Editing Albany, New York (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Albany, New York}}

===Mohican, Mohawk, and Dutch before 1660===
[[File:North Pearl Street Albany 1800s.png|thumb|''North Pearl Street from Maiden Lane North'' a {{Circa|1805}} portrait by [[James Eights]]|alt=A watercolor painting of brown and yellow row houses in front of a dirt road, two of which have classic Dutch stepped gables; a white church spire is seen in the background.]]
The [[Hudson River]] area was originally inhabited by [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking [[Mohican]] (Mahican), who called it ''Pempotowwuthut-Muhhcanneuw'', meaning "the fireplace of the Mohican nation".<ref name=mceneny6>McEneny (2006), p. 6</ref> Based to the west along the [[Mohawk River]], the Iroquoian-speaking [[Mohawk people|Mohawk]] called it ''[[Schenectady|Sche-negh-ta-da]]'', "through the pine woods", referring to the path they took there.<ref name=howell460>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bicentennialhis00howegoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/bicentennialhis00howegoog/page/n298 460]|title=Bi-centennial History of Albany|publisher=W. W. Munsell & Company|last1=Howell|first1=George Rogers|year=1886}}</ref>{{efn|This name would later be adopted by the city of [[Schenectady]], to the west.<ref>{{cite book |title=Notes on the Iroquois; Or, Contributions to American History, Antiquities, and General Ethnology |last=Schoolcraft |first=Henry Rowe |publisher=Erastus H. Pease & Co |year=1847 |location=Albany, New York |page=345 |isbn=9780608402543 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YGFDGAQ48AC&q=schenectady%20name%20iroquois&pg=PA345}}</ref>|group=Note}}

According to [[Hendrick Aupaumut]], the Mohicans came to the area from the north and the west. They settled along the Mahicannituck, which is now called the Hudson River, and called themselves the ''Muh-he-con-neok'', the "People of the Waters That Are Never Still".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Origin and Early History|url=https://www.mohican.com/origin-early-history/|access-date=September 13, 2021|website=mohican.com|language=en|archive-date=September 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911195350/https://www.mohican.com/origin-early-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Mohawks, one of the [[Iroquois Confederacy|Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy]], were based in the Mohawk valley and noted for their fur trading and their access to trade between the Iroquois and other nations.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Culture and History|url=https://www.srmt-nsn.gov/culture_and_history|url-status=live|access-date=|website=Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe|date=October 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028212721/https://www.srmt-nsn.gov/culture_and_history |archive-date=October 28, 2018 }}</ref> The Mohawk became strong trading partners with the Dutch and English. It is likely that the area was visited by European fur traders perhaps as early as 1540, but the extent and duration of those visits are unclear.<ref>{{cite book |first=Cuyler |last=Reynolds |title=Albany Chronicles |publisher=J. B. Lyon Company |location=Albany, New York |date=1906 |page=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNU0AAAAIAAJ&pg=GBS.PA2.w.5.0.0}}</ref>

Permanent European claims began when Englishman [[Henry Hudson]], exploring for the [[Dutch East India Company]] on the ''[[Half Moon (ship)|Half Moon]]'' ({{Langx|nl|Halve Maen}}), reached the area in 1609, claiming it for the [[Dutch Republic|United Netherlands]].<ref>"[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/274681/Henry-Hudson Henry Hudson]". (2010). ''Britannica''. Retrieved June 27, 2010.</ref> In 1614, [[Hendrick Christiaensen]] built [[Fort Nassau (North River)|Fort Nassau]] on Castle Island (now called [[Port of Albany–Rensselaer|Port of Albany]]), in the Hudson River. The fort acted as a [[Fur trade|fur-trading]] post and was the first documented European structure in present-day Albany. Commencement of the fur trade provoked hostility from the [[Canada, New France|French colony in Canada]] and among the natives, all of whom vied to control the trade. In 1618, a flood ruined Fort Nassau, but the Dutch replaced it with [[Fort Orange (New Netherland)|Fort Orange]] on the mainland in 1624.<ref name="howell775">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkJAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA775|title=Bi-centennial History of Albany|last1=Howell|first1=George Rogers|year=1886|page=775}}</ref> Both forts were named in honor of the leading family of the Dutch Revolt, members of the [[House of Orange-Nassau]].<ref name="venema13">Venema (2003), p. 13</ref> Fort Orange and the surrounding area were incorporated as the village of [[Beverwijck]] ({{Langx|en|Beaverwick or Beaver District}}) in 1652,<ref name="rittner7">Rittner (2002), p. 7</ref><ref name="venema12">Venema (2003), p. 12</ref> and the city of Albany in 1686. In these early decades of trade, the Dutch, Mohican, and Mohawk developed relations that reflected differences among their three cultures.<ref>[http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/staffpubs/docs/20360.pdf James Wesley Bradley, ''Before Albany: An Archaeology of Native-Dutch Relations in the Capital Region 1660–1664''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223203201/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/staffpubs/docs/20360.pdf |date=December 23, 2014 }}, Albany: University of the State of New York, 2007, pp. 2–6</ref>{{clarification needed|reason=It is unclear what "developed relations that reflected differences among their three cultures" means.|date=March 2025}}

