March 23, 2008 :: A Jewel In the Crown of American History: Schenectady, NY

Those close to me soon grow tired of hearing about stories from two places: Albany and Schenectady. A large part of my family, though, hales from the great city of Schenectady, NY. Nestled in the Mohawk River Valley, it's 1/3 of the triad which makes up the Capital District of the Empire State. What few people nowadays know, however is that at the turn of the 20th century this now struggling city used to be a booming metropolis of industry and culture.

Founded in 1661 by Arendt Van Curler (1619-1667), Schenectady slowly grew from a settlement to a borough (1765) and then incorporated as a city in 1798. It became home to one of the first colleges in the United States, Union College, in 1795 and to what would become one of the largest conglomerates in the world, General Electric, in 1892. This growing industrial capital was attacked and burned three times during its short history. The first and most bloody time, later named the Schenectady Massacre, was done by the French and their native American allies in 1690. All but 10 of the residents were killed and over 60 buildings were destroyed by fire in the middle of the night during a surprise attack.

Schenectady rebuilt and moved on to be the home of many more famous beginnings. With a population in 1900 reaching up to over 90,000 people (according to the US Census Bureau), one of the first commercial radio stations in the US (WGY-AM) and the first regular television broadcast station in the US (WRGB...first known as W2XB, an experimental station started in 1928) originated here. WGY was named after (G)eneral Electric and Schenectad(y) because these were the station's founder and home (respectively). GE also founded the aforementioned TV station, revolutionizing communications in the United States forever. The Proctor's Theatre, a former Vaudeville show house, opened in December of 1926 also making Schenectady a famous stop for many performers on tour from New York City's Broadway. Schenectady is also the owner of the "North Pole Zip Code": 12345. The zip code is assigned to the GE plant, the primary business in the area still to this day. Every year volunteers answer letters from children addressed to Santa Claus in order to bring a merry Christmas to underprivileged families.

Schenectady used to be known to the world as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World" due to its contributions to the electrical (GE) and locomotive (ALCO) industries. Many an immigrant, including my ancestors, came from all corners of the world seeking out this city in order to find hope and make their American dreams come true. Today it has greatly declined to a population of 61,000 (2000 census) due to competition in the manufacturing arena (including the push to outsource operations to off-shore locations). Its prestigious history is masked and shrouded by the glamor of its neighbors which include Saratoga Springs (NY), Boston (MA), New York (NY), and Montreal (Canada). With its easy access to Lake George, the Sacandaga Reservoir, and the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, though, this now lackluster city still has much to offer its residents and visitors in terms of history, nature and recreation.

Next time you think about Upstate New York, or if you hear for some reason about this particular jewel in the crown of US history, be sure to keep an open mind and embrace the city that embraced so many others during the infancy of this great nation.

Cheers from Upstate NY!

M@