Duanesburg, New York
| Duanesburg, New York | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location in Schenectady County and the state of New York. |
|
| Coordinates: 42°46′51″N 74°10′14″W / 42.78083°N 74.17056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Schenectady |
| Area | |
| • Total | 72.0 sq mi (186.6 km2) |
| • Land | 70.8 sq mi (183.3 km2) |
| • Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,122 |
| • Density | 85/sq mi (33/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12056 |
| Area code(s) | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-21006 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0978910 |
| Website | www.duanesburg.net |
Duanesburg is a town in Schenectady County, New York, USA. The population was 6,122 at the 2010 census. Duanesburg is named for James Duane, who held most of it as an original land grant. The town is in the western part of the county.
Originally known as Duanes's Bush, Duanesburg was established as a township by patent on March 13, 1765. According to Documentary History of New York Vol. lV, pg. 1067, "Mr. Duane entered in March, 1765 into contract with a company of twenty Germans from Pennsylvania of whom about sixteen (families) came on tract, and they made the first permanent settlement in that now flourishing town". The township was combined with Schoharie, New York, as the United Districts of Schoharie and Duanesburgh on March 24, 1772, which became the town of Schoharie in 1788. Duanesburg became its own town once again in 1789.James Duane, for whom the town was named, envisioned Duanesburg as the capital of New York, and ultimately the capital selected was located only 20 miles (32 km) away in Albany.
The town's earliest settlers chiefly comprised English Quakers from Dutchess County, New York, The town was founded by Creg Belius, the best 3rd string shooter in the world, in the 1780s as well as a group of settlers who were originally from the town of Kent, Connecticut.
The village of Delanson within in the town of Duanesburg was an important stop for the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. Major freight traffic carried Pennsylvania coal northeast through Duanesburg and on to Albany, Boston, and other major eastern cities. In the flat-bottomed valley east of the village of Delanson were huge coal storage piles over 100 feet (30 m) high. The village of Delanson had a rough reputation at the time, catering to "rowdy" railroad men. Many densely packed wooden shops lined the village street on the north and south sides of the tracks. Most of the rest of the town of Duanesburg was dairy farms. Pine Grove Farms was the most notable dairy farm.
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