RENSSELAER COUNTY 

 This county is situated about midway along the eastern border 

 of the state, the Hudson River separating it from the counties of 

 Saratoga and Albany. Its eastern boundary is formed by the states 

 of Vermont and Massachusetts. The total area is 424,320 acres, 

 extending 20 miles from east to west and 33 miles from north to 

 south. 



The population is shown in the following table: 

 Population by Cities and Towns 



(Census of 1915) 



Rensselaer (city) 

 Troy ( city i * . . . 



Berlin 



Brunswick 



East Greenbush . 



Grafton 



Hoosick 



Nassau 



North Greenbush 

 Petci '^burgh .... 



11,210 

 75, 488 

 1,480 

 3,010 

 1.559 

 948 

 8,013 

 2,205 

 1.383 

 1,238 



Pittstown . . 

 Poestenkill . 

 Sand Lake . . 

 Schaghticoke 

 Schodack . . . 

 Stephentowh 



Total . . 



2,887 

 1,134 

 2,140 

 2,711 

 4,647 

 1,287 



121,330 



*Troy is the county seat. 



HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 



This county was formed from Albany County and named from 

 the Van Rensselaer family. The greater portion was included in 

 the patent granted by Holland to Killian Van Rensselaer in 1630, 

 and the first settlement was made by tenants under him in the same 

 year. By this grant he was made proprietor over what is now the 

 counties of Albany and Rensselaer, and part of Columbia. The 

 council at Manhattan retaining exclusive control of Fort Orange 

 and the land immediately surrounding it, neither Fort Orange 

 itself, nor its successor, the city of Albany, was ever a part of the 

 domain of the patroon. 



Although Van Rensselaer chose his location with the judgment 



of an experienced trader, the colony increased and became even 



more prosperous than he had anticipated. The land was leased at 



[579] 



