Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 23,278 at the 2020 census.[2] The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county.
The town of Niskayuna was created on March 7, 1809, from the town of Watervliet, with an initial population of 681. The town's name was derived from early patents to Dutch settlers: Nis-ti-go-wo-ne or Co-nis-tig-i-one, both derived from the Mohawk language. The 19th-century historians Howell and Munsell mistakenly identified Conistigione as an Indian tribe, but they were a band of Mohawk people known by the term for this location. The original meaning of the words translate roughly as "extensive corn flats", as the Mohawk for centuries cultivated maize fields in the fertile bottomlands along today's Mohawk River.[3] They were the easternmost of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.
Among the Mohawk chiefs who lived in the area were Ron-warrigh-woh-go-wa (meaning in English the great fault finder or grumbler), Ka-na-da-rokh-go-wa (a great eater), Ro-ya-na (a chief), As-sa-ve-go (big knife), and A-voon-ta-go-wa (big tree). Of these, Ron-warrigh-woh-go-wa strongly objected to selling communal lands to the whites. He ensured that the Mohawk retained the rights of hunting and fishing on lands they deeded to the Dutch and other whites. He was reported to have said that "after the whites had taken possession of our lands, they will make Kaut-sore [literally spoon-food or soup] of our bodies." He generally aided the settlers during the mid-18th century against the Canadians in the French and Indian War, the North American front of the Seven Years' War.[4]
L to R: Governor David Paterson in Niskayuna with town Supervisor Landry and Senator Chuck Schumer at microphone, c.2000s
The first European settlers of the town were Dutch colonists who chose to locate outside the manor of Rensselaerwyck to avoid the oversight of the patroons and the trading government of New Netherland. Harmon Vedder obtained a patent for some land in 1664, soon after the founders in 1661 gained land in what developed as the village and city of Schenectady.[5] The traders of Fort Orange retained their monopoly, forbidding the settlers in the Schenectady area from fur trading. They developed mostly as farmers.
Among the early settlers were the ethnic Dutch Van Brookhoven, Claase, Clute, Consaul, Groot, Jansen, Krieger (Cregier), Pearse, Tymerson, Vedder, Van Vranken, and Vrooman families. Captain Martin Cregier, the first burgomaster of New Amsterdam, later settled in Niskayuna; he died in 1712.[5]
Following the Revolutionary War, Yankee settlers entered New York, settling in the Mohawk Valley and to the west. The Erie Canal of 1825 and later enlargements brought increased traffic and trade through the valley. During the 19th and 20th centuries, industries developed along the Mohawk River, especially concentrated in Schenectady in this county. Farming continued in outlying areas. The headquarters of General Electric and Westinghouse Electric developed in the city of Schenectady, which became a center of broad-reaching innovation in uses of electricity and a variety of consumer products.[citation needed]
After World War II, the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was opened in 1946 in Niskayuna, under a contract between General Electric and the US government. In 1973, the General Electric Engineering Development Center moved from downtown Schenectady to River Road in Niskayuna. Today, it is one of the two world headquarters of GE Global Research with the other in Bangalore, India. Due to high-level scientific and technological jobs associated with these businesses, Niskayuna has a high level of education among its residents and a high per capita income of towns in the capital area.
The northern and eastern town lines are defined by the Mohawk River with Saratoga County, New York, on the opposite bank. The south town line is the town of Colonie in Albany County. Lock 7 of the Erie Canal is located in the town. The town is bordered by the city of Schenectady to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.1 square miles (39.0km2), of which 14.2 square miles (36.7km2) is land and 0.89 square miles (2.3km2), or 5.92%, is water.[7]
Niskayuna previously received the designation of Tree City USA,[8] though it is not listed on the current Tree City USA roster.[9]
As of the census[11] of 2020, there were 23,278 people, 7,285 single family homes,1,415 apartments, and a small number of town houses and condominiums. The population density was 1,438.3 inhabitants per square mile (555.3/km2). There were 8,046 housing units at an average density of 570.2 per square mile (220.2/km2). The town's population was 51.7% female and 48.3% male. The racial makeup of the town was 90.7% White, 6.0% Asian, 1.9% African-American, and 1.6% "Other."[12]
There were 7,787 households, out of which 36.2%[citation needed] had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $93,800, and the median income for a family was $94,539. Males had a median income of $59,738 versus $39,692 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,257. The Town has many residents who commute about fifteen miles to work in Albany, the capital of New York State.[citation needed]
Niska Day
Since 1980, the annual community holiday "Niska-Day" (or Nisky-Day) is traditionally celebrated on the first Saturday after the third Friday in May. The festival begins in the early morning with a family foot race. This is followed by a parade and a fair. The day concludes with fireworks (weather permitting). Community groups pick a new theme each year (e.g., in 2007: "Niska-unity"). The town has the goal of bringing the families together for a celebration to help them recognize and appreciate their shared identity as residents of the town of Niskayuna. It takes place at the Craig Elementary School soccer fields.[13]
The celebration was established in 1980 by the Niskayuna Community Action Program (N-CAP), responding to a school district report on mental health needs, to reinforce shared community identification. Unlike many municipalities, the town of Niskayuna does not sponsor an official observation of the Fourth of July.[14] "Niska-Day" serves as the local substitute.[15]
Forest Oaks – A small, upscale development off Pearse Road which borders Albany County.
