Timeline of town creation in New York's Capital District

Opening paragraph of the Dongan Charter creating the city of Albany, New York, the oldest municipality in New York's Capital District

The towns and cities of New York's Capital District were created by the U.S. state of New York as municipalities in order to give residents more direct say over local government.^[1] The Capital District is an 11 county area, which consists of the counties of Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Warren, Washington, Columbia, Montgomery, Fulton, and Greene.^[2] New York experimented with different types of municipalities before settling upon the current format of towns and cities occupying all the land in a county.^[3] Districts were created for Albany and Tryon counties in 1772;^[4] all were transformed into towns (or divided into multiple towns) in 1788 when all of the state of New York was divided into towns.^[1] Two years before that, in 1786, all of what Washington County encompassed at that time was divided into townships with the same legal status, abilities, and responsibilities as districts^[5] with their status as towns confirmed in 1788.^[1] Some other forms of government in earlier years included land patents with some municipal rights and boroughs. The following timelines show the creation of the current towns from their predecessors stretching back to the earliest municipal entity over the area. The timelines only represent from which town(s) a particular town was created from and does not represent annexations of territory to and from towns that already existed. All municipalities are towns unless otherwise noted as patent, township, borough, district, or city. Unless otherwise sourced with a footnote all dates of incorporation represent those stated in the 1860 Gazetteer of the State of New York by John H. French.

Albany and Rensselaer counties, with Niskayuna (Schenectady County)

Beverwyck village 1652[0] (Albany in 1664)								Albany city 1686[A]

West Manor district 1779- 1788[A]

Watervliet 1788[1] -1896[A]

Rensselaer- ville 1790[A]

Berne 1795[A]

Knox 1822[A]

Westerlo 1815[A]

Coeymans 1791[A]

Bethlehem 1793[A]

New Scotland 1832[A]

Guilderland 1803[A]

Manor[A] district 1772- 1779

Colonie[A] 1808-1815

Niskayuna 1809[B]

Cohoes[A] city 1869[6]

Colonie 1895[7][A]

Green Island 1896[8][A]

North Greenbush 1855[D]

Watervliet city 1896[8][A]

Clinton 1855[D] (East Greenbush in 1858)

Greenbush 1795- 1897[D]

Rensselaer city 1897[9][D]

East Manor district 1779- 1784[A]

Rensselaer- wyck district[A] 1784-1788

Rensselaer- wyck[C] 1788[1]- 1795

Schodack 1795[D]

Sand Lake[D] 1812

Brunswick 1807[D]

Troy 1791- 1816[D]

Troy city 1816[D]

Poesten- kill 1848[D]

Lansing- burgh 1807-1901[D]

Stephentown district 1784-1788[A]

Stephentown 1788[1][C]

Petersburgh 1791[D]

Grafton 1807[D]

Berlin 1806[D]

Philips- town 1806[D] (Nassau in 1808)

Schagh- ticoke district 1772- 1788[A]								Schagh- ticoke 1788[1][C]
								Pittstown 1788[1]^[a][C]
Hoosick district 1772- 1788[A]								Hoosick 1788[1][C]

Notes

[0]= A part of New Netherland, a Dutch territory, until 1664, thereafter part of the English colony of New York, and within Albany County from its formation in 1683.

[A] = A part of Albany County.

[B] = A part of Schenectady County when formed from Albany County in 1809.

[C] = A part of Albany County until 1791 when Rensselaer County was formed.

[D] = A part of Rensselaer County.

Schoharie and Greene counties, with Duanesburgh (Schenectady County)

Hurley township[9] 1708-1788

Woodstock township[10] 1787-1788[9]

Woodstock 1788[1][9]

Windham 1798[10]

Greenland 1813[F] (Hunter in 1814)

Jewett 1849[F]

New Goshen[F] Jan. 17, 1813 (Lexington in Mar. 19, 1813)

Halcott 1851[F]

Prattsville 1833[F]

Ashland 1848[F]

Great Imboght District[A] 1772-1788

Catskill 1788[2]

Athens 1815[F]

Coxsackie District 1772-1788[A]

Coxsackie 1788[C]

Canton 1803[F] (Cairo 1808)

New Baltimore 1811[F]

Freehold 1790[C] change to Durham 1805

Greenfield 1803[F] (Freehold in 1808) (Greenville 1809)

Duanesburgh patent[A] 1765[11]-1772

Duanesburg 1789[12][D]

Conesville 1836[8]

United Districts of Duanesburgh and Schoharie 1772[4]-1788[A]

Schoharie 1788[1][E]

Bristol 1797[G] change to Broome 1808

Gilboa 1848[G]

Schoharie[A] patent 1714[13]-1772

Blenheim 1797[G]

Jefferson 1803[G]

Richmondville 1845[G]

Summit 1819[G]

Cobleskill 1797[G]

Carlisle 1807[G]

Sharon 1797[G]

Seward 1840[G]

Middletown 1797 Middleburgh 1801[G]

Fulton 1828[G]

Wright 1846[G]

Esperance 1846[G]

Notes

[A] = A part of Albany County.

