from the city were Loyalists and moved to Canada in the late stages of the Revolution. The Crown granted them land in what became known as Upper Canada and later Ontario. It was not until after the Revolutionary War that the village residents reduced the power of the descendants of

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