History of Schenectady, New York, USA

Three surprise raids were planned in February 1690 against villages in New England. The most spectacular attack was the one on Schenectady, a fortified village in New York colony. On the evening of February 28, the French and Canadian attackers, backed by their Aboriginal allies, took the villagers by surprise. Those who resisted were killed, and fire spread everywhere. The assailants perpetrated a massacre equivalent to the one in Lachine; 60 inhabitants were slaughtered and 25 were taken prisoner.

Schenectady, a City, and also a Post-Township, the capital of Schenectady County, situated on the Mohawk river, 15 1/ 2 miles NW. of Albany; bounded N. by Glenville, late the 4th ward, E. by Niskayuna, S. by Rotterdam, or the Mohawk river and the County of Albany, W. by a part of the Mohawk, which separates it from the Rotterdam Islands. Since the publication of the 1st edition of this Work, the 3d and 4th wards of this City have very properly been erected into 2 separate towns, Rotterdam and Glenville. It now comprises 2 wards, and 3238 acres of improved land. The alluvial flats are extensive and rich, and the uplands, waving in gentle swells, have pleasing diversity, the soil principally a sandy loam, underlaid by clay, or clay-slate. The Sand Kill, a small but durable mill-stream, coming from the S., unites with the Mohawk in this city, and supplies valuable mill-seats. All the streams are small, but being fed by numerous perennial springs, the site of the city is well supplied with ...

The first successful steam-powered locomotive in the United States was the "DeWitt Clinton," which made its inaugural run on August 9, 1831. It traveled the approximately 17-mile distance between Albany and Schenectady, New York. The locomotive was built by the West Point Foundry in New York and was named after DeWitt Clinton, the governor of New York at the time, who was a strong supporter of the project. The successful run marked a significant milestone in the development of rail transportation in the United States, paving the way for the expansion of the railroad network and the growth of the industrial revolution.

Schenectady, a city, capital of Schenectady county. New York, on the right bank of Mo hawk river, and on both sides of the Erie canal, 16 miles N. W. from Albany. Lat. 42° 48' N., Ion. 73° 55' W. 'It is the seat of Union College, founded in 1795, and contains a city hall, 2 banks, a market house, and a Lyceum. Two newspapers are published here. There are churches of 9 or 10 denominations. Cotton goods, machinery, iron ware, flour, and other articles are manufactured here. This city is the terminus of 4 railroads - the Albany and Schenectady, the Utica and Schenectady, the Troy and Schenectady, and the Saratoga and Schenectady railroad. Settled by the Dutch, about the" year 1620. Population in 1840, 6784; in 1850, 8921.

SCHENECTADY CITY was patented with certain municipal rights, Nov. 4, 1684; it was chartered as a borough, October 23, 1765; incorporated as a district, March 24, 1772; as a town, March 7, 1788; and. as a city, March 26, 1798. Princetown was taken off in 1798, Rotterdam and Glemville in 1820, and parts of Niskayuna and Rotterdam in 1853. The name is of Indian origin and signifies “beyond the plains.” In old documents we find it spelled Schenectada and Schenectedi. The City, under its first charter, contained an area of 128 square miles, but has now an area of about 550 acres. It is situated on the Mohawk River, on the borders of one of the finest alluvial flats in the State. Its situation affords excellent facilities for trade and commerce by the Erie Canal, which passes through it, and the railroads extending through and terminating here. The New York Central Railroad, forming one of the great thoroughfares between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with its branches to Troy and Athens...

The General Electric Company (GE) was founded in 1892 through the merger of two existing companies: Edison General Electric Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company. The merger was led by financier J.P. Morgan and resulted in the formation of one of the most significant and enduring industrial conglomerates in the United States.

Under the leadership of figures like Thomas Edison and Charles A. Coffin, GE became a pioneer in various fields, including electrical generation, lighting, and industrial technology. Over the years, the company played a pivotal role in developing and commercializing numerous innovations, such as the incandescent light bulb, electrical power distribution systems, and early X-ray technology.

GE's formation in 1892 marked a significant moment in the history of American industrialization and contributed to the growth of the electric power industry. It established a foundation for the company's subsequent expansion into a wide range of sectors, including...