Albany, a city of the United States, capital of the state of New York, and seat of justice of Albany county, stands on the west bank of Hudson River, 142 miles N. of the city of New York, 42° 40' N. lat., 73° 45' W. long. The river is an important channel of commerce, which is further facilitated by the Erie and Champlain canals. Six important railway lines centre in this city. The older streets are irregularly laid out; the principal thoroughfares are provided with horse-railways. The city has a copious water-supply, and excellent drainage and sewerage systems, and is lighted by electricity and gas furnished by private companies. Albany has a fine city-hall, a high-school, one large and several small public parks, a theatre, an opera-house and a music-hall, a celebrated county-prison; Roman Catholic and Episcopalian cathedrals, and many other handsome churches; several 'academies' and private schools, a noted state normal school, a law school, a medical college; an astronomical observatory, various hospitals and infirmaries, a large United States government building, and a very costly and splendid state capitol, considered the finest building of its class in the whole republic. Three bridges and several ferries cross the river to the suburban towns of East Albany, Greenbush, and Bath. Albany has a large trade in timber, grain, and cattle. Leading articles of manufacture are farming implements, boots and shoes, bricks, wagons, clothing, flour, stoves, castings and hollow-ware, furniture, ales and beer, malt, tobacco, cigars, musical instruments, and stationers' goods. The situation of Albany at the connection of so many important railways and of two great canals with tide-water, makes it a great place for the handling or transfer of the bulky staples of interior production. A specialty in the trade of the city is the handling of barley. It is one of the largest seats of the manufacture of cast-iron stoves and heating apparatus; and its ales and beer have long had a great celebrity. The hilly and irregular site of the town greatly facilitates drainage. The winter climate of Albany is severe for its latitude. The extensive cattle-markets of this city are situated at West Albany, where there are large railway shops. Near the site of Albany the Dutch founded a block-house and fur-trading station in 1614. The Dutch villages of Beverwyck or Fort Orange (1618) and Willemstedt (1646) were the germs of the present city. The Dutch colony was ceded to Great Britain in 1664, and the town took its present name in honour of the Duke of York and Albany, afterwards James II. of England, who received a grant of the colony. In 1686 a city charter was granted to Albany, which is thus the
Copyright 1888 in U.S.
by J. B. Lippincott
Company. oldest chartered city in the United States. In 1764 the first general congress of the English colonies assembled here. In 1807 Albany became the permanent capital of the state. For a long period the city had many of the quaint characteristics of a Dutch town. The Dutch language was the one mainly spoken throughout the 18th century, and the original architecture was entirely that of the Low Countries. Many of the citizens are of Dutch descent. Pop. (1800) 5349; (1830) 24,209; (1860) 62,367; (1880) 90,758; (1890) 94,923.