Karner, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karner
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 Karner
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Capital District |
| County | Albany |
| Settled | 1831 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
12205
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| Area code(s) | 518 |
Karner is a small community, called a hamlet. It is located in the town of Colonie in Albany County, New York. It was once known as Center Station. This place became famous because the rare Karner Blue butterfly was first discovered and named here.
History of Karner
Karner started as a train stop called Center Station. It was built in 1831 along the New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) tracks. In the mid-to-late 1800s, a man named George Karner bought land here. He planned to create streets and sell lots for homes. However, most of these lots did not sell. In 1880, Center Station was renamed Karner in his honor.
Even though Karner never grew into a large town, this lack of development actually helped save a special butterfly. This butterfly is called the Plebejus melissa samuelis, or more commonly, the Karner Blue butterfly. The butterfly gets its name from this hamlet. This is because a famous writer and butterfly expert, Vladimir Nabokov, first identified the species here. He used butterflies found in the nearby Albany Pine Bush as the main example for identifying the entire species.
Geography of Karner
Karner is located around Karner Road. The train tracks used by CSXT and Amtrak run through the middle of the hamlet. These tracks connect the cities of Albany and Schenectady. On the western side of Karner, you'll find New Karner Road, which is also known as New York Route 155.
The areas surrounding the main part of Karner are mostly rural pine barrens. A pine barrens is a type of forest with sandy soil and specific kinds of pine trees. Much of this land is protected as part of the Pine Bush Preserve. This preserve helps protect the unique plants and animals that live there, like the Karner Blue butterfly.
Where is Karner Located?
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Village of Colonie | Village of Colonie | |
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| Albany Pine Bush |  |
Village of Colonie | ||
 Hamlet of Karner  |
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| Albany Pine Bush | Town of Guilderland City of Albany Albany Pine Bush |