===British rule to 1800===
Albany is one of the [[List of North American settlements by year of foundation|oldest surviving European settlements]] from the original [[Thirteen Colonies]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Larnard, J.N.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTcFAAAAIAAJ&q=french%20fort%201540%20albany&pg=PA195|title=The New Larned History for Ready Reference and Research|publisher=C.A. Nichols Publishing Company|year=1922|editor=Donald E. Smith|volume=I (A-Bak)|page=195}}</ref> and the longest continuously chartered city in the United States.{{efn|The ''Dongan Charter'' incorporated Albany three months after New York City's charter was ratified. However, the latter forfeited its charter during [[Leisler's Rebellion]], making Albany's the oldest effective charter in the country.<ref name=Thacher>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MrwZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA137|title=Proceedings of the Conference for Good City Government and the Annual ...|last1=League|first1=National Municipal|year=1896}}</ref><ref name = whish5>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqCeHOJyK0wC&pg=PA5|title=Albany Guide Book|year=1917|last1=Whish|first1=John D.}}</ref>|group=Note}} When [[New Netherland]] was captured by the [[Kingdom of England|English]] in 1664, the name was changed from ''Beverwijck'' to ''Albany'' in honor of the [[Duke of Albany]] (later James II).<ref name="brodhead744">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historystatenew02brodgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/historystatenew02brodgoog/page/n772 744]|title=History of the State of New York|publisher=Harper & Brothers|last1=Brodhead|first1=John Romeyn|year=1874}}</ref>{{efn|[[James II of England|James Stuart]] (1633–1701), brother and successor of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], was both the [[Duke of York]] and [[Duke of Albany]] before being crowned king in 1685. His title of Duke of York is the source of the name of the [[province of New York]].<ref name=brodhead744/>|group=Note}} Duke of Albany was a [[Peerage of Scotland|Scottish title]] given since 1398, generally to a younger son of the [[List of Scottish monarchs|King of Scots]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Albany, Dukes of |volume= 1 | pages = 487–489, line two|quote=The title of duke of Albany was first bestowed in 1398....}}</ref> The name is ultimately derived from ''[[Alba]]'', the [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] name for Scotland.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Historie of Scotland |last=Leslie |first=Jhone |translator=James Dalrymple |editor=E.G. Cody |publisher=William Blackwood and Sons |year=1888 |page=354 |location=Edinburgh |oclc=3217086 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=56RHAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA354}}</ref> The Dutch briefly regained Albany in August 1673 and renamed the city ''Willemstadt''; the English took permanent possession in 1674 with the [[Treaty of Westminster (1674)|Treaty of Westminster]].<ref name="reynolds72">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNU0AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA72|title=Albany Chronicles|year=1906}}</ref> On November 1, 1683, the [[Province of New York]] was split into counties, with [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]] being the largest: it included all of present New York State north of [[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess]] and [[Ulster County, New York|Ulster]] Counties in addition to present-day [[Bennington County, Vermont|Bennington County]], Vermont, theoretically stretching west to the Pacific Ocean;<ref name="NYATLAS">Thorne, Kathryn Ford, Compiler & Long, John H., Editor: ''New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries''; The Newbury Library; 1993.</ref><ref>{{cite map |title=[[:File:A Map of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey, with a part of Pennsylvania and the Province of Quebec. LOC 74692641 (cropped).jpg|A Map of the Provinces of New-York and New-Jersey, with a Part of Pennsylvania and the Province of Quebec]] |publisher=Matthew Albert Lotter |cartography=[[Claude Joseph Sauthier]] |scale=ca. 1:1,040,000 |year=1777}}</ref> Albany became the [[county seat]].<ref name="french155">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC/page/n161 155]|title=Gazetteer of the State of New York|publisher=R. Pearsall Smith|last1=French|first1=John Homer|year=1860}}</ref> Albany was formally chartered as a municipality by [[Province of New York|provincial Governor]] [[Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick|Thomas Dongan]] on July 22, 1686. The [[Dongan Charter]] was virtually identical in content to the charter awarded to the city of New York three months earlier.<ref name="Charter">{{cite web |title = The Dongan Charter |publisher = New York State Museum |access-date = November 23, 2008 |url = http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/charter.html |archive-date = October 12, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081012114158/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/charter.html |url-status = dead }}</ref> Dongan created Albany as a strip of land {{convert|1|mi|km}} wide and {{convert|16|mi|km}} long.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNU0AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA84|title=Albany Chronicles|year=1906}}</ref> Over the years Albany would lose much of the land to the west and [[Municipal annexation|annex]] land to the north and south. At this point, Albany had a population of about 500 people.<ref name="pop" />

