Got History?

By Don Rittner

The importance of history depends on whom you talk to, or so it seems. When I was much younger, I was asked to give a couple from Munich, Germany, a tour of downtown Troy, a city not unlike Schenectady, agreeably one full of history. As we passed by a drugstore on Fourth Street, I stopped and pointed out a sign hanging over the door that said serving the public since 1952. I noted with pride that this establishment was indeed a historic site. Both of my guests broke out in laughter and since I knew I didn’t crack a joke, I asked them what was so funny? The German fellow uttered in a matter-of-fact tone: “Well, yes, we have a similar drugstore on one of our corners in Munich and it too has a sign over the door, which reads serving the public since 1399.”

Both of us were right, of course. I was impressed that my drugstore lasted so long considering that Troy at the time was less than 200 years old. My visitor was proud of his city’s history as well.

You are more likely to know the history of your neighborhood than the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. History can be a very selective endeavor, and yet the old saying by British statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke (1729-1797) rings true: “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

You use history every day of your life even if you don’t realize it. You celebrate your birthday each year. It’s that special day in the past. The same goes for anniversaries. When you visit the doctor, he or she checks your past history to compare it to your present health condition. The doctor knows the importance of history. You carry around photos of loved ones that were taken in the past. Governments keep records, newspapers are archived, and so on. Libraries keep books, receptacles of words written long ago, the collective wisdom of history. You cannot move into the future without establishing its past. You wouldn’t fly in an airplane if the pilot didn’t “remember” how to fly, would you? So we all agree that history is important!

Those of us living in the Capital District are spoiled with history. We live in the region where American history planted its roots. Add to that the rich Native American legacy and we live in perhaps the most historic region in the country, yet few know it.

Schenectady is a special place where great minds came together at a critical time in America’s infancy. If you read Susan Staffa’s book Schenectady Genesis, you will learn that it took a robust and brave lot to establish the westernmost outpost of 17^th century New Netherland (and paid a dear price for it in 1690 when most of its inhabitants were massacred).

Over the last 30 years, we have suffered from a collective low esteem about our region. Populations dwindled, buildings were boarded up or demolished, and industry and jobs moved away. But our history remains. At a recent planning session for the upcoming city comprehensive plan, some members of the audience talked about Schenectady’s poor image. Let me try to present a different one.

Three hundred and forty-four years ago, a small group of men, women, and children packed up their belongings, left the protective stockade village of Albany, and eked their way across a small sandy trail 16 miles through the Pine Bush to found Schenectady. These early Dutch families laid the foundation for the following: the first passenger railroad in America and the invention of the air brake that stops most trains; the largest trains in the world, including 75,000 steam engines built before 1950; the tungsten filament that lights most lightbulbs in the world, the development of alternating current that drives those bulbs, and the largest turbines to produce the necessary electricity; the first industrial research laboratory in America; the development of radio, television, radar, X-ray tubes, the air conditioner, and the microwave oven; the first hermetically sealed refrigerator and the electric range; the M-7 tank killer that sent Rommel running in WW II; the solid-state laser; the first jet engine; the use of cloud seeding to produce rain; and five Nobel Prize winners that worked or were educated here. The list goes on.

There is a lot of talk lately about developing the Capital District into a “Tech Valley.” Dear readers, we are the original Tech Valley.

During the coming months, this publication will illuminate these early contributions made by people living and working in Schenectady County.

Schenectady is a Native American word that means “Beyond the Pine Plains.” The city and county have lived up to that name, since the multitude of contributions made by Schenectadians have had an impact on the lives of people way beyond its borders.

The bottom-line motivation for this is to ensure that each Schenectadian becomes a living and walking encyclopedia of Schenectady County history so that he or she can fire off a 10-minute welcome to any visitor of our region. After all, Schenectady is unique in its name and in its people, and the more folks we educate about this impressive history the better!