Editing Mechanicville, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Mechanicville
| settlement_type    = City
| image_skyline      = St. Luke's Church - Mechanicville NY - 2019.06.27.jpg
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = Mechanicville Saratoga NY.png
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location within Saratoga County
| pushpin_map        = New York
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of New York
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|54|14|N|73|41|26|W|region:US|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga]]
| established_title  = First settled
| established_date   = 1764
| established_title1 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] (village)
| established_date1  = 1859
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] (city)
| established_date2  = 1915
| government_type    = [[city commission government|City Commission]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Michael Butler
| leader_party       = [[Republican Party (United States)|R]]
| leader_title1      = [[city commission government|City Commission]]
| leader_name1       = {{Collapsible list
 | title                  = Members' List
 | frame_style            = border:none; padding: 0;
 | title_style            = <!-- (optional) -->
 | list_style             = text-align:left;display:none;
 | 1 = Commissioner of Accounts:<br />• Kimberly Dunn ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 | 2 = Commissioner of Finance:<br />• Jodie Gilheany ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 | 3 = Commissioner of Public Safety:<br />• Barbara McGuire ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 | 4 = Commissioner of Public Works:<br />• Anthony Gotti ([[United States Democratic Party|D]])
 }}
| leader_title2      = [[New York State Assembly|State Assembly]]
| leader_name2       = Carrie Woerner ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) (2014)
| leader_title3      = [[New York State Senate|State Senate]]
| leader_name3       = [[Jim Tedisco]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) (2023)
| leader_title4      = [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]]
| leader_name4       = [[Paul Tonko]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| area_total_km2     = 2.38
| area_total_sq_mi   = 0.92
| area_land_km2      = 2.17
| area_land_sq_mi    = 0.84
| area_water_km2     = 0.20
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.08
| elevation_m        = 31.7
| elevation_ft       = 104
| population_total   = 5163
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_km2 = 2376.54
| population_density_sq_mi = 6153.75
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 12118
| area_code          = [[Area code 518|518]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 36-46360
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0956897
| website            = {{URL|http://www.mechanicville.com/|mechanicville.com}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| official_name      = City of Mechanicville
| image_seal         = File:Mechanicville City Seal.jpg
| population_footnotes = 
}}
'''Mechanicville''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#City|city]] in [[Saratoga County, New York]], United States. The population was 5,163 at the 2020 census,<ref>Mechanicville, New York, US Census Bureau QuickFacts, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mechanicvillecitynewyork</ref> a small decrease from 5,196 in 2010.<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> It is the smallest city by area in the state.<ref name="censustable">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US36&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_ZI1&-format=ST-7&-_sse=on |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212040310/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US36&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_ZI1&-format=ST-7&-_sse=on |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-02-12 |title=New York -- Place and County Subdivision |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=2010-06-08 }}</ref> The name is derived from the occupations of early residents.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=City of Mechanicville, NY|last=Loatman|first=Paul|title=What's In A Name?|url=http://www.mechanicville.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=53|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140417220057/http://www.mechanicville.com/DocumentView.aspx?DID=53|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 17, 2014|access-date=2014-04-17}}</ref>

The city is located on the eastern border of Saratoga County and is north of [[Albany, New York|Albany]], the state capital. Mechanicville borders the [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|towns]] of [[Stillwater, New York|Stillwater]] (of which it was once a part)<ref>{{cite book|title=Gazetteer of the State of New York|publisher=R. Pearsall Smith|author=John French|year=1860|access-date=2009-08-30|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC|quote=saratoga county.|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_R_zHwh4xByQC/page/n611 593]}}</ref> and [[Halfmoon, New York|Halfmoon]] in the county, and the town of [[Schaghticoke (town), New York|Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County]].

==History==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2015}}
The first listing of a settlement on [[Anthony Kill|Tenandeho]] Creek (Anthony Kill) is in 1721. At that time, Cornelius Van Buren had a sawmill at the mouth of the creek where it emptied into the [[Hudson River]].

[[File:Mechanicville, N.Y. LOC 75694795.tif|thumb|[[Perspective map]] and of Mechanicville and list of landmarks from late 19th century by [[L.R. Burleigh]]]]
The first documented occurrence of the name "Mechanicville" dates back to 1829. The name comes from the early settlers, who were independent mastercraftsmen such as millers, carpenters, or butchers, whose professions were commonly known as the "[[mechanical arts]]" at the time.

