Albany History Facts and Timeline

(Albany, New York - NY, USA)

An especially old and important city in history, Albany actually ranks amongst North America's most historic European settlements still in existence today, as well as being the country's oldest continuously chartered city.

Albany was first settled by the Algonquian Indians, with this site being selected due to its setting alongside the Hudson River. Over the subsequent years, the settlement went by a number of different names, such as the 'Mohican Fireplace' and the 'Pine Woods'.

In the year of 1540, the first Europeans arrived in Albany as part of the French colonization of the Americas. These French traders set about building fortifications on Castle Island in the Hudson River (now better known as Westerlo Island). However, the fortress didn't last for long and was soon washed away during a period of extreme flooding.

A Permanent Settlement for the Europeans

A major time in the history of Albany came in the first decade of the 17th century, which saw the arrival of famous English sea explorer, Henry Hudson.

At that time, Henry was employed by the Dutch East India Company and he claimed the land on behalf of the Dutch Republic. A fortress was later reconstructed in grander proportions and a successful fur-trading post came into being, causing much conflict with the natives. Albany was known as Beverwijck village by the mid-17th century. However, when England took control of New Netherland in 1664, Beverwijck was given its current name as a tribute to the Duke of Albany, being incorporated as a city in 1686.

Growth, War and Prosperity

Over the next century, history shows that Albany grew at a gradual pace and soon became an important meeting place. A sizeable City Hall (Stadt Huys) was completed in 1741 and the city began to welcome members of the British North American colonies.

The French and Indian War (1754 to 1763) saw much conflict between British American settlements and the colonies of New France. Albany was being used more and more as a center for politics and planning against the constant conflicts, with its City Hall often being used as a temporary prison.

By the end of the 18th century, Albany's population was rapidly approaching 4,000 people and growing. Although war and conflict was still rife in New York State, the Hudson Valley area enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity, with expansion and much house building creating an organized infrastructure. An important moment in Albany history came in 1797, when it was awarded the prestigious title of state capital (formerly held by New York City).

Transportation and Industry

Albany has always made the most of its setting on the Hudson River and has long been an important center of transportation for the state of New York. The most prominent roads were named after birds and animals, and many of these names remain today, such as Eagle Street, Lark Street, Swan Street and Hawk Street.

In the first decade of the 19th century, a successful steamboat line was started, sailing between Albany and New York City on a regular basis. By now, the state capital had become one of the biggest urban settlements in the whole of North America and its expansion continued. The Erie Canal was opened in 1825, which was soon followed by one of the world's earliest steam railways. Exports of beer, timber, iron and written works continued to bring much affluence to the city, utilizing all aspects of its growing transportation network.

Airport, Administration and Today

Albany continued to move forward as a pioneer in the history of transportation. Its commercial airport opened as long ago as 1908 and was amongst the world's earliest. Highly influential mayor Erastus Corning 2nd was elected in 1941 and helped to shape the city's future, remaining in office for more than 40 years.

In the 1950s, Albany remained a fairly static city, not moving forward in the same way as other prominent US cities. As a result, its population started to decline and many of the businesses based in the city center began to relocate to its suburbs.

Governor Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller reversed the fortunes of Albany when he oversaw a number of rather grandiose building projects. These were sponsored by the government and included the erection of the Empire State Plaza, the University at Albany / State University of New York (SUNY) and the majority of the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus. These were followed by Interstate I-787 and also the expressway named the South Mall Arterial.

Following the global recession of the 1990s, Albany saw much political change and a huge investment into the capital's future. The state signed off enormous renovation and building plans around the downtown district, which cost more than US$240 million in total and included the creation of the Albany Convention Center (ACC).