[2] = A part of Albany County until 1798, then part of Ulster County until 1800 when Greene County was formed.

[C] = A part of Albany County until 1800 when Greene County was formed.

[D] = A part of Albany County, until 1809 when Schenectady County was formed.

[E] = A part of Albany County until 1797 when Schoharie County was formed.

[F] = A part of Greene County

[G] = A part of Schoharie County

[H] = Schoharie County annexed a portion of the town of Durham (Greene County) in 1836, that portion was joined with a part of the town of Broome to become Conesville.

[9] = A part of Ulster County.
[10] = A part of Ulster County until 1800 when Greene County was formed.

Schenectady County, except Niskayuna and Duanesburgh

Schenectady City Hall

Schenectady patent 1684-1765[A]

Schenectady borough 1765-1772[A]

Schenectady district 1772-1788[A]

Schenectady town 1788-1798[A]

Princetown 1798[B]

Schenectady city 1798[B]

Glenville 1820[C]

Rotterdam 1820[C]

Notes

[A] = A part of Albany County.

[B] = A part of Albany County, until 1809 when Schenectady County was formed.

[C] = A part of Schenectady County.

Saratoga County, and Easton (Washington County)

Charlton 1792[C]

Galway 1792[C]

Providence 1796[C]

Northfield 1801 (Edinburgh in 1808)[C]

Corinth 1818[C]

Ballstown district 1775- 1788[A]

Ballston 1788[B]

Milton 1792[C]

Saratoga district 1772- 1788[A]

Greenfield 1801[C]

Concord 1819 (Day in 1827)[C]

Hadley 1801[C]

Saratoga 1788[B]

Northumberland 1798[C]

Moreau 1805[C]

Wilton 1818[C]

Saratoga Springs town 1819- 1915[C]

Saratoga Springs city 1915[14][C]

Easton 1789[D]

Stillwater 1788[B]

Malta 1802[C]

Halfmoon district 1772- 1788[A]

Mechanicville city 1915[15][C]

Halfmoon 1788[B]

Waterford 1816[C]

Clifton 1828 (Clifton Park in 1829)[C]

Notes

[A] = A part of Albany County.

[B] = A part of Albany County, until 1791 when Saratoga County was formed.

[C] = A part of Saratoga County.

[D]= A part of Albany County, until 1791 when annexed by Washington County

Washington County, except Easton

Jackson 1815[D]

Cambridge patent[A] 1761-1788

Cambridge 1788[C]

White Creek 1815[D]

Kingsbury patent[B] 1762-1786

Kingsbury[D] township 1786-1788

Kingsbury 1788[D]

Argyle patent[B] 1764-1786

Argyle[D] township 1786-1788

Argyle 1788[D]

Greenwich 1803[D]

Salem[B] patent 1764-1786

Salem[D] township 1786-1788

Salem[D] 1788

Fort Edward 1818[D]

Skenesborough patent[B] 1765-1786

Whitehall[D] township 1786-1788

Whitehall 1788[D]

Granville[D] township 1786-1788

Granville 1788[D]

Hampton[D] township 1786-1788

Hampton 1788[D]

Hebron[D] township 1786-1788

Hebron 1788[D]

Westfield[D] township 1786-1788

Westfield 1788[D] (Fort Ann in 1808)

Hartford 1793[D]

Putnam 1806[D]

South Bay[D] March 15, 1822 (Dresden in April 17, 1822)

Notes

[A] = A part of Albany County.

[B]= A part of Albany County until 1772 when Charlotte County was formed (name changed to Washington County in 1778).

[D]= A part of Albany County, until 1791 when annexed by Washington County

[D]= A part of Washington County.

Warren County

Caldwell 1810[3] (Lake George in 1963[16])

Chester 1799[3]

Bolton 1799[3]

Rochester 1807[3](Hague in 1808)

Horicon 1838[4]

Queensbury patent[A] 1762-1786

Queensbury township[B] 1786[5]-1788

Queensbury 1788[3][1]

Thurman[B][17] 1792-1813

Johnsburg 1805[3]

Fairfield 1792[3] (Luzerne in 1808 Lake Luzerne in 1963[16])

Athol[4] 1813-1852

Thurman 1852[4]

Glens Falls city 1908[4]

Warrensburg 1813[4]

Stony Creek 1852[4]

Notes

[A]= A part of Albany County until 1772 when Charlotte County was formed (name changed to Washington County in 1778).

[B]= A part of Washington County.

[3] = A part of Washington County until 1813 when Warren County was formed.
[4] = A part of Warren County.