Grand Blvd Estates – A neighborhood on either side of the tree-lined Grand Boulevard mall. Its center mall was once the route of a main trolley line from the Hillside Avenue trolley barns to downtown Schenectady.
Hawthorne Hill – A suburban community east of Schenectady.
Hexam Gardens - a small development between Balltown Rd, Rt. 7, and the Reist Bird Sanctuary.
Karen Crest – A small development in the southwestern part of town near Hillside School.
Merlin Park - A residential area bordered by Route 7 (south), Rosendale Road (north), Mohawk Road (west) and WTRY Road (east).
"Old Niskayuna" – The area of the town west of Balltown Road and north of Union Street. The term is a misnomer; "Old Niskayuna" is actually the Niskayuna hamlet at the east end of town that once extended well into what is now the town of Colonie.
Orchard Park – A small neighborhood situated between GE Global Research and Niskayuna High School and bordered by Balltown Road on the west and River Road to the north.
Rosendale Estates – A large suburban development in the central part of the town near Rosendale Elementary school and Iroquois Middle School.
Stanford Heights – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town that contains a historic mansion once owned by the parents of Leland Stanford and then later by their son Charles Stanford.
Woodcrest – A suburban neighborhood located off VanAntwerp Road connected west of Rosendale Estates.
Notable people
This article's list of residents may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are residents, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(November 2019)
Herman Melville, in his novel Moby Dick, refers to a sailor on the ship Jeroboam who, according to a story relayed by Stubb, the second mate on the Pequod, "had been originally nurtured among the crazy society of Neskyeuna Shakers, where he had been a great prophet.”
↑ George Rogers Howell and John H. Munsell (1886). "History of the Township of Niskayuna". History of the County of Schenectady, N.Y., from 1662 to 1886. New York City, NY: W.W. Munsell.
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populous city and the twenty-fifth most-populous municipality. The city is in eastern New York, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany, which is about 15 miles (24 km) southeast.
Schenectady County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,061. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk language word meaning "on the other side of the pine lands," a term that originally applied to Albany. The county is part of the Capital District region of the state.
Clifton Park is a suburban town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. It is the largest municipality in the county, with a 2020 population of 38,029, according to the 2020 census. The name is derived from an early land patent. The town is in the southern part of Saratoga County, approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Albany, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Schenectady, and 10 miles (16 km) south of Saratoga Springs.
Glenville is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. It was incorporated in 1821 from Schenectady. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 29,326.
Colonie is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. It is the most-populous suburb of Albany, and is the third-largest town in area in Albany County, occupying approximately 11% of the county. Several hamlets exist within the town. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 85,590.
Rotterdam is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 30,523 at the 2020 census.
The Albany Pine Bush, referred to locally as the Pine Bush, is one of the largest inland pine barrens in the world. It is centrally located in New York's Capital District within Albany and Schenectady counties, between the cities of Albany and Schenectady. The Albany Pine Bush was formed thousands of years ago, following the drainage of Glacial Lake Albany.
Rexford is a hamlet in Saratoga County, New York, United States, located on the north bank of the Mohawk River. Rexford is in the Town of Clifton Park, near the southwestern town line. Its boundaries, like those of neighboring Alplaus, are unofficial and necessarily ambiguous. To the south, it is bounded by the Mohawk River and Grooms Road and to the west, Alplaus and the Schenectady County line. Route 146 and Vischer's Ferry Road, are probably a reasonable delineations of its northern and eastern boundaries. The ZIP Code is 12148.
Boght Corners is a hamlet in the town of Colonie in northern Albany County, New York, United States, that straddles U.S. Route 9. The corners that give the hamlet its name are found at the intersection of Route 9 and Boght Road, near the Boght Community Fire District's station. The community is served by the North Colonie Central School District. Boght Hills Elementary School is located within the hamlet.