About 35 years later, small flour mills were already established. When the [[Champlain Canal]] reached the settlement in 1823, and especially when the [[Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad]] laid a track through the area in 1835, Mechanicville became an important commerce interchange.

The community became an [[Municipal incorporation|incorporated]] [[Administrative divisions of New York#Village|village]] in 1859, when it had about 1000 inhabitants. It grew rapidly as textile mills, factories, and a linen thread company came to Mechanicville.

The first conspicuous casualty of the [[American Civil War]], [[Elmer E. Ellsworth]], was buried in Mechanicville in 1861. His grave is located in the [[Hudson View Cemetery]] and is identifiable with a large eagle on top of his memorial.

In 1878, additional railways came to the village, and it became an important center of papermaking.

In 1898, Robert Newton King built a [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] power plant on the Hudson River. The [[Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant]] is now the oldest continuously operating hydroelectric plant in the United States and was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1989.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

By 1900, Mechanicville was a major transfer yard and car repair center for the railways. In the 1920s, Mechanicville had a population of nearly 10,000.

In both the 1900 and 1910 censuses, Mechanicville was enumerated with the town of Half Moon, just to the south of Stillwater.

Mechanicville became a city in 1915. By 1932, it became the terminal of the first experimental [[High-voltage direct current|high-voltage direct-current]] (HVDC) scheme in the U.S.: the [[HVDC Mechanicville–Schenectady]] line.<ref>[http://www.ieee.org/organizations/pes/public/2005/may/peshistory.html IEEE History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524013821/http://www.ieee.org/organizations/pes/public/2005/may/peshistory.html |date=2011-05-24 }}, ieee.org; retrieved May 10, 2011.</ref>

With the decline of the railroads, Mechanicville suffered. The largest paper mill in the world, which Mechanicville had hosted since 1904, ceased operations in 1971, and the once thriving industrial city is today a quiet residential city, with most inhabitants working in [[Albany, New York|Albany]], [[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]], and other nearby communities.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

[[File:Streetscene.JPG|left|250px|thumb|A typical residential street in Mechanicville]]
On November 1, 2001, Mechanicville was [http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=114332&title=everyone-has-a-story featured on the ''Daily Show''] with then-rising comedian [[Steve Carell]]. The [[Mechanicville Hydroelectric Plant]] and [[Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth Monument and Grave]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

===Mechanicville-Stillwater tornado===
{{Main|Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho}}
On May 31, 1998, a large [[tornado]] tore through Mechanicville and the adjacent town of Stillwater. It was spawned by a series of severe storms in the late afternoon, causing major damage to the town's old industrial section located on [[U.S. Route 4 in New York|US Route 4]] and [[New York State Route 32|NY-32]], along the Hudson River. One of the two historic smokestacks (visible from two miles away) was knocked down by the tornado. In 2005, the other smokestack and the conjoined building were bulldozed. Houses on the Viall Avenue hill sections of Mechanicville and Stillwater were completely destroyed. The tornado was rated F3 on the [[Fujita scale]] (winds estimated at 200 MPH).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saratogian.com/article/ST/20130530/NEWS/305309915|title=News|date=24 August 2000}}</ref>

===Rail yard===
In January 2012, a new [[Intermodal freight transport|intermodal]] and automotive terminal opened on the site of a former [[Boston and Maine]] rail yard. The new rail yard was built by [[Pan Am Southern]], a joint venture between [[Pan Am Railways]] and [[Norfolk Southern]].<ref>[http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Rail-yard-too-noisy-for-neighbors-3372116.php Rail yard too noisy for neighbors], TimesUnion.com, February 29, 2012.</ref>

The $40 million facility Is also used for ''filet-toupee'' operations, converting [[Double-stack rail transport|double stack]] container trains from the west to single stack by removing the top layer of containers. This allows the rest of the train to proceed east along track that lacks double stack clearance, particularly the 4{{fraction|3|4}} mile [[Hoosac Tunnel]]. The removed containers are trucked to local destinations. ''Toupee'' refers to the reverse process, where a single stack train coming from the east has additional containers placed on top for the rest of its trip.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Railyard-project-back-on-track-1346087.php|title = Railyard project back on track|date = 21 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://samayotte.com/PAR_Mechanicville_3.html |title=Photos of the new rail yard under construction (1) |access-date=2011-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426032503/http://samayotte.com/PAR_Mechanicville_3.html |archive-date=2012-04-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://samayotte.com/PAR_Mechanicville_4.html |title=Photos of the new rail yard open for business (2) |access-date=2012-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503200452/http://samayotte.com/PAR_Mechanicville_4.html |archive-date=2013-05-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Some 300 trucks a day visit the site. The automotive terminal opened in 2014.<ref>[http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20120324/boom-ii-overshadowed-by-globalfoundries-new-rail-hub-could-spur-unprecedented-growth-along-route-67-corridor-in-stillwater-with-video "New rail hub could spur unprecedented growth along 67 Corridor in Stillwater (see video)], saratogian.com; accessed August 6, 2015.</ref>

