Place:Rensselaerville, Albany, New York, United States

Watchers


NameRensselaerville
TypeTown
Coordinates42.5°N 74.133°W
Located inAlbany, New York, United States
Contained Places
Cemetery
Medusa Cemetery
Hamlet
Medusa
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Rensselaerville is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,826 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Stephen Van Rensselaer.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

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 colony of New Netherland, then under the English colony, and then U.S. state, of New York. Some of the earliest settlement in Rensselaerville was along the five 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.[1]

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.[1]

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

In 1795, after Shays' Rebellion, Daniel Shays moved from Massachusetts to Preston Hollow, a hamlet in Rensselaerville. His son became one of the leading citizens of the town.[1]

The Conkling–Boardman–Eldridge Farm and Rensselaerville Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research Tips

External Links

  • Outstanding guide to Rensselaerville family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, town histories, cemeteries, churches, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.


This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Rensselaerville, New York. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.