GeoByte1:Albany is one of the oldest cities in the United States. In 1624 the Dutch were the first Europeans to establish a permanent settlement there.
GeoByte2:The British captured the town from the Dutch in 1664 and named it Albany in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of the English king.
GeoByte3:In 1831 New York's first railroad connected Albany with Schenectady.
GeoByte4:The famous Erie Canal, completed in 1825, connects one of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie, to the Hudson River at Albany.
GeoByte5:Although Albany lies on the banks of the Hudson River 150 miles (240 km) from the Atlantic Ocean, it is a busy port.