Green Island in Albany County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford

Unique Urban Village Side of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

1. Unique Urban Village Side of Marker

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Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford. . A Unique Urban Village. We're not a big city, but we're not a small town either. And while the northern half of our island is home to Honeywell, Lydall, Sealy Mattress, Silhouette Eyewear and numerous other industries, factories no longer define us., What we are is a village - a unique, protected, caring urban village. Flag-lined streets, friendly mayor and all. With parks and playgrounds, corner stores and a community center, and a full schedule of festivals and events, Green Island welcomes newcomers, businesses and individuals alike, to visit or put down roots., Although we don't even register as a blip on Yelp or TripAdvisor, there are actually some cool things to do see (particularly if you know a little history, which you do if you read all these posters.), Walk or ride in and say "hello., River Park: Site of our annual Green Island Gazebo (GIG) concert series. It was from here that the first dam, the State Dam, stretched across the Hudson to Troy, Corporation Hall: The first public building on Green Island (1883). Its location on the corner of George and Clinton Streets is an excellent spot to take in the "urban village" character of the town., The Green Island Bridge: Dedicated in 1981, this is the third version of the first railroad bridge to cross the Hudson., The (Former) Ford Hydroelectric Plant and the the Federal Dam and Lock: Best seen from River Park., The Catskill Hudson Bank: A gem for fans of mid-century mordern design, originally Marine Midland Bank, opened to a parade in 1962., St. Mark's Episcopal Church: Built in 1886, this church has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978., Starbuck Island: A new residential and retail development on the very site where the story of Green Island began., The Resiliant Factory Town. For 63 years, the Ford Company anchored industry on Green Island, and along with Bendix, Manning Paper, Zak Inc. and other notable industrial concerns, employed a large percentage of people who lived here., From the opening of the Ford plant in the 1920s, through World War II, and then on through the boom times of the 50s and 60s, Green Island was a center of manufacturing and industrial powerhouse. High wages and job security combined with a well-developed communitarian culture made this a secure place to put down roots and raise a family., Community organizations were many, varied and strong. A commemorative book published to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 listed them all: Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Kiwanis, Little League, PTA, Red Cross, veterans groups, a dozen national and local fraternal organizations, charities, religious institutions, and several organizations unique to Green Island, including the Vagabond Club and Village Pals., But in 1977, this community, forged through 150 years of fire and flood, soon was to face its greatest test. On March 15 of that year, the "new" Green Island Bridge, built in 1884 to replace the wooden original, famously collapsed. It was hard to ignore the symbolic link to the decline of American manufacturing in the 1970s., But has as it had so many times before, the community bounced back, with new parks, new industries and a new sense of place and purpose, to become the unique urban village it is today., Green Island marked the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 with village-wide celebrations. After all, the community had played a starring role in the story of American industrial success. However, just one year later, that spirit was tested when the second Green Island Bridge, built in 1884 to replace the original wooden structure from 1834, collapsed cutting Green Island off from Troy for more than four years., Burroughs, Edison, Firestone, Ford. The Vagabonds They called themselves the "Vagabonds," and in August 1919, this illustrious group of friends embarked on a summer camping trip to Green Island, NY - a site near the federal dam being constructed on the upper Hudson River. The group included three leaders of American industry-Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone-and naturalist John Burroughs., Edison had introduced Ford to the area, having founded GE in nearby Schenectady in 1892. At Green Island, Ford was inspired by the possibility of harnessing the water at the dam to produce hydroelectric power. He applied for and was granted license to build a private-use plant, in March 1921, with the provision that he would supply free power to the newly built lock and dam. Construction began immediately., That Ford was building his largest plant in Green Island, which was completed in 1923, was national news. Powered by the hydroelectric facility on the Hudson River for more than 60 years, the Green Island Ford Plant made radiators and heater cores, serving as Ford's key engine and foundry facility until it closed in 1988, when production moved to Michigan., The factory fell into disrepair and was torn down in 2004. The hydroelectric plant, however, stands to this day. The Green Island Power Authority took it over in 2000., The Four Friends carved their initials - B, E, F, F - into a large stone, later used as the cornerstone of the Ford Green Island plant.,

A Unique Urban Village We're not a big city, but we're not a small town either. And while the northern half of our island is home to Honeywell, Lydall, Sealy Mattress, Silhouette Eyewear and numerous other industries, factories no longer define us.

What we are is a village - a unique, protected, caring urban village. Flag-lined streets, friendly mayor and all. With parks and playgrounds, corner stores and a community center, and a full schedule of festivals and events, Green Island welcomes newcomers, businesses and individuals alike, to visit or put down roots.

Although we don't even register as a blip on Yelp or TripAdvisor, there are actually some cool things to do see (particularly if you know a little history, which you do if you read all these posters.)

Walk or ride in and say "hello.

