GREATER SCHENECTADY lOT a city in the country has a brighter outlook than Schenectady. From the sleepy town of Indian legends it has developed into the progressive Armaturk of the World. A few years ago Nml grass grew in the main business streets of Schenectady and it enjoyed the distinction of being the ^ only "finished town in America." Then came the change. The General Electric Company — then called the Edison Machine Company — came to Schenectady to occupy two moderate sized buildings. It was hoped the concern would employ 1,500 persons later. Today this company carries more than 15,000 people on its pay-roll. The General Electric Company, however, is not Schenectady's only great industry as within the city limits are located the main shops of the American Locomotive Co., which at the present time is employing about 5,000 men and is carrying a weekly pay roll of about $75,000. With two such stable industries there is no question about the future of Schenectady. Educationally, Schenectady has every advantage. Here is Union College, one of the oldest and best known institutions in the country; and also one of the best free school systems in the State. There have been completed recently a magnificent new high school and two new ward schools. There are some 50 churches in the city repre- senting nearly all denominations. The past of the city has been as interesting as its future promises to be. It was settled in 1642 and was for many years nothing but a trading settlement. It was the destination of a party of French and Indians in 1690 who burned the town and massacred all whom they could lay their hands on. During the English-French war it was the scene of the mobilizing of troops and during the Revolution this city witnessed many a stirring event. Just before the battle of Saratoga, which was one of the fifteen decisive battles of the world, Schenectady was the head- quarters of a number of patriotic regiments. With the coming of Independence Schenectady began to achieve commercial distinction. Great docks were built along the Mohawk and it became a shipping point. The boats used on the river were flat bottomed affairs and had to be poled through the riffs. For many years shipping was the great industry in Schenectady but the opening of the Erie Canal and the first railroad killed it, and Schenectady went into a peaceful slumber for many years to be awakened to a new activity by the coming of the gigantic force. Electricity. Published by L. H. NELSON COMPANY, Portland, Me. Publishers of Nelson's International Series of View Books Copyright, 1907, 1912, by L. H. Nelson Co., Portland, Maine. A BIRDS EYE VIEW )CI,A313702 SCHENECTADY UNION STATION STATE STREET. LOOKING EAST Showing lower State Street STATE STREET FROM CRESCENT PARK CITY HALL PUBLIC LIBRARY SITE OF THE NORTH GATE OF THE QUEEN'S FORT THE OLD LADIES' HOME TWO POINTS OF INTEREST ■NOON." GENERAL ELECTRIC WORKS A GLIMPSE AT SCHENECTADY INDUSTRIES EAST AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH P5F^S5^ GROUP OF CHURCHES LORRAINE BLOCK CENTRAL FIRE STATION SILLIMAN HALL— Y. M, C. A. COLLEGE LIBRARY. ENGINEERING BUILDING. WASHBURN HALL— UNION COLLEGE UNION COLLEGE— Idol pr BLUE GATE nted to college by an alu yearly compel Freshmen to paint Idol "THE IDOL" and Freshmen retaliate by repainting it red. KAPPA ALPHA CHAPTER HOUSE— UNION COLLEGE PSI UPSILON CHAPTER HOUSE— UNION COLLEGE JN 6 1912 BEAUTIFUL SCENES NEAR SCHENECTADY f^^^^^^^:;;,;^' :,■ . : ' ■\,-m^'^^f^''^'"W^^^^-' 'i^^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS iiiiiiiii 014 433 342 1 pennulifea pH83