==Geography==
Mechanicville is located at {{Coord|42|54|14|N|73|41|26|W|type:city}} (42.903922, -73.690458).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.8|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} (8.79%) is water. The city of Mechanicville is on the west bank of the [[Hudson River]] at the influx of the [[Anthony Kill]]. [[U.S. Route 4 in New York|US Route 4]], and conjoined [[New York State Route 32]] are north–south highways through Mechanicville. [[New York State Route 67]] intersects NY-32 and US-4 in the city. County Roads 75 and 1345 also lead into the city.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

== Religion ==
[[File:St. Paul the Apostle Church Mechanicville, NY 20.jpg|thumb|[[St. Paul the Apostle Church (Mechanicville, New York)|St. Paul the Apostle Church]] (Parish of All Saints on the Hudson)]]
While Mechanicville has historically had many religious institutions, there are currently two active churches in the city, the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] parish of [[St. Paul the Apostle Church (Mechanicville, New York)|All Saints on the Hudson]], and the Mechanicville [[United Methodist Church]].

== Notable people == 
*[[Orie Amodeo]], musician in the [[Lawrence Welk]] orchestra
*[[Aida Brewer]], first female treasurer of the state of New York<ref name="PJ">{{cite news |title=States First Female Treasurer Appointed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34449158/states_first_female_treasurer_appointed/ |access-date=1 August 2019 |publisher=Poughkeepsie Journal |date=April 1, 2002 |page=5A}}</ref>
*[[Chad Brown (horse trainer)|Chad Brown]], [[Thoroughbred horse race|Thoroughbred horse racing]] [[horse trainer|trainer]]
*[[Rita Chatterton]], professional wrestling [[Referee (professional wrestling)|referee]]
*[[Ray Eberle]], vocalist with Glenn Miller orchestra
*[[Bob Eberly]], vocalist with Jimmy Dorsey orchestra 
*[[Joe Cocozzo]], professional [[American football|football]] player and [[Super Bowl XXIX]] participant
*[[Bob Eberly]] and [[Ray Eberle]], big band singers
*[[Elmer E. Ellsworth]], friend and law clerk to [[Abraham Lincoln]], colonel in the [[Union Army]], leader of the [[11th New York Infantry|Fire Zouaves]], and first conspicuous casualty of the [[American Civil War]]. 
*[[John R. Fellows]], lawyer, politician, and [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] soldier
*[[Ray Heindorf]], songwriter, [[composer]], [[Conducting|conductor]], and [[arranger]]
*[[Erika Holzer]], novelist, essayist, and lawyer
*[[Fred Isabella]], dentist and politician
*[[John Gavin Nolan]], bishop of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA|Military Ordinariate]] of the United States
*[[Margaret Bloodgood Peeke]], traveler, lecturer, author
*[[Gordon A. Sheehan]], [[animator]] for [[Fleischer Studios]]
*[[Harrison B. Tordoff]], [[Ornithology|ornithologist]], conservationist, author, and fighter pilot
*[[George H. Whitney|George Herbert Whitney]], New York state assemblyman and senator

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 1075
|1880= 1265
|1890= 2679
|1900= 4695
|1910= 6634
|1920= 8166
|1930= 7924
|1940= 7449
|1950= 7385
|1960= 6831
|1970= 6247
|1980= 5500
|1990= 5249
|2000= 5019
|2010= 5196
|2020= 5163
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,019 people, 2,219 households, and 1,275 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|6,028.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,386 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2,865.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.95% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.36% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.10% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.66% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.44% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 2,219 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,509, and the median income for a family was $42,143. Males had a median income of $32,825 versus $25,143 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,236. About 6.5% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

==See also==
{{Portal|New York (state)}}
* [[Mechanicville High School]]
https://www.mechanicvilleny.gov/

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.mechanicville.com/ Mechanicville City Court]

{{Capital District}}
{{Saratoga County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in New York (state)]]
[[Category:New York (state) populated places on the Hudson River]]
[[Category:Cities in Saratoga County, New York]]