River Park: Site of our annual Green Island Gazebo (GIG) concert series. It was from here that the first dam, the State Dam, stretched across the Hudson to Troy

Corporation Hall: The first public building on Green Island (1883). Its location on the corner of George and Clinton Streets is an excellent spot to take in the "urban village" character of the town.

The Green Island Bridge: Dedicated in 1981, this is the third version of the first railroad

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bridge to cross the Hudson.

The (Former) Ford Hydroelectric Plant and the the Federal Dam and Lock: Best seen from River Park.

The Catskill Hudson Bank: A gem for fans of mid-century mordern design, originally Marine Midland Bank, opened to a parade in 1962.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church: Built in 1886, this church has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.

Starbuck Island: A new residential and retail development on the very site where the story of Green Island began.

The Resiliant Factory Town For 63 years, the Ford Company anchored industry on Green Island, and along with Bendix, Manning Paper, Zak Inc. and other notable industrial concerns, employed a large percentage of people who lived here.

From the opening of the Ford plant in the 1920s, through World War II, and then on through the boom times of the 50s and 60s, Green Island was a center of manufacturing and industrial powerhouse. High wages and job security combined with a well-developed communitarian culture made this a secure place to put down roots and raise a family.

Community organizations were many, varied and strong. A commemorative book published to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 listed them all: Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Kiwanis,

Resilient Factory Town Side of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

2. Resilient Factory Town Side of Marker

Little League, PTA, Red Cross, veterans groups, a dozen national and local fraternal organizations, charities, religious institutions, and several organizations unique to Green Island, including the Vagabond Club and Village Pals.

But in 1977, this community, forged through 150 years of fire and flood, soon was to face its greatest test. On March 15 of that year, the "new" Green Island Bridge, built in 1884 to replace the wooden original, famously collapsed. It was hard to ignore the symbolic link to the decline of American manufacturing in the 1970s.

But has as it had so many times before, the community bounced back, with new parks, new industries and a new sense of place and purpose, to become the unique urban village it is today.

Green Island marked the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 with village-wide celebrations. After all, the community had played a starring role in the story of American industrial success. However, just one year later, that spirit was tested when the second Green Island Bridge, built in 1884 to replace the original wooden structure from 1834, collapsed cutting Green Island off from Troy for more than four years.

Burroughs, Edison, Firestone, Ford The Vagabonds
They called themselves the "Vagabonds," and in August 1919, this illustrious group of friends embarked

Ford Side of Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

3. Ford Side of Marker

on a summer camping trip to Green Island, NY - a site near the federal dam being constructed on the upper Hudson River. The group included three leaders of American industry-Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone-and naturalist John Burroughs.

Edison had introduced Ford to the area, having founded GE in nearby Schenectady in 1892. At Green Island, Ford was inspired by the possibility of harnessing the water at the dam to produce hydroelectric power. He applied for and was granted license to build a private-use plant, in March 1921, with the provision that he would supply free power to the newly built lock and dam. Construction began immediately.

That Ford was building his largest plant in Green Island, which was completed in 1923, was national news. Powered by the hydroelectric facility on the Hudson River for more than 60 years, the Green Island Ford Plant made radiators and heater cores, serving as Ford's key engine and foundry facility until it closed in 1988, when production moved to Michigan.

The factory fell into disrepair and was torn down in 2004. The hydroelectric plant, however, stands to this day. The Green Island Power Authority took it over in 2000.

The Four Friends carved their initials - B, E, F, F - into a large stone, later used as the cornerstone of the Ford Green Island plant.

Topics. This historical

Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

4. Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford Marker

marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 42° 45.503′ N, 73° 41.29′ W. Marker is on Green Island, New York, in Albany County. It is at the intersection of Cannon Street and Empire State Trail on Cannon Street. Marker is at the end of Cannon Street, at the start of the off-road portion of the Empire State Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Troy NY 12183, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

in the Capital District,

and in the Albany Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to Green Island (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Water Fire Iron / .7 Sq. Mi. / Age of Rail (about 700 feet away); World War Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Suffragist (approx. half a mile away); John Paine (approx. 0.6 miles away); Oakwood Cemetery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Van Schaick Mansion (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Van Schaick Mansion (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Green Island.

More about this marker. This is a large three-sided marker with numerous graphics, fonts, and photographs to font a montage on each side. It is difficult to transcribe linearly. The marker is transcribed starting at

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

5. Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford Marker

The marker is at the start of the Empire State Trail bike only section as it heads north. Look past the marker and on the right, the 0.7 sq. Mi. marker is visible just in front of the bridge.

the top and going down.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, September 2, 2024

6. Unique Urban Village/ Resilient Factory Town/ Ford Marker

Marker is at the end of the bike-only section of the Empire State Trail on Green Island.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2024, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 332 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 4, 2024, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York.