Schenectady is a city located in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,821. Schenectady is the 9th largest city in New York State. The name "Schenectady" is derived from a Mohawk Indian word for "on that side of the pinery," or "near the pines," or "place beyond the pine plains."
The City of Schenectady is in eastern New York State, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany, New York; central Schenectady is about 15 miles (24 km) north-west of central Albany.
Schenectady is located at 42°48'15" North, 73°55'45" West (42.804076, -73.929289). The altitude above sea-level is 211 to 275 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km2 (11.0 mi2). 28.1 km2 (10.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.4 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 1.27% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 61,821 people, 26,265 households, and 14,051 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,199.9/km2 (5,699.0/mi2). There are 30,272 housing units at an average density of 1,077.2/km2 (2,790.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 76.77% White, 14.77% African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.52% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. 5.88% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 26,265 households out of which 27.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.0% are married couples living together, 16.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% are non-families. 38.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,378, and the median income for a family is $36,458. Males have a median income of $30,869 versus $25,292 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,076. 20.8% of the population and 16.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The area that is now Schenectady was originally the land of the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Nation. When Dutch settlers arrived in the Hudson Valley in the middle of the 17th century, the Mohawk called the settlement at Fort Orange "Schau-naugh-ta-da", meaning "over the pine plains." Eventually, this word entered the lexicon of the Dutch settlers, but the meaning was reversed, and the name referred to the bend in the Mohawk River where the city lies today.
Contrary to popular belief, the areas consisting of Schenectady and nearby Niskayuna were not actually inhabited by the Mohawk -- at most there were "lean-to's" scattered throughout the area, enabling weary travellers and hunting parties the opportunity to stop and rest before heading to the settlements near present-day Fonda. If there were indeed settlements in the immediate area of Schenectady and Niskayuna, they most likely belonged to the Mohican, who by 1634 had been forced east of the Hudson River.
Schenectady was first settled in 1661 when the area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Settlement was led by Arent Van Curler of Nijkerk in the Netherlands, who was granted letters patent to Schenectady in 1684.
On February 8, 1690, the town was attacked and overrun by forces of France and their Indian allies, who burned the town and killed all but 60 of the inhabitants. This event is known as The Schenectady Massacre
In 1765, Schenectady was incorporated as a borough. It was chartered as a city in 1798.
During the American Revolutionary War the local militia unit the 2nd Albany County Militia Regiment was active during the Battle of Saratoga and in fights against Loyalist troops.
Union College was founded here in 1795.
In 1887, Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. In 1892, Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company.
Schenectady is home to WGY-AM, one of the first commercial radio stations in the United States. The station was named after its owner, General Electric (the G), and the city of Schenectady (the Y). General Electric also generated the first regular television broadcasts in the United States in 1928, when experimental station W2XB began regular broadcasts on Thursday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. This television station is now WRGB, for years, the Capital District's NBC affiliate, but more recently, its CBS affiliate. (see: 1928 in television).
Historic population of Schenectady: 13,655 in 1880; 31,682 in 1900; 92,061 in 1950.
The city was once known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World"--a dual reference to two prominent businesses located in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric), and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). GE has retained its administrative core in Schenectady, but many of the manufacturing jobs have been relocated to the Sun Belt and abroad. ALCO's operations slowly fizzled out as the company went through a series of acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s. In the early 21st century, the city is experiencing difficult financial times, as are many upstate New York cities. The profound loss of employment opportunities has led to Schenectady's population decline by nearly a third since 1950.
Source:
SchenectadyNewYork.com
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