Editing Rensselaerville, New York (section)

== History ==
Rensselaerville was once part of the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck]]; as such, the people who farmed the land were technically leaseholders of the [[patroon]] under a [[feudal system]], first as part of the [[Dutch (people)|Dutch]] colony of [[New Netherland]], then under the [[England|English]] colony, and then [[U.S. state]], of New York. Some of the earliest settlement in Rensselaerville was along the five [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] paths that crossed the town in the early 18th century. The southwestern corner along one of these, that connected the [[Hudson River]] to the [[Schoharie Valley]], was the first section of the town to be settled, this would be ''circa'' 1712. This path was also the one used during wars between the [[Stockbridge Indians]] and those at Schoharie.<ref name=early/>

In 1787, the patroon had a survey and census taken in order to enroll squatters and collect the [[quitrent]] required of settlers on his lands.<ref name=early/>

Rensselaerville was created from part of the town of [[Watervliet (town), New York|Watervliet]] in 1790. In 1795, the northern part of the town was lost to create the new town of [[Berne, New York|Berne]]. Additional territory was lost from the eastern part of the town upon the formation of the town of [[Westerlo, New York|Westerlo]] in 1815.

In 1795, after [[Shays' Rebellion]], [[Daniel Shays]] moved from [[Massachusetts]] to [[Preston-Potter Hollow, New York|Preston Hollow]], a hamlet in Rensselaerville. His son became one of the leading citizens of the town.<ref name=early/>

The Conkling–Boardman–Eldridge Farm and [[Rensselaerville Historic District]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>