===Plan of Union===
In 1754, representatives of seven [[British North America]]n colonies met in the ''[[Stadt Huys]]'', Albany's [[Albany City Hall|city hall]], for the [[Albany Congress]]; [[Benjamin Franklin]] of [[Province of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]] presented the [[Albany Plan of Union]] there, which was the first formal proposal to unite the colonies.<ref name=rittner22>Rittner (2002), p. 22</ref> Although it was never adopted by [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]], it was an important precursor to the [[United States Constitution]].<ref name=mceneny12>McEneny (2006), p. 12</ref>{{efn|The Plan of Union's original intention was to unite the colonies in defense against aggressions of the French to the north; it was not an attempt to become independent from the British crown.<ref name=mceneny12/>|group=Note}} The same year, the [[French and Indian War]], the fourth in a [[French and Indian Wars|series of wars]] dating back to 1689, began. It ended in 1763 with [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|French defeat]], resolving a situation that had been a constant threat to Albany and held back its growth.<ref name=mceneny56>McEneny (2006), p. 56</ref>

===Revolutionary War and real estate===
In 1775, with the colonies in the midst of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], the ''Stadt Huys'' became home to the Albany [[Committee of Correspondence]] (the political arm of the local revolutionary movement), which took over operation of Albany's government and eventually expanded its power to control all of [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]]. [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Tories]] and prisoners of war were often jailed in the ''Stadt Huys'' alongside common criminals.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Committee of Correspondence |publisher=New York State Museum |last=Bielinski |first=Stefan |date=March 8, 2010 |access-date=August 19, 2010 |url=http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/coc.html |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818044657/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/coc.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1776, Albany native [[Philip Livingston]] signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] at [[Independence Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Livingston, Philip (1716–1778) |work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |publisher=United States Congress |access-date=October 9, 2009 |date= |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000369}}</ref>

During and after the Revolutionary War, Albany County saw a great increase in real estate transactions. After [[Horatio Gates]] defeated [[John Burgoyne]] at [[Battle of Saratoga|Saratoga]] in 1777, the upper [[Hudson Valley]] was generally at peace as the war raged on elsewhere. Prosperity was soon seen all over [[Upstate New York]]. Migrants from Vermont and Connecticut began flowing in, noting the advantages of living on the Hudson and trading at Albany, while being only a few days' sail from New York City.<ref name=anderson68>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/landmarksofrenss00ande#page/n91/mode/2up|title=Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York|publisher=Syracuse, New York, D. Mason & company|year=1897}}</ref> Albany reported a population of 3,498 in the [[1790 United States census|first national census]] in 1790, an increase of almost 700% since its chartering.<ref name=pop>{{cite web|title=How a City Worked: Occupations in Colonial Albany|publisher=New York State Museum|access-date=January 10, 2009|url=http://www.nnp.org/nnp/publications/ABAFB/4.4.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120005559/http://www.nnp.org/nnp/publications/ABAFB/4.4.pdf|archive-date=November 20, 2008|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

===Early decades of American independence===
On November 17, 1793, fire broke out at a stable belonging to [[Leonard Gansevoort]], destroying 26 homes on Broadway, Maiden Lane, James Street, and State Street. Three were arrested and charged with arson: Pompey, a man enslaved by Matthew Visscher; Dinah, a 14-year-old girl enslaved by [[Volkert P. Douw]]; and Bet, a 12-year-old girl enslaved by [[Philip S. Van Rensselaer]]. On January 6, 1794, the three were sentenced to death. [[Governor George Clinton]] issued a temporary stay of execution, but Dinah and Bet were executed by hanging on March 14, and Pompey on April 11, 1794.<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor = 2783709|title = Black Arson in Albany, New York: November 1793|journal = Journal of Black Studies|volume = 7|issue = 3|pages = 301–312|last1 = Gerlach|first1 = Don R.|year = 1977|doi = 10.1177/002193477700700304|s2cid = 220416464}}</ref>

In 1797, the [[List of capitals in the United States|state capital]] was moved permanently to Albany. From [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood|statehood]] to this date, the [[New York State Legislature|Legislature]] had frequently moved the state capital between Albany, [[Kingston, New York|Kingston]], [[Poughkeepsie, New York|Poughkeepsie]], and [[New York City|the city of New York]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Stevens |first=John Austin |title=The Magazine of American History with Notes and Queries |publisher=Historical Publication Co |year=1886 |page=124 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7hnlOojVAEC&pg=RA1-PA124}}</ref> Albany is the tenth-oldest state capital in the United States and the second-oldest city that is a state capital, after [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], New Mexico.<ref>Rittner (2002), back cover</ref>

===1800 to 1942===
[[File:Albany New York 1895 Restored.jpg|thumb|This 1895 map of Albany shows the gridded [[City block|block system]] as it expanded around the former [[Toll road|turnpikes]].|alt=A yellowed map of the city showing streets, the Hudson River, and municipal boundaries; Albany is shaded to distinguish from neighboring towns.]]

