Editing Sand Lake, New York (section)

=== Early history ===
[[File:Rensselaer County 1829 Restored.jpg|thumb|Map of Rensselaer County in 1829 showing the pre-partition Town of Sand Lake]]
Sand Lake was first home to Native Americans. In 1629, [[Kiliaen van Rensselaer (merchant)|Kiliaen van Rensselaer]] acquired a 700,000-acre land grant to establish a [[New Netherland|Dutch colony]], encompassing what later became Sand Lake. Called the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck]], it was 48 miles across and 24 miles long.<ref name="History of Sand Lake">{{Cite web |title=History of the Town of Sand Lake |url=https://www.townofsandlake.us/index.asp?SEC=B4097EAF-9A5C-4879-9D6B-5A993ED2B602&DE=DAE30084-F70F-4570-913B-F0C1A41757C9 |access-date=April 14, 2021 |website=www.townofsandlake.us |language=en}}</ref> In 1664, it became a colony of England and was called the Province of New York. It flipped back to the Dutch in 1672, and returned to the English in 1674.<ref name="History of Sand Lake" />

In the 1750s, Dutch settlers moved into what is now Sand Lake, followed by German pioneers.<ref name="Town of Sand Lake" /> By 1772, present day Sand Lake was in the [[Manor of Rensselaerswyck|Rensselaerwyck District]] of Albany County. It was held by the English until the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783).<ref name="History of Sand Lake" /> In 1792, when the town of Rensselaerwyck was divided into two towns, Greenbush and [[Stephentown, New York|Stephentown]]. Present day Sand Lake extended into both towns.<ref name="History of Sand Lake" />

In 1805, the Union Meetinghouse was built for worship by Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. It was the town's oldest public building and was a station on the [[Underground Railroad]].<ref name="HM of Sand Lake" />{{efn|In 1776, a log building was constructed at [[Rensselaerwyck]], about one mile southwest of West Sand Lake, that served as a school, Lutheran church, and residence for a pastor.<ref name="HM of Sand Lake" />}}