
The
Capitol, Albany

ALCO, Schenectady

Hotels in Saratoga

Union Station, Albany

City Savings, Albany

Saratoga station

GE, Schenectady

Union Station, Troy

Cohoes Falls

Canal aqueduct, Rexford
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Today the Capital District is heavily dependent upon
the government, education, and health care sectors for employment. However,
during the 1800s it was one of the country’s main transportation hubs and
industrial centers. The completion of the Erie and Champlain canals in the 1820s
brought unprecedented trade traffic from the west and the north. The canals
terminated at the Hudson River near Albany and Troy and provided easy access to
New York City and its international harbor. Railroad building that commenced in
the 1830s generated even more traffic, linking the region directly to the rest
of the country.
In the years following the completion of the canals
and railroads, large-scale industrial development took place in the cities of
Albany, Watervliet, Cohoes, Schenectady, and Troy. America’s greatest inventor
Thomas Edison decided to relocate his company’s headquarters to Schenectady.
Later renamed General Electric, it employed thirty thousand people at its height
and supported many famous scientists. Cohoes became the center of the country’s
cotton and knitting industry after inventor Timothy Bailey installed his famous
knitting machine at the Cohoes Falls. Troy became a major iron and steel
manufacturer, and pioneered the collar and cuff industry. Albany developed a
wide range of industries, many of which were established or supported by
inventors, such as the manufacture of stoves, agricultural machines, billiard
balls, and perforated paper.
Saratoga County is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state, with a
population of 200,000 people. Its location just north of the state capital, abundant
rivers, and first-class transportation routes made it ideal for
industry to flourish. Huge paper mills, tanneries, and foundries
made good use the of available water power and seemingly
inexhaustible supply of timber.
During this period, Saratoga Springs drew thousands of visitors each
year to its rare mineral springs, world-class racetrack, and popular
gambling houses.
This website is dedicated
to the research and publication of the nineteenth century history of
Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Saratoga counties. All of the books
listed below (many of which are self-published and limited in quantity) are available for sale at the
Brookside Museum in Ballston
Spa.
You can also order
a book by mail.
Book Listing:
Great Inventors of New York's Capital District
Invented In Saratoga County,
New York
Invented In Ballston Spa,
New York
Around Milton (Saratoga County)
Lost
Industries of Saratoga County
Lost Industries of Albany County
Lost Industries of the Kaydeross Valley
Early Railroads of New York's
Capital District
The Golden Age of Railroads in New
York's Capital District
Railroading in New York's Capital
District: Hot Off The Presses!
Railroad Wars of New York State
Lost Railroads of the Kaydeross Valley
The Ballston Terminal Railroad And Its
Successors
Leading Industrial Pursuits of Ballston Spa,
Glens Falls, Sandy Hill & Fort Edward
The Paper Bag King:
A Biography of George West
Isaiah Blood: Scythe and Axe Maker
of Ballston Spa, New York
The Meatloaf Incident (novel)
The Quest for
Redstone (An Unofficial Minecraft Novel)
(new!)
Click here to
purchase a book by mail
Links to history articles and books:
Local history articles published by
magazines and newspapers
History of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad
A History of Saratoga County
(provided by Saratoga NYGenWeb)
Albany Pictorial Album (1900)
Geography of Saratoga County (1905)
An Analysis of the Mineral Waters of
Saratoga and Ballston
Inventory of Abandoned Railroads
(Northeast New York)
A "Los Angeles Times" reporter's
perspective of "taking the waters" at Saratoga
Saratoga Springs picture album
(1883)
Map of Saratoga County, New York (1866)
Links to Other Websites
Saratoga Springs' centennial celebration:
In June 2015, Tim Starr and other local authors collaborated to
publish a book titled "Saratoga Springs, A Centennial History." The
project was conceived, organized, and executed by Field Horne, a
long-time Saratoga area historian. The 425-page hardcover book is
available in limited quantities (such as Northshire Bookstore in
Saratoga). |
Thanks to the following people
and organizations for their important contributions: the Brookside Museum,
the late Maurice "Chris"
Morley, Paul and Marilyn Pastore, Ann Hauprich, Ken Bradford, the Corinth Museum,
Town of Milton Historian, Saratoga County Historian, the Waterford Museum,
and the Saratoga Springs Public Library.
Last updated
on 04/02/2018. Copyright
2008-2018. No part of this website may
be copied or reproduced without permission from the author, except for
short passages used for reviews. All rights reserved.
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Ballston Spa springs

Battle of Saratoga

Burden wheel, Troy

Saratoga Racetrack

Cluett-Peabody, Troy

Livingston Avenue Bridge

Harmony Mills, Cohoes

Hudson River, Albany

Nott Memorial, Schenectady

West Albany Shops
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