Albany has been a center of transportation for much of its history. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Albany saw development of the [[Toll road|turnpike]] and by 1815, Albany was the turnpike center of the state. The development of [[Simeon De Witt]]'s gridded block system in 1794—which renamed streets that had originally named after the [[British royal family]] with names of [[Streets of Albany, New York|birds and mammals]] instead{{efn|A rough grid pattern was established in 1764, aligning the streets with Clinton Avenue, which marked the northern border of Albany at the time. [[Patroon]] of the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck]] Stephen Van Rensselaer II followed the same directional system north of Clinton Avenue on his lands; however, the two systems were not related otherwise, which is why cross streets north and south of Clinton Avenue do not align. The stockade surrounding the city was taken down shortly before the Revolutionary War, allowing for expansion. De Witt, city surveyor at the time, continued the grid pattern to the west and renamed on his 1794 map any streets named after the [[British royal family]]. Hawk Street is the only road that retained its original name; the rest were renamed after birds and mammals.<ref name=waite185>Waite (1993), p. 185</ref><ref name=mceneny68>McEneny (2006), p. 68</ref>|group=Note}}—was intersected by these major arterials coming out of Albany, cutting through the city at unexpected angles.<ref name=mceneny75>McEneny (2006), p. 75</ref><ref name=waite201>Waite (1993), p. 201</ref> The construction of the turnpike, in conjunction with canal and railroad systems, made Albany the hub of transportation for pioneers going to [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and the [[Michigan Territory]] in the early and mid-19th century.<ref name=mceneny75 /><ref name=britannica>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/12570/Albany Albany]. (2010). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved June 27, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref>

[[File:Albany Steamer.jpg|thumb|The [[Steamboat|steamer]] ''Albany'' departs for New York City; at the height of steam travel in 1884. 1.5 million passengers took the trip.<ref name=mceneny92>McEneny (2006), p. 92</ref>|alt=A white steam ship is seen near the shore of the Hudson River in front of the downtown area of Albany; the New York State Capitol can be seen in the background.]]

In 1807, [[Robert Fulton]] initiated a [[steamboat]] line from New York City to Albany, the first successful enterprise of its kind anywhere in the world.<ref name=mceneny92/> By [[1810 United States census|1810]], with 10,763 people, Albany was the tenth-largest urban place in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab04.txt |title = Population of the 46 Urban Places: 1810 |publisher = U.S. Bureau of the Census |date = June 15, 1998 |access-date = July 14, 2010}}</ref> The town and village north of Albany known as "the Colonie"{{efn|"The Colonie" made up the current area of Arbor Hill and was the more urban part of the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck]], which surrounded Albany.<ref name=annex/> It is the source of the name of the current town and village of Colonie.<ref>{{cite web |title=Colonie History: Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=Town of Colonie |date=June 19, 2008 |url=http://www.colonie.org/historian/index.html#faq |access-date=September 11, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923002413/http://colonie.org/historian/index.html#faq |archive-date=September 23, 2010  }}</ref> Though retaining the original Dutch spelling, the municipality retains a unique pronunciation—{{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ɒ|l|ə|ˈ|n|iː}}—that even a preeminent Beverwijck historian can not explain.<ref>{{cite web |title=You say RENseler, I say renseLAR |last=Norder |first=Akum |publisher=Times Union |date=December 27, 2012 |access-date=February 18, 2023 |url=https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/You-say-RENseler-I-say-renseLAR-4149714.php}}</ref>|group=Note}} was annexed in 1815.<ref name=annex>{{cite web|title=Appendix: Annexations 1815–1967 |publisher=City of Albany Department of Urban Redevelopment |access-date=September 11, 2010 |url=http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/achor/inout/ichap5.html |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080823005023/http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/achor/inout/ichap5.html |archive-date=August 23, 2008 }}</ref> In 1825 the [[Erie Canal]] was completed, forming a continuous water route from the [[Great Lakes]] to New York City. Unlike the current [[New York State Canal System|Barge Canal]], which ends at nearby [[Waterford, New York|Waterford]], the original Erie Canal ended at Albany; Lock 1 was north of Colonie Street.<ref>{{cite map |last=Andrews |first=Horace |title=City of Albany |year=1895 |publisher=Julius Bien & Company |scale=1 inch per 1000 feet |url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albany_New_York_1895_Restored.jpg}}</ref> The Canal emptied into a {{convert|32|acre|ha|adj=on}} man-made lagoon called the [[Albany Basin]], which was Albany's main port from 1825 until the [[Port of Albany-Rensselaer]] opened in 1932.<ref>{{cite book|title=The People's Welfare: Law and Regulation in Nineteenth-Century America |last=Novak |first=William J |publisher=The University of North Carolina Press |year=1996 |location= Chapel Hill|isbn=0-8078-4611-2 |page=139 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8vQWaL-dT0EC&q=1825%20pier%20albany%20basin&pg=PA139}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=New York: A Guide to the Empire State |author=New York State Historical Association |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1940 |location=New York City |page=727 |isbn=9781603540315 |oclc=504264143 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmbOZd4D-ccC&pg=PA727}}</ref> In 1829, while working as a professor at the [[Albany Academy]], [[Joseph Henry]], widely regarded as "the foremost American scientist of the 19th century",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nas.edu/history/members/henry.html |title=Joseph Henry |access-date=September 18, 2010 |work=Distinguished Members Gallery, National Academy of Sciences |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209134636/http://www.nas.edu/history/members/henry.html |archive-date=December 9, 2006 }}</ref> built the first [[electric motor]]. Three years later, he discovered [[Inductance|electromagnetic self-induction]] (the [[International System of Units|SI unit]] for which is now the [[Henry (unit)|henry]]). He went on to be the first [[Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution]].<ref>"[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/261387/Joseph-Henry Joseph Henry]". (2010). ''Britannica''. Retrieved September 18, 2010.</ref> In the [[1830 United States census|1830]] and [[1840 United States census|1840]] censuses, Albany was ranked as the ninth-largest urban place in the nation;<ref>{{cite web |author = Gibson, Campbell |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab06.txt |title = Population of the 90 Urban Places: 1830 |publisher = U.S. Bureau of the Census |date = June 15, 1998 |access-date = July 14, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Gibson, Campbell |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab07.txt |title = Population of the 100 Urban Places: 1840 |publisher = U.S. Bureau of the Census |date = June 15, 1998 |access-date = July 14, 2010}}</ref> it dropped back to tenth in [[1850 United States census|1850]].<ref>{{cite web |author = Gibson, Campbell |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/tab08.txt |title = Population of the 100 Urban Places: 1850 |publisher = U.S. Bureau of the Census |date = June 15, 1998 |access-date = July 14, 2010}}</ref> This was the last time the city was one of the top ten largest urban places in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |author = Gibson, Campbell |url = https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027/twps0027.html |title = Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 |publisher = U.S. Bureau of the Census |date = June 15, 1998 |access-date = July 14, 2010}}</ref>

