Capital District

Long before French and Dutch traders arrived in the present-day Capital Region in the 17th century, Indigenous peoples, including the Mohican and Mohawk, lived along the Mahicanituck (Hudson River) and west of Albany. 

In 1614-1615, on behalf of the Netherlands, French Walloons built Fort Nassau in present-day Albany. In 1618, it was destroyed by a flood, and in 1624, Dutch traders constructed Fort Orange near the same area. Fort Orange thrived as a fur trading post and became the first permanent settlement in Dutch New Netherland. The Hudson River and early transportation routes supported economic growth, which continued after New Netherland became the British colony of New York in 1664.

Fewer than 100 years later, the region played a strategic role during the Seven Years War (1754-1763), as Lake George and Fort William Henry in Warren County were centrally located to important transportation routes. Similarly, the region was strategically important during the American Revolution (1775-1783), with the Battle of Bennington in Rensselaer County helping to secure British surrender at the Battle of Saratoga. In 1797, Albany became the state’s capital, securing the region’s lasting political importance.

During the 19th century, the region flourished with industries such as iron production at the Burden Iron Works in Rensselaer County, locomotive and electrical systems manufacturing in Schenectady County, paper production in Washington County, and lumbering in Warren and Albany Counties. Ice harvesting thrived in Greene and Columbia Counties, while other industries in the region included brick, fire engine, and cement production.

The tourism industry also blossomed during this period, particularly in destinations such as the Catskills in Greene County, Lake George in Warren County, and the mineral spas and racetrack in Saratoga.

Today, the Capital Region is a Northeast technology hub, the seat of state government, and a destination for millions of visitors and residents alike.

Top image: The New York State Capitol was built over thirty-two years from 1867 to 1899, replacing the previous State Capitol from 1809. Since 1879, when the Legislature moved into the unfinished building, the Capitol has been home to the government of New York.