Explore Schenectady's history from its early beginning as a tiny Dutch outpost in 1661 to its present day status as a world leader in science and technology. Schenectady is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The Stockade District, New York State's first Historic District, was originally named for the wooden stockades that enclosed it. It was burned to the ground in 1690 in one of the first battles in the European struggle for control of the new world, but was rebuilt with the help of the resident Mohawk Indian neighbors. By 1692 it was once again flourishing.
In 1825 the opening of the Erie Canal changed the character of Schenectady from that of a riverfront town that served as the gateway to the west, to a leader in the Industrial Revolution. In 1848 the Schenectady Locomotive Manufactory was established followed by the Schenectady Locomotive Works. The 1901 merging of the Schenectady Locomotive Works with seven other locomotive manufacturers in the northeast created the American Locomotive Company, one of the largest locomotive manufacturers in the world.
Thomas Edison established his Edison Machine Works, later to become the General Electric Company, here in 1886. Schenectady was the world wide corporate headquarters for the General Electric Company until 1974. The people of Schenectady made pioneering contributions to power generation and distribution, radio and television technology, medical diagnostic imaging, and many other technological innovations that changed the world during the 20th century.
Schenectady's history is documented at our many museums,
archival repositories and interpretive centers.