Albany also has significant history with [[History of rail transport in the United States|rail transport]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania RR Chronology |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |year=2005 |url=http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1826%20Apr%2005.pdf |page=5 |access-date=June 2, 2010}}</ref> as the location of two major regional railroad headquarters. The [[Delaware and Hudson Railway]] was headquartered in Albany at what is now the [[SUNY System Administration Building]].<ref name=waite245>Waite (1993), p. 245</ref> In 1853, [[Erastus Corning]], a noted industrialist and Albany's mayor from 1834 to 1837, consolidated ten railroads stretching from Albany to Buffalo into the [[New York Central Railroad]] (NYCRR), headquartered in Albany until [[Cornelius Vanderbilt]] moved it to New York City in 1867.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Railroad Builders, A Chronicle of the Welding of the States |first=John |last=Moody |year=1921 |publisher=Yale University Press |page=27 |isbn=9780722227442 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeApAAAAYAAJ&q=The%20Railroad%20Builders&pg=PA26}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=For a glimpse of the future, backtrack |author=Anderson, Eric |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |work=Times Union (Albany) |date=June 17, 2010 |url=http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=11008144 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 6, 2010 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707204603/http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=11008144 }}</ref> One of the ten companies that formed the NYCRR was the [[Mohawk and Hudson Railroad]], which was the first railroad in the state and the first successful steam railroad running regularly scheduled service in the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Railroads in New York State |publisher=New York State Department of Transportation |url=https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-service/history-railroads |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121214022752/https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-service/history-railroads |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2012 |access-date=June 4, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Shaughnessy-DH|page=89}}</ref>

[[File:Albany Lumber Yard 1870s.png|thumb|left|The [[Albany Lumber District]] was home to the largest lumber market in the nation in 1865.<ref name=lumber/>|alt=A flat boat with large, wooden boards piled on it floats in a narrow channel surrounded by more piles of wooden boards. A few men pose on the boat.]]While the key to Albany's economic prosperity in the 19th century was transportation, industry and business also played a role. Largely thanks to the city's Dutch and German roots, beer was one of its biggest commodities. [[Beverwyck Brewery]], originally known as Quinn and Nolan ([[Michael N. Nolan|Nolan]] being mayor of Albany 1878–1883),<ref>{{cite web |title=Nolan, Michael Nicholas |publisher=United States Congress |work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |access-date=June 30, 2010 |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000126}}</ref> was the last remaining brewer from that time when it closed in 1972. The city's location at the east end of the Erie Canal gave it unparalleled access to both raw products and a captive customer base in the west.<ref name=mceneny8788>McEneny (2006), pp. 87–88</ref> Albany was known for its publishing houses, and to some extent, still is. Albany was second only to [[Boston]] in the number of books produced for most of the 19th century.<ref name=mceneny88>McEneny (2006), p. 88</ref> Iron foundries in both the north and south ends of the city attracted thousands of immigrants to the city for industrial jobs. Intricate [[wrought-iron]] details constructed in those years remain visible on what are now historic buildings. The iron industry waned by the 1890s due to increased costs associated with a newly [[Trade union|unionized]] workforce and the opening of mines in the [[Mesabi Range]] in [[Minnesota]].<ref name=mceneny8892>McEneny (2006), pp. 88 & 92</ref>

[[File:BroadwayAlbanyLincoln.jpg|thumb|Broadway in Albany during the [[Funeral and burial of Abraham Lincoln|funeral ceremonies]] for Abraham Lincoln (1865)]]

