Schenectady County NY History, genealogy, Americana

Now Available for Download

Schenectady County in Mather & Brockett's Geographical History of the State of New York (1848). Here is an early and brief look at Schenectady County. While the four pages afforded the county, it was not that brief relative to other upstate counties in this volume. In any event, it represents a portion of the historical record of Schenectady, city and county, and merits attention for that reason if for no other. In addition to the four pages specifically about Schenectady County, we have included the section of Mather & Brockett about land grants and patents underlying all of New York State. 4++ pages, download now for $1.50.

The Schenectady County chapter from French's Gazetteer of the State of New York (1860). Here is a look at Schenectady County a bit over a decade after Mather & Brockett's treatment of the subject. The localities mentioned in boldface type in this chapter are: Duanesburgh, Quaker Street, Mariaville, Bramans Corners, Eatons Corners, Glenville, Scotia, Reeseville, High Falls, Hoffmans Ferry, East Glenville, Niskayuna, Watervliet Center, Princetown, Rotterdam, Mohawkville, Factoryville, and, of course, Schenectady City. The chapter is only five pages long -- quite short, relative to most county chapters in French's -- but still of considerable value as part of the historical record, at a time when the City of Schenectady had only around 9000 inhabitants. 5+ pages, in PDF format, download now for $1.75.

W. Max Reid's The Mohawk Valley: Its Legends and Its History, Schenectady County (chapter 4) (1907) Reid’s book, which was very popular in its early years, was initially published in 1901 and reprinted at least five times (this is the 1907 reprint). Chapters 1 - 3 can be found under Montgomery County, as that is the most central locale of those that can be identified today. This chapter, while likewise far-ranging, is identified, by title at least, with Schenectady County. 21++ pages, with photographs, in PDF format, download now for $2.50.

Terracian of Nott Terrace High School, Schenectady, NY for June 1940 and January 1941. This yearbook remembers a class that grew up in the Great Depression and graduated high school into World War II -- not a start in life one would wish on many. All in all, an interesting view of a point in time in a city that was home to both General Electric and the American Locomotive Company. 91+ pages, in PDF format, download now for $4.25.

See also: relevant material in the NYS Canal Commissioners Report for 1878 available for download on our New York State Miscellany page.

See also: Native Americans: Herkimer County Historical Society. Papers from Volume IV. 1. History of Early Jesuit Missions in the Mohawk Valley, by the Rev. James H. Halpin (1905) 2. The Iroquois Indian, by Dr. J. D. Fitch (1907) on our Herkimer County page.

We own and are planning to offer as downloads some Duanesburg, NY school attendance records. These are in booklets of a maximum of either 30 or 60 names each, and cover the following school districts in the township of Duanesburg and time periods:

District 17: (appears to be Mariahville)

August 1923 - July 1924

District 22: (Duanesburg)

August 1902 - July 1903

August 1905 - July 1906

August 1906 - July 1907

August 1909 - July 1910

August 1910 - July 1911

August 1911 - July 1912

August 1913 - July 1914

August 1914 - July 1915

August 1917 - July 1918

August 1918 - July 1919

August 1919 - July 1920

August 1921 - July 1922

August 1922 - July 1923

August 1923 - July 1924

August 1925 - July 1926

Note that in most cases there are only a few children in each booklet; usually no more than 20 and in some cases considerably fewer -- these appear to be the records of one teacher, perhaps in a one room school, but the record provided of the attendance of the children listed is absolutely detailed. Forms have been detached from the booklets to be submitted to (presumably) the State Education Department, but the basic attendance detail remains. Most also include records of visitors to the school and the names and identities of the visitors, and in some cases there is a school census as well. Additional information about the operation of the district is present, and varies by year.

These are oversized documents and scanning them will not be easy. We prefer to do the ones that people want first. If you have questions about a particular name in a particular year, or have a preference for a particular year, please contact us (e-mail preferred). Since these are original documents, we do not believe you will find them anywhere else.

Schenectady and the Great Western Gateway, Past and Present.

This 1926 book was published under the auspices of the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce as a memorial of the dedication of the Great Western Gateway Bridge that year. 76 pages long, it's got some memorable photos (including two of the covered bridge that once spanned the Mohawk at that location), and essays about Schenectady and the Mohawk Valley during the various historical periods that predated dedication of this bridge. We think it's pretty interesting, and we'll publish it soon as a download.

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Schenectady County, NY History

Schenectady and the Great Western Gateway, Past and Present.