Niskayuna, New York
| Niskayuna, New York | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location in Schenectady County and the state of New York. |
|
| Coordinates: 42°48′1″N 73°52′51″W / 42.80028°N 73.88083°WCoordinates: 42°48′1″N 73°52′51″W / 42.80028°N 73.88083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Schenectady |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.1 sq mi (39.0 km2) |
| • Land | 14.2 sq mi (36.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 404 ft (123 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 21,781 |
| • Density | 1,400/sq mi (560/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12309 |
| Area code(s) | 518 |
| FIPS code | 36-51264 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0979279 |
| Website | www |
Niskayuna is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 21,781 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the southeast part of the county, east of the city of Schenectady, and is the easternmost town in the county.
The Town of Niskayuna was created on March 7, 1809, with an original population of 681. The name of town was derived from early patents to Dutch settlers: Nis-ti-go-wo-ne or Co-nis-tig-i-one, both derived from the Mohawk language. The 19th-century historians Howell and Munsell mistakenly identified Conistigione as an Indian tribe, but they were a band of Mohawk people known by the term for this location. The original meaning of the words translate roughly as "extensive corn flats", as the Mohawk for centuries cultivated maize fields in the fertile bottomlands along the river later named for this people. They were the easternmost of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.
Among the Mohawk chiefs who lived in the area were Ron-warrigh-woh-go-wa (meaning in English the great fault finder or grumbler), Ka-na-da-rokh-go-wa (a great eater), Ro-ya-na (a chief), As-sa-ve-go (big knife), and A-voon-ta-go-wa (big tree). Of these, the first strongly objected to selling communal lands to the whites. He ensured that the Mohawk retained the rights of hunting and fishing on lands they deeded to the Dutch and other whites. He was reported to have said that "after the whites had taken possession of our lands, they will make Kaut-sore [literally spoon-food or soup] of our bodies." He generally aided the settlers during the mid-18th century against the Canadiens in the French and Indian War, the North American front of the Seven Years' War.
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