Watervliet (town), New York facts for kids
Watervliet (pronounced waw-tər-VLEET) was a very large town in New York, United States. At its biggest, it covered most of what is now Albany County. It also included parts of Schenectady County. Just before it was dissolved, the town included the areas of Colonie, Green Island, and the City of Watervliet.
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History of Watervliet
| Watervliet Historical Populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1790 | 7,667 | — |
| 1800 | 5,012 | −34.6% |
| 1810 | 2,365 | −52.8% |
| 1820 | 2,806 | +18.6% |
| 1830 | 4,962 | +76.8% |
| 1840 | 10,141 | +104.4% |
| 1850 | 10,675 | +5.3% |
| 1860 | 25,449 | +138.4% |
| 1870 | 22,609 | −11.2% |
| 1880 | 22,220 | −1.7% |
| 1890 | 24,709 | +11.2% |
| Sources: | ||
The town of Watervliet was officially created on March 7, 1788. Before this, the area was known as the Western District of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck. In 1790, Watervliet had a population of 7,419 people. This made it twice as big as the nearby city of Albany at the time.
People from Europe had settled in Watervliet almost 200 years before it became an official town. Dutch colonists built Fort Nassau in 1614. This fort was located on Castle Island. Early Dutch settlers were farmers who owned land along the Hudson River. The land to the north became known as Watervliet. The land to the south was called Bethlehem.
Many immigrant groups settled in different parts of the town. In the western area, German settlers arrived in the 1750s. Scottish people settled there during the US Revolutionary War. They lived around the Helderberg Escarpment.
The "Mother of Towns"
Over the next 20 years, many new towns were created from Watervliet. Because of this, Watervliet was often called the "Mother of Towns".
- In 1790, Rensselaerville was the first town to separate.
- Coeymans separated in 1791.
- Bethlehem was created in 1793.
- Guilderland separated in 1803.
- Niskayuna separated in 1809. This happened when Schenectady County was formed from Albany County.
Other areas within Watervliet also changed. Colonie became a municipality, then a district, then a village, and finally a separate town in 1808. Later, parts of Colonie were split between Albany and Watervliet. Villages like West Troy (1836), Cohoes (1848), and Green Island (1853) also formed within the town. Cohoes became a city in 1869.
In the 1870s, the city of Albany annexed (took over) some land from Watervliet. This included the area known as North Albany.
The End of the Town of Watervliet
By the 1890s, people living in the rural parts of Watervliet were not happy. They felt controlled by the urban residents of West Troy village. When there was talk of creating a new city called Watervliet, the rural residents asked the state to create a separate town for them.
In 1895, the state legislature passed a law. This law created the town of Colonie from most of Watervliet. Only the villages of Green Island and West Troy remained in the old town of Watervliet.
The original town of Watervliet was officially dissolved the next year.
- On May 21, 1896, the town of Green Island was created. This covered the village of the same name.
- This left only the village of West Troy in the town of Watervliet.
- On August 1, 1896, the village of West Troy became the independent City of Watervliet.
- At this point, the town of Watervliet officially ended.
The Lawsuit: Watervliet v Colonie
After the town of Colonie was created, but before the town of Watervliet was dissolved, a lawsuit began. The town of Watervliet sued the new town of Colonie. The lawsuit was about how to divide debt payments between the two towns.
However, before the case could go to trial, the town of Watervliet was dissolved. The law that created the City of Watervliet said that any land not included in the new city would form a "distinct and separate town." After a survey, only tiny, uninhabited strips of land (less than 3 acres) were found.
Representatives of the old town of Watervliet argued that it still existed. They wanted to continue the lawsuit. But on March 2, 1898, the Supreme Court ruled against them. The court said that the town of Watervliet stopped existing on August 1, 1896. It said that the state lawmakers could not have meant for a town to exist with only tiny, empty pieces of land.
The court also ruled that when a town is dissolved and replaced by a new city, the new city takes over the old town's property. So, the small strips of land belonged to the City of Watervliet. The court also said that the old town officials could no longer hold their positions. Since they no longer lived in the town of Watervliet, they could not sue on its behalf. Because the court decided the town no longer existed, the lawsuit was dismissed.
Notable Locations in the Former Town
- The Watervliet Arsenal: Founded in 1813, this is the oldest federal arsenal in the country. It is the only place in the U.S. that makes large cannons.
- The original Erie Canal: This important waterway passed through the town. It connected the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. The junction of the Erie Canal with the Champlain Canal was also in Watervliet.
- Troy & Schenectady Railroad: An early railroad line that served the area.
- The First Shaker Village: A settlement of the Shaker religious group.
Notable Residents
- Myndert and Carsten Van Iveren: These were among the first settlers in the area. Their family estate in the Netherlands might be where the town got its name.
- Leland Stanford: He later became the governor of California and a United States Senator. He also founded Stanford University.
- Ann Lee: A leader of the Shaker settlement in Niskayuna.
