Dutch captain Adriaen Block explored the Hudson Valley and American Northeast during the 17th century and led the way for eventual Dutch colonization of the Northeast. He built the Onrust, the first fur trading ship built in America in 1614. This book she

The New World, and especially New York, meant unparalleled opportunity for people in the 1600s with visions of expansion, colonization, and profit. Buying land from the Mohican tribe, the Dutch took control of much of the modern Empire State in the early part of this country's development. Under the patroonship of Kilian van Rensselaer, many pioneer farmers settled in the fertile land along the Hudson River. With each passing year, the number of Upstate settlers increased, and two villages emerged: Lansingburgh and Vanderheyden, soon to become Troy.

Troy: A Collar City History chronicles...

Troy was a vibrant and economically powerful city on the Hudson River during the first half of the 20th century. At night, the city would glow from the heat of the many iron foundries that were located in the south end. These factories employed thousands of Trojans who worked to make everything from cast-iron stoves to bells. The early 1900s were a time of greatness and prosperity for Troy's people and its products. With the growing population, an abundance of stores and retail establishments opened to supply residents with the items that were not being produced locally. The local economy...

Albany is the fourth oldest city in America and the second oldest state capital in the United States. Located on the western banks of the Hudson River, about 150 miles north of New York City, Albany was originally explored by Henry Hudson in 1609 and settled by the Dutch starting in 1614. A city filled with a diversity of architectural styles and unique streetscapes, Albany proudly represents the Empire State. The historic photographs in Albany Revisited show Albany during the first half of the 20th century, when the city was rich in politics, the home of some of the most expensive and...

Troy Chronicles is a collection of 25 essays on the history of Troy, New York written between 1999 and 2005 by Don Rittner in the Troy Record newspaper.

An area of hills, forests, and river plains, Lansingburgh is the oldest settled region and the first chartered village in New York's Rensselaer County. Its rich history began with Abraham Jacob Lansing, who, in 1763, established the area that encompasses Lansingburgh on the eastern banks of the historic Hudson River as a 5,000-acre farm. Eight years later, Lansing laid out his land into a square of 2 by 1.5 miles, with 288 building lots, streets, alleys, and an oblong square village green in the center. The influx of New England entrepreneurs transformed Lansingburgh into a thriving village....

Surrounded by natural beauty and a rich human legacy second to none, Albany lies in the Hudson Valley about 150 miles north of New York City. First settled in 1648, the area quickly grew into one of the most important trade, transportation, and military regions in North America. Albany became the permanent state capital in 1797 and has long been a major political center, key to New York's growth and prosperity. Some of the nation's leading statesmen, scientists, and presidents have called Albany home: Martin Van Buren, Joseph Henry, Hamilton Fish, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and...