Columbia County

Hillsdale District[A] 1782-1788

Hillsdale 1788[B]

Hudson city[A] 1785

Greenport 1837[B]

Claverack District[A] 1772-1788

Claverack 1788[B]

(1)

(1) Stuyvesant 1823[B]

Stockport 1833[B]

Kinderhook District[A] 1772-1788

Kinderhook 1788[B]

Ghent 1818[B]

Chatham 1795[B]

Austerlitz 1818[2]

Kings District[A] 1772-1788

Canaan 1788[B]

New Lebanon 1818[B]

German Camp[18] (East Camp) District[A] 1775-1788

Germantown 1788[B]

Clermont 1787[B]

Gallatin 1803 (Ancram 1814)[B]

Gallatin 1830[B]

Manor of Livingston District[A] 1772-1788

Livingston 1788[B]

Granger 1803[B] (Taghkanic 1814)

Copake 1824[B]

Notes

[A] = A part of Albany County until 1786 when Columbia County was formed.

[B]= A part of Columbia County.

Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties, with part of Herkimer County

Salisbury 1797

Oppenheim 1808

St. Johnsville 1838

Manheim 1817

Stone Arabia 1772- 1788 (Palatine in 1773)

Palatine 1788

Ephratah 1827

Canajoharie district 1772-1788

Canajoharie 1788

Minden 1798

Danube 1812

Stark 1828

Bleecker 1831

Caroga 1842

Root 1823

Gloversville 1840

Johnstown 1895

Mohawk district 1772- 1788

Mohawk 1788- 1793

Charleston 1793

Glen 1823

Johnstown 1793

Florida 1793

Mohawk 1837

Lake Pleasant 1812

Arietta 1836

Long Lake 1837

Morehouse 1835

Inlet 1901

Caughnawaga district 1780-1788

Caughnawaga 1788-1793

Mayfield 1793

Wells 1805

Indian Lake 1858

Broadalbin 1793

Northampton 1799

Hope 1818

Benson 1860

Amsterdam 1793

Perth 1838

Gilman 1839-1860

Amsterdam city 1885

See also

• List of incorporated places in New York's Capital District
• Toponymies of places in New York's Capital District
• Administrative divisions of New York
• List of cities in New York
• List of towns in New York
• List of villages in New York
• Timeline of town creation in Downstate New York
• Timeline of town creation in the Hudson Valley
• Timeline of town creation in Central New York

Notes

• a. ^{^} Though many sources put Pittstown as incorporated as a township by patent on July 23, 1721 no law can be found incorporating it as such. ^[19] When Albany County was divided into districts Pittstown is not mentioned, though the land it currently occupies was included in Schaghticoke;^[4] if Pittstown had been a municipality it ceased to be so in 1772 (or earlier); the current town of Pittstown was formed in 1788.^[1]

References

• Gazetteer of the State of New York By John H. French 1860; R. Pearsall Smith, publisher.

1. Laws of the State of New York, Vol. 2; 1785-1788. State of New York. 1886. p. 748. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
2. "Capital District Community Loan Fund". Retrieved 2009-09-6-09. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
3. "Governmental Units". John B. Deitz. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
4. The Colonial Laws of New York, Vol. 5; 1769-1775. James B. Lyon (State of New York). 1894. p. 383. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
5. Laws of the State of New York, Vol. 2; 1785-88. State of New York. 1886. p. 196. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
6. Statutes at Large of the State of New York, Vol. 7; 1867-1870. Weed, Parsons & Company. 1870. p. 405. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
7. Charles Lincoln (1906). The Constitutional History of New York; Vol. 4. The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company. p. 401. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
8. National Reporter System (1898). New York Supplement, Vol. 50. W.C. Little & Co. pp. 488–491. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
9. New York State Session Laws, Vol. 1. State of New York. 1897. p. 323.
10. Laws of the State of New York, Vol. 2; 1785-88. State of New York. 1886. p. 508. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
11. Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association. New York State Historical Association. 1916. p. 255. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
12. Laws of the State of New York, Vol. 2; 1788-92. Thomas Greenleaf (State of New York). 1792. p. 214. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
13. Ruth Higgins (1931). Expansion in New York. Ohio State University. p. 52. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
14. General Laws of the State of New York, passed in 1915. West Publishing Company. 1915. p. 803. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
15. General Laws of the State of New York, passed in 1915. West Publishing Company. 1915. p. 795. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
16. "Warren County Historical Society". Retrieved 2009-03-18.
17. Laws of the State of New York, Vol. 2; 1788-92. Thomas Greenleaf (State of New York). 1792. p. 457. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
18. The Colonial Laws of New York, Vol. 5; 1769-75. James B. Lyon (State of New York). 1894. p. 773. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
19. State of New York (1894). Colonial Laws of New York, Vol. II; 1720-1737. James B. Lyon. Retrieved 2010-01-29.

Further reading

• The Districts of Albany County, New York, 1772-1784 a graphical representation of French's 1860 Gazetter of the State of New York put into maps.
• Welcome to the Columbia County, NY a source listing the original land disbursements (patents) in Columbia County and subsequent town creation.