Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Rail History In Pine Hills

This marker, identifying the spot where the first chartered railroad in New York State began its debut trip from Albany to Schenectady, stands on the point where Western Avenue (seen above) converges with Madison Avenue in Pine Hills. The company was chartered in 1825 and the first train - yellow passenger cars drawn by the famous DeWitt Clinton steam locomotive - departed from Albany near this intersection on September 24, 1831. The sixteen-mile trip through the Pine Bush took about forty minutes.

1 comment:

  1. My grandmother lived just a few blocks from here. I have memories of the "modern" Albany Savings Bank building (now another bank?), and the Madison Theater, and the old Central Market (now a Price Chopper). I also attended the old School 16 a few hundred years ago. I love the nearby firehouse/police station, too.

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