Castle Island (New York) facts for kids
Castle Island used to be an island in the city of Albany, New York. Over the last 400 years, it has had many names. Some of these names include Martin Gerritse's Island, Patroon's Island, and Van Rensselaer Island. Since the late 1800s, it has often been called Westerlo Island. Today, Castle Island is no longer an island. It is connected to the mainland and is part of the Port of Albany.
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The Story of Castle Island
The area we now call Westerlo Island was once five separate islands. These islands were Castle Island (or Westerlo Island), Cabbage Island, Bogart Island, Marsh Island, and Beacon Island.
Early European Settlements
Some historians from the 1800s and early 1900s believed that French fur traders built a stone "castle" or trading post on Castle Island around 1540. They thought the traders later left it. However, modern experts have not found any proof for this story.
The first clear European settlement on Castle Island happened in 1614. The Dutch built Fort Nassau there. Hendrick Corstiaensen was in charge of the fort. But in 1618, floods destroyed the fort.
The island was then divided into farms. These farms were rented from the Rensselaerswyck estate. This estate was run by a "patroon," which was like a landlord for a large area. The first farm on Castle Island was set up in 1630 and was called "Rensselaersburgh."
Albany's City Limits
In 1686, the Dongan Charter officially made Albany a city. This charter described the city's southern border. It said the border was the northern "tip of Marte Gerrite's island." At that time, Castle Island was known as Marte Gerrite's island.
From Airfield to Port
From 1909 to 1928, Castle Island was known as Westerlo Island. During this time, it was home to the Quentin Roosevelt Field. This was an early airfield, and it was the start of what is now the Albany International Airport. Famous pilots like Glenn Curtiss and Charles Lindbergh landed their planes there.
In 1926, the city of Albany took over Westerlo Island from the town of Bethlehem. Other nearby islands were not included in this change. Over time, people filled in the shallow creeks and coastal areas of the Hudson River. By 1929, Bogart Island, Marsh Island, and Beacon Island had joined with Cabbage Island.
Island Creek still separated Westerlo Island from the mainland and from Cabbage Island. Also, the Normans Kill river separated Cabbage Island from the mainland. In the 1930s, Island Creek was filled in. This connected Westerlo Island to the mainland. Even though it's no longer an island, maps still often label it as Westerlo Island.
In 1932, Westerlo Island became the Port of Albany. Another 35 acres in the city of Rensselaer also became part of the port. The Canadian Pacific Railway's Kenwood Yard and its train tracks are now located where the original creek used to be. A park just north of the Port of Albany is called Island Creek Park. It is where Island Creek used to meet the Hudson River. By the 1950s, Cabbage Island also joined with Westerlo Island. However, the Normans Kill river still flows along its southern and western sides. The land along the Hudson River and north of the Normans Kill in Bethlehem was once Cabbage Island.
