Schenectady, New York

Schenectady is a city located in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,821. The city also has the ZIP code 12345. The name "Schenectady" is derived from a Mohawk Indian word for "on that side of the pinery," or "near the pines," or "place beyond the pine plains."

History

The area that is now Schenectady was originally the land of the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Nation. When Dutch settlers arrived in the Hudson Valley in the middle of the 17th century, the Mohawk called the settlement at Fort Orange "Schau-naugh-ta-da", meaning "over the pine plains." Eventually, this word entered the lexicon of the Dutch settlers, but the meaning was reversed, and the name referred to the bend in the Mohawk River where the city lies today.

Related Topics:
Iroquois - Fort Orange

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Contrary to popular belief, the areas consisting of Schenectady and nearby Niskayuna were not actually inhabited by the Mohawk -- at most there were "lean-to's" scattered throughout the area, enabling weary travellers and hunting parties the opportunity to stop and rest before heading to the settlements near present-day Fonda. If there were indeed settlements in the immediate area of Schenectady and Niskayuna, they most likely belonged to the Mohican, who by 1634 had been forced east of the Hudson River.

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Schenectady was first settled in 1661 when the area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Settlement was led by Arent Van Curler of Nijkerk in the Netherlands, who was granted letters patent to Schenectady in 1684.

Related Topics:
1661 - New Netherland - Arent Van Curler - Nijkerk - Netherlands - 1684

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On February 8, 1690, the town was attacked and overrun by forces of France and their Indian allies, who burned the town and killed all but 60 of the inhabitants.

Related Topics:
February 8 - 1690 - France - Indian

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In 1765, Schenectady was incorporated as a borough. It was chartered as a city in 1798.

Related Topics:
1765 - 1798

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Union College was founded here in 1795.

Related Topics:
Union College - 1795

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In 1887 Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. In 1892, Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company.

Related Topics:
1887 - Thomas Edison - 1892 - General Electric Company

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Schenectady is home to WGY-AM, one of the first commercial radio stations in the United States. The station was named after its owner, General Electric (the G), and the city of Schenectady (the Y). General Electric also generated the first regular television broadcasts in the United States in 1928, when experimental station W2XB began regular broadcasts on Thursday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. This television station is now WRGB, for years, the Capital District's NBC affiliate, but more recently, its CBS affiliate. (see: 1928 in television).

Related Topics:
WGY - 1928 - WRGB - NBC - CBS - 1928 in television

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Historic population of Schenectady: 13,655 in 1880; 31,682 in 1900; 92,061 in 1950.

Related Topics:
1880 - 1900 - 1950

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The city was once known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World"--a dual reference to two prominent businesses located in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric), and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). GE has retained its administrative core in Schenectady, but many of the manufacturing jobs have been relocated to the Sun Belt and abroad. ALCO's operations slowly fizzled out as the company went through a series of acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s. In the early 21st century, the city is experiencing difficult financial times, as are many upstate New York cities.

Related Topics:
Edison Electric Company - General Electric - American Locomotive Company - Sun Belt

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