Wynantskill

Rensselaer County Rises for the Anti-Rent War

February 25, 2025 by Guest Contributor 4 Comments

Few of us think back to the troubled times when the farmers of Rensselaer, Columbia and Albany counties were involved in sometimes violent demonstrations against rents collected by the Manor of Rensselaerswijck and the feudal conditions imposed by the land leases of the semi-feudal patroon.

It can be said to have started in the 1790s when Stephen Van Rensselaer III encouraged the development of his land holdings stretching from the Helderbergs in Western Albany County east to the Rensselaer Plateau in Eastern Rensselaer County, which dated back to the original Dutch grants in 1629 made to Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1586-1643). [Read more…] about Rensselaer County Rises for the Anti-Rent War

The Poestenkill: Mountains, Waterfalls and Waterworks

September 26, 2021 by John Warren 9 Comments

On the Hudson River along upstate New York’s eastern border, within the natural boundaries of river and mountains, lies the rough rectangle of Rensselaer County. It is bisected by the Poesten Kill,* a powerful stream that scours its way from the mountains to the sea level flats of the Hudson River at Troy.

The Poesten Kill splits the county across the middle into two pieces of roughly equal size, north and south. From its source at about 1,600 feet in the Taconic Mountains, to the village which bears its name, it’s a smaller steam tumbling over forested rocks and ledges, and forming pools and small waterfalls. At the village of Poestenkill it begins to meander across a 10-mile wide plateau of farmlands before falling abruptly through a series of steep gorges at Troy to settle into the Hudson. [Read more…] about The Poestenkill: Mountains, Waterfalls and Waterworks

Vanderheyden Celebrating 185 Yrs By Searching For History

March 4, 2018 by Editorial Staff 5 Comments

Vanderheyden in Wynantskill has announced they are currently seeking photos, memories, and information to be added to an upcoming book by Don Rittner on the history of the Vanderheyden Hall.

Now celebrating it’s 185th anniversary, the Vanderheyden began as the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833. Today, the facilities provide a safe haven for youth, adults and families who have experienced family disruption, trauma, abuse, emotional difficulty, developmental disability and learning problems. The Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center at Vanderheyden is a Regents accredited 7-12 grade program that provides education to individuals who are at risk of not succeeding at school, and those in need of a special education. [Read more…] about Vanderheyden Celebrating 185 Yrs By Searching For History

Wynantskill

We Need Your Help Now More Than Ever

New York Almanack receives no public funds.

It’s supported only by readers like you.

Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best)