Albany's other major exports during the 18th and 19th centuries were furs, wheat, meat, and lumber.<ref name=mceneny85>McEneny (2006), p. 65</ref> By 1865, there were almost 4,000 saw mills in the Albany area<ref name=mceneny85/> and the [[Albany Lumber District]] was the largest lumber market in the nation.<ref name=lumber>{{cite book |title=The Albany Lumber Trade: Its History and Extent |last= |first= |year=1872 |publisher=The Argus Company |location=Albany |page=7 |oclc=8260640 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XkDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA7}}</ref> The city was also home to a number of banks. The Bank of Albany (1792–1861) was the second chartered bank in New York.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Bank of Albany |publisher=New York State Museum |date=January 6, 2008 |access-date=July 19, 2010 |url=http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bankofalbany.html |archive-date=July 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100720202819/http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bankofalbany.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city was the original home of the Albank (founded in 1820 as the Albany Savings Bank),<ref>{{cite news |title=Trust(Co) Worth Advice? |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |work=Times Union (Albany) |date=June 10, 2007 |page=C1 |url=http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6462762 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430030005/http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6462762 }}</ref> [[KeyBank]] (founded in 1825 as the Commercial Bank of Albany),<ref>{{cite news |title=KeyCorp |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |work=Times Union (Albany) |date=November 10, 2008 |page=C8 |url=http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=7164396 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430025942/http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=7164396 }}</ref> and Norstar Bank (founded as the State Bank of Albany in 1803).<ref>{{cite news |title=Bank Merger Clears Last Hurdle |author=Gordon, Marcy |date=March 9, 2004 |publisher=Hearst Newspapers |work=Times Union (Albany) |page=E1 |url=http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6280718 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430030218/http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6280718 }}</ref> [[American Express]] was founded in Albany in 1850 as an [[express mail]] business.<ref name=reynolds603>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNU0AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA603|title=Albany Chronicles|year=1906}}</ref> In 1871, the northwestern portion of Albany—west from Magazine Street—was annexed to the neighboring town of Guilderland<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HGkJAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA77|title=Bi-centennial History of Albany|last1=Howell|first1=George Rogers|year=1886}}</ref> after the town of [[Watervliet (town), New York|Watervliet]] refused annexation of the territory.<ref>{{cite book |title=Laws of the State of New York, Passed at the Ninety-Third Session of the Legislature, Begun January Fourth, and Ended April Twenty-Sixth, 1870, in the City of Albany. Volume I |access-date=September 11, 2010 |year=1870 |publisher=State of New York/Weed, Parsons and Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5hixAAAAIAAJ&q=watervliet+albany+1870+law+annexation&pg=PA412 |page=412}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Laws of the State of New York, Passed at the Ninety-Fourth Session of the Legislature, Begun January Third, and Ended April Twenty-first 1871, in the City of Albany. Volume II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQ-xAAAAIAAJ&q=guilderland+albany+1871+law+annexation&pg=PA1688 |page=1688 |access-date = September 11, 2010 |year=1871 |publisher=State of New York/The Argus Company}}</ref> In return for this loss, portions of Bethlehem and Watervliet were added to Albany. Part of the land annexed to Guilderland was ceded back to Albany in 1910, setting up the current western border.<ref name=annex/>

The train carrying the body of slain President Abraham Lincoln came through Albany on the way to Illinois and some claim the ghostly image of that train remains.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Times Union article|work=Times Union |date=October 8, 2021|url=https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/eagle-podcast-ghost-story-lincoln-funeral-train-16518643.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008145010/https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/eagle-podcast-ghost-story-lincoln-funeral-train-16518643.php |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |last1=Marshall |first1=Jessica }}</ref>

Albany opened one of the first commercial airports in the world, and the first municipal airport in the United States, in 1908.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Originally on a polo field on Loudon Road, it moved to [[Westerlo Island]] in 1909 and remained there until 1928.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} The Albany Municipal Airport—jointly owned by the city and county—was moved to its current location in [[Colonie, New York|Colonie]] in 1928.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} By 1916 Albany's northern and southern borders reached their modern courses;<ref name=annex/> [[Westerlo Island]], to the south, became the second-to-last annexation, which occurred in 1926.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cutting Ice: Big Business in Bethlehem |publisher=Town of Bethlehem |url=http://www.townofbethlehem.org/pages/history/historyArticlesIceCutting.asp |access-date=September 11, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006020426/http://www.townofbethlehem.org/pages/history/historyArticlesIceCutting.asp |archive-date=October 6, 2010 }}</ref>