Verdoy, formerly known as Watervliet Center, is a hamlet of the town of Colonie in Albany County, New York, United States. Much of Verdoy is in the Airport Noise Overlay District due to its immediate proximity to Albany International Airport's main north/south runway, which was recently extended by 1,300 feet to the north, moving it even closer to Verdoy. The former Troy & Schenectady Branch of the New York Central Railroad runs along Verdoy's northern border with the Mohawk River; it is now part of the Mohawk Hudson Hike/Bike Trail.
New York State Route 146 (NY 146) is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. It extends for 43 miles (69 km) from Gallupville at NY 443 to near Mechanicville at U.S. Route 4 (US 4) and NY 32. NY 146 is a major thoroughfare in the city of Schenectady, just outside Albany. Most of the route follows an east–west alignment; however, the middle third of the route between Guilderland and Clifton Park runs in a more north–south manner in order to serve Schenectady. At one time, NY 146 had three spur routes; only one—NY 146A—still exists.
New York State Route 914T (NY 914T) is an unsigned reference route designation for the portion of Balltown Road south of Union Street in Schenectady, New York, in the United States. The route is a short two-lane highway just east of the city limits, running from NY 5 to its intersection with Union Street where NY 146 meets. East of Balltown Road, Union Street is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation as unsigned NY 911G; however, there are no markers to this effect. Balltown Road is nearly north–south with very few turns. It eventually reaches the town of Ballston in Saratoga County.
Central Avenue, in Albany, New York, is an 18 km stretch in Albany County, of the 26 km Albany-Schenectady Turnpike, which runs from Lark Street in the city of Albany, westward through the towns of Colonie, New York and Niskayuna, New York, to the city of Schenectady, New York. In Albany County it is called Central Avenue, and in Schenectady County it is called State Street. The entire route is designated as a part of New York State Route 5, which stretches to the Pennsylvania state line and terminates at Central Avenue's east end.
The Niskayuna Central School District is a public school district located in Niskayuna, New York. It has a total enrollment of 4,312 students in grades K–12 in 8 schools. The district superintendent was Susan Kay Salvaggio until 2014. After that, Dr. Cosimo Tangorra became the superintendent and is the current superintendent. Then Until Salvaggio was superintendent Kevin. S. Baughman held the prestigious note of being the second-highest school administrator in the State of NY, making over $200,000, nearly double the salary of the Governor. The district primarily serves the Town of Niskayuna, but also covers a small section of the Town of Colonie, the Alplaus area of the Town of Glenville and the Rexford area of the Town of Clifton Park, both north of the Mohawk River.
The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail (MHBHT) is a 97-mile (156 km) trail in New York's Mohawk Valley and Capital District regions. It is also the easternmost segment of the Erie Canalway Trail, as well as a portion of the Empire State Trail.
Watervliet was a town that at its height encompassed most of present-day Albany County and most of the current town of Niskayuna in neighboring Schenectady County, in the state of New York, United States. Just prior to its dissolution, the town encompassed the current towns of Colonie and Green Island and the city of Watervliet.
Lisha Kill is a hamlet in the town of Colonie, Albany County, New York, United States. Lisha Kill lies on New York Route 5 in the western section of the town. The hamlet received its name from the creek of the same name, Lisha Kill, kill being Dutch for creek or stream. The stream is also referred to as Lisha's Kill and received its name from a local legend about a Native American woman who is buried along its banks.
Niska Isle, despite its name, is not an island, but a peninsula in the town of Niskayuna, New York. Niska Isle is along the Mohawk River's south shore, with a back bay and swamp that surrounds it to the south.
Mohawk River Nature Preserve, formerly Mohawk River State Park, is a 105-acre (0.42 km2) undeveloped nature preserve in the town of Niskayuna in Schenectady County, New York. The park is located adjacent to the Mohawk River.
Aqueduct is a hamlet in the Town of Niskayuna, Schenectady County, New York, United States. Its center is at the south end of the bridge of New York State Route 146 over the Mohawk River, that connects Schenectady County to the south and Saratoga County to the north. It was formerly a transportation hub. Alexander's Bridge across the Mohawk antedated the Aqueduct. A new Route 146 steel highway bridge, with board pavement, parallel to the Aqueduct was built in the early 20th century. A Schenectady trolley line ended there, the line also serving Luna Park, just over the river in Rexford. There was, in Aqueduct, a staffed station of the Troy & Schenectady Railroad, which operated from 1841 to 1932.
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