===1942 to present day===
[[File:Albany Institute of History and Art Panorama.jpg|alt=Two classic, buff-colored brick buildings are connected by a modern glass and steel atrium on an urban street.|thumb|[[Albany Institute of History & Art]]]]
[[Erastus Corning 2nd]], arguably Albany's most notable mayor (and great-grandson of the former mayor of the same name), was elected in 1941.<ref name=mceneny157>McEneny (2006), p. 157</ref> Although he was one of the longest-serving mayors of any city in United States history (1942 until his death in 1983), one historian describes Corning's tenure as "long on years, short on accomplishments,"<ref name=grondahl490>Grondahl (2007), p. 490</ref> citing Corning's preference for maintaining the status quo as a factor that held back potential progress during his tenure.<ref name=grondahl500>Grondahl (2007), p. 500</ref> While Corning brought stability to the office of mayor, it is said even those who admire him greatly cannot come up with a sizable list of "major concrete Corning achievements."<ref name=grondahl494>Grondahl (2007), p. 494</ref> Corning is given credit for saving—albeit somewhat unintentionally—much of Albany's historic architecture.{{efn|Grondahl summarizes it as, "This hard-line position of isolationism on the part of the [[political machine|machine]] was a curse economically – but a strange blessing unintentionally in architectural terms. While downtown went to seed and plans for large-scale construction and improvements came to a virtual standstill in Albany without federal money, pockets of the city's historic housing stock escaped the wrecking ball."<ref name=grondahl500/>|group=Note}}

During the 1950s and 1960s, a time when federal aid for urban renewal was plentiful,<ref name=grondahl500/> Albany did not have growth in its economy or infrastructure. It lost more than 20 percent of its population during the Corning years, as people moved to newer housing in the suburbs, followed by most of the downtown businesses [[Urban sprawl|moving there as well]].<ref name=grondahl492>Grondahl (2007), p. 492</ref> While cities across the country grappled with similar issues, the problems were magnified in Albany: interference from the Democratic political machine hindered progress considerably.<ref name=grondahl500/> In 1960, the mayor sold the city's stake in the airport to the county, citing budget issues. It was known from then on as Albany County Airport until a massive upgrade and modernization project between 1996 and 1998, when it was rebranded [[Albany International Airport]].{{efn|Albany International Airport is the public-facing brand of the Albany County Airport,<ref name=Airport>{{cite web|title=Albany Airport History |publisher=Albany International Airport |last=Hakes |first=Chauncey D |url=http://www.albanyairport.com/alb_history.php |access-date=June 2, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222081857/http://www.albanyairport.com/alb_history.php |archive-date=December 22, 2008 }}</ref> which remains overseen by the Albany County Airport Authority.<ref>{{cite web |title=Airport Authority |publisher=Albany County Airport Authority |accessdate=February 18, 2023 |url=https://www.albanyairport.com/about-alb/airport-authority}}</ref>}}

Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]] (1959–1973) ([[United States Republican Party|R]]) tried to stimulate the city with new monumental architecture and large, government-sponsored building projects; he drove construction of the [[Empire State Plaza]], [[SUNY Albany]]'s uptown campus, and much of the [[W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus]].<ref name=grondahl501>Grondahl (2007), p. 501</ref> Albany County [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Chairman Joseph C. Frangella once quipped, "Governor Rockefeller was the best mayor Albany ever had."<ref name=grondahl502>Grondahl (2007), p. 502</ref> Corning, although opposed to the project, was responsible for negotiating the payment plan for the [[Empire State Plaza]]. Rockefeller did not want to be limited by the Legislature's [[power of the purse]], so Corning devised a plan to have the county pay for the construction and have the state sign a lease-ownership agreement. The state paid off the bonds until 2004. It was Rockefeller's only viable option, and he agreed. Due to the clout Corning gained from the situation, he gained inclusion of the State Museum, a convention center, and a restaurant, back in the plans—ideas which Rockefeller had originally vetoed. The county gained $35 million in fees and the city received $13 million for lost tax revenue. Having the state offices in the city enabled it to keep good jobs and retain middle-class residents.<ref name=grondahl467469>Grondahl (2007), pp. 467–469</ref>

[[File:Albany Yellow Book cropped.jpeg|thumb|This 1955 map shows the planned expansion of the [[Interstate Highway System]] around Albany.|alt=Black and white map shows the boundaries of Albany and surrounding municipalities, crossed with dark black lines representing planned interstate highways.]]

Another major project of the 1960s and 1970s was the construction of [[Interstate 787]] and the [[South Mall Arterial]].{{efn|The Empire State Plaza was originally known as the South Mall; the [[South Mall Arterial]] is the only remnant of that naming scheme.|group=Note}} Construction began in the early 1960s. A proposed Mid-Crosstown Arterial never came to fruition.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.capitalhighways.8m.com/highways/m-ca/ | title = Mid-Crosstown Arterial | publisher = Capital Highways | year = 2006 | access-date = June 28, 2010 | author = Jordan, Christopher | url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110429085042/http://www.capitalhighways.8m.com/highways/m-ca/ | archive-date = April 29, 2011 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> One of the project's main results was separating the city from the Hudson River. Historian Paul Grondahl has described Corning as shortsighted with respect to use of the waterfront, saying the mayor could have used his influence to change the location of I-787, which now cuts the city off from "its whole ''[[wikt:raison d'être|raison d'être]]''"<ref name=grondahl498>Grondahl (2007), p. 498</ref> In 1967, the hamlet of Karlsfeld was the last annexation by the city, sourced from the Town of Bethlehem.<ref name=annex />

When Corning died in 1983, [[Thomas Michael Whalen III|Thomas Whalen]] assumed the mayorship and was reelected twice. He encouraged redevelopment of historic structures and helped attract federal dollars earmarked for that purpose. What Corning had saved from destruction, Whalen refurbished for continued and new uses.<ref name=mceneny191>McEneny (2006), p. 191</ref> The Mayor's Office of Special Events was created in an effort to increase the number of festivals and artistic events in the city, including a year-long ''Dongan Charter'' tricentennial celebration in 1986.<ref name=mceneny192>McEneny (2006), p. 192</ref> Whalen is credited for an "unparalleled cycle of commercial investment and development" in Albany due to his "aggressive business development programs".<ref>{{cite news |title=Thomas M. Whalen III, 68, Three-Term Mayor of Albany ''(Obituary)'' |author=Pace, Eric |work=The New York Times |date=March 8, 2002 |access-date=July 18, 2010 |page= |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/08/nyregion/thomas-m-whalen-iii-68-three-term-mayor-of-albany.html}}</ref>

Prior to the [[Early 1990s recession|recession of the 1990s]], downtown Albany was home to four [[Fortune 500]] companies.<ref name=mceneny193>McEneny (2006), p. 193</ref> After the death of Corning and the retirement of Congressman [[Sam Stratton]], the political environment changed. Long-term office holders became rare in the 1980s. Local media began following the drama surrounding county politics (specifically that of the newly created county executive position); the loss of Corning (and eventually the machine) led to a lack of interest in city politics.<ref name=mceneny193194>McEneny (2006), pp. 193–194</ref> The election of [[Gerald Jennings]] was a surprise, and he served as mayor from 1994 until his retirement at the end of 2013. His tenure essentially ended the political machine that had been in place since the 1920s.<ref name=mceneny198>McEneny (2006), p. 198</ref>

During the 1990s, the State Legislature approved the $234 million "Albany Plan", "a building and renovation project [that] was the most ambitious building project to affect the area since the Rockefeller era." Under the Albany Plan, renovation and new building projects were initiated around the downtown area. Many state workers were relocated from the Harriman State Office Campus to downtown, helping its retail businesses and vitality.<ref name=mceneny201/> The first decade of the 21st century saw a real possibility for a long-discussed and controversial Albany Convention Center; it opened in 2017 with the goal of making Albany a viable location for large events hosted by statewide organizations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Convention center dream becomes reality |last=Downen |first=Robert |publisher=Hearst Media |work=Times Union (Albany) |date=March 1, 2017 |accessdate=February 18, 2023 |url=https://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-business/article/Convention-center-dream-becomes-reality-10970544.php}}</ref>

Albany remains an important location for business presence, given its role as de facto seat of [[Tech Valley]] and being home to the state capitol. [[Fortune 500]] companies with offices in Albany include [[American Express]], [[JP Morgan Chase|J.P. Morgan and Chase]],<ref>{{Cite web|title = J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. – Albany, 12 Corporate Woods Boulevard, 4th Floor, Albany, 122112344 {{!}} Search Albany Businesses at Albany.com|url = http://www.albany.com/business/jp-morgan-chase-and-co-albany-7767/|website = Albany.com|access-date = November 9, 2015}}</ref> [[Merrill Lynch]],<ref>{{Cite web|title = Albany, NY – Merrill Lynch Branch Office|url = https://www.ml.com/mlwm/system/viewbranchpage.aspx?pageurl=albany_ny|website = www.ml.com|access-date = November 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CGI offices|url=https://www.cgi.com/en/offices|website=CGI.com|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> [[General Electric]], [[Verizon]], [[Goldman Sachs]],<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ayco|url = http://www.ayco.com/|website = www.ayco.com|access-date = November 9, 2015}}</ref> [[International Paper]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Cuyler |title=Albany Chronicles |publisher=J. B. Lyon Company, printers |access-date=January 18, 2009 |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_XNU0AAAAIAAJ |quote=castle island french fort 1540. |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_XNU0AAAAIAAJ/page/n894 603] |year=1906}}</ref> and [[Key Bank]].<ref>{{cite web |title = A Short History of International Paper |access-date = April 30, 2009 |publisher = Forest History Today |url = http://www.foresthistory.org/Publications/FHT/FHT1998/IP.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090326112052/http://www.foresthistory.org/Publications/FHT/FHT1998/IP.pdf |archive-date = March 26, 2009 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

Albany won the [[All-America City Award]] in both 1991 and 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=All America City Awards: AAC Winners by State and City |publisher=National Civic League |year=2010 |access-date=September 6, 2010 |url=http://ncl.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=186}}</ref>

{{Clear}}
{{wide image|AlbanyNYPanorama1906.jpg|1200px|Albany, as viewed from the [[New York State Capitol|Capitol]] looking southeast, {{circa|1906}}. [[Albany City Hall|City Hall]] is left of center; the twin spires of the [[Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Albany, New York)|Immaculate Conception church]] can be seen on the far right; the future [[Empire State Plaza]] is located at the extreme right of the image.|alt=A panorama from 1909, in sepia, shows a view of the city perpendicular to the river; there are numerous church steeples and the city hall tower can be seen left of center.|align-cap=center}}