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Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad, Green Island, New York, Historic American Buildings Survey photograph

GREEN ISLAND

New York
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The Green Island Collection

Made for Green Island. Printed to order.

Green Island, New York gifts and souvenirs: 35 designs made from Green Island's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $99. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.

PopularPrice
Green Island Hometown Ornament$23
Green Island Landmarks Photo Posterfrom $40
Green Island Vintage Travel Posterfrom $40
Green Island Varsity Crewneckfrom $57
Green Island Est. Teefrom $33
Green Island Town Line Mugfrom $26
Green Island Hometown Ornament

Green Island Hometown Ornament

Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon

$23
Green Island Landmarks Photo Poster

Green Island Landmarks Photo Poster

Nine local landmarks, archival matte

from $40
Green Island Vintage Travel Poster

Green Island Vintage Travel Poster

Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout

from $40
Green Island Photo Art Print

Green Island Photo Art Print

A local landmark photo as a gallery print

from $40
Green Island “Greetings From” Poster

Green Island “Greetings From” Poster

Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos

from $40
Green Island Snapshot Collage Poster

Green Island Snapshot Collage Poster

Six local landmarks as instant photos on kraft paper

from $40
Green Island History Timeline Poster

Green Island History Timeline Poster

The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom

from $44
Green Island Map Placemat

Green Island Map Placemat

Map of local landmarks, washable fabric

$31
Green Island Varsity Crewneck

Green Island Varsity Crewneck

Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back

from $57
Green Island Est. Tee

Green Island Est. Tee

Soft Bella+Canvas jersey

from $33
Green Island Est. Youth Tee

Green Island Est. Youth Tee

Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes

$30
Green Island Est. Toddler Tee

Green Island Est. Toddler Tee

Bella+Canvas toddler jersey

$29
Green Island Est. Baby One Piece

Green Island Est. Baby One Piece

Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit

$30
Green Island “Greetings From” Tee

Green Island “Greetings From” Tee

Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos

from $35
Green Island Town Line Mug

Green Island Town Line Mug

Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe

from $26
Green Island “Greetings From” Mug

Green Island “Greetings From” Mug

Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic

from $29
Green Island Garden Flag

Green Island Garden Flag

Weatherproof, for the front walk

$31
Green Island Welcome Doormat

Green Island Welcome Doormat

24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back

$66
Green Island Hometown Wood Sign

Green Island Hometown Wood Sign

12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang

$48
Green Island Map Throw Pillow

Green Island Map Throw Pillow

Soft-touch, zip cover

$47
Green Island Landmark Photo Pillow

Green Island Landmark Photo Pillow

A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″

$49
Green Island Market Tote

Green Island Market Tote

Sturdy all-over-print tote

$37
Green Island “Greetings From” Tote

Green Island “Greetings From” Tote

Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote

$37
Green Island “Greetings From” Trucker Cap

Green Island “Greetings From” Trucker Cap

Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos

$33
Green Island Cork Coaster

Green Island Cork Coaster

Glossy top, cork back

$16
Green Island Street Map Throw Blanket

Green Island Street Map Throw Blanket

Soft fleece, 50″×60″

from $72
Green Island Snapshot Collage Blanket

Green Island Snapshot Collage Blanket

Six local landmarks as instant photos, soft fleece 50″×60″

from $76
Green Island Est. Tumbler

Green Island Est. Tumbler

20 oz, double-wall stainless

$51
Green Island Mohawk River Postcard

Green Island Mohawk River Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island Mohawk Valley Postcard

Green Island Mohawk Valley Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island Cannon Building Postcard

Green Island Cannon Building Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island St. Mark's Episcopal Church Postcard

Green Island St. Mark's Episcopal Church Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island McCarthy Building Postcard

Green Island McCarthy Building Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island Green Island Bridge Postcard

Green Island Green Island Bridge Postcard

6″×4″ postcard, glossy front

$10
Green Island Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Archive Print

Green Island Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Archive Print

From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town

from $44

Green Island is a coterminous town-village in Albany County, New York, United States, some 8 miles north of Albany. Landmarks include Mohawk Valley, Cannon Building and St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Green Island is the birthplace of William Lavin, singer.

On the National Register

Historic places

Population 2010: 2,620 → 2020: 2,934

From Wikidata (CC0).

A short history of Green Island

Today's town and village of Green Island is connected to the mainland on the west side of the Hudson River. However, it was once called Tibbett's Island and is situated on land that was, in the past, an island. The First (or South) Branch of the Mohawk River delta once ran between the island and Watervliet, separating the island from mainland Albany County. The river branch was filled in during construction of Interstate 787 in the 1960s.

Green Island was called by the Native Americans Pachanhanit or Nehanenesick, and was owned by the natives Amenhanit, Aepjen, and Wanapet until they sold it in 1665. The island was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck begun by the Patroon Kiliaen van Rensselaer, whose great-grandson (Colonel Kiliaen van Rensselaer) sold the island in 1708 to Colonel Pieter Schuyler. The island was sold, in 1714, to Hendrick Oothout. In 1796, the northern part of the island was purchased by George Tibbits, after whom the island received its name of Tibbits Island; while the southern portion of the island was sold by the Oothout family in 1833 to Daniel Cady. The next year, Cady sold the land to the Tibbits family.

Much like its larger neighboring cities; Troy, Watervliet, and Cohoes; Green Island was a major manufacturing and transportation center. In 1823, the Federal Dam was built between Green Island and Troy, allowing for year-round navigation north on the Hudson River to Waterford and Lansingburgh. In 1834, a terminal was built on the island by the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad, which the following year built the first Green Island Bridge for railroad use from Green Island to Troy. The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad built its locomotive and car shops in 1842 in Green Island. Even after the Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&H) took over and consolidated operations to the Colonie Shops (just west of Watervliet), the Green Island Shops continued to be a repair shop and were frequently mentioned in trade magazines during the 1930s regarding their experiments with new methods and materials; such as light weight steel. Green Island, population 800, was incorporated in 1853 as a village in the town of Watervliet. In that same year the Gilbert Car Company had a railroad car factory built in Green Island after their Troy location burned, it too would experience a fire in 1862, and finally went out of business in 1895. The town of Green Island was formed in 1896, which also created the city of Watervliet, a year after the division of the original town of Watervliet that created the town of Colonie.

It was automobile manufacturing, and not the railroads, that would soon become important to Green Island when Thomas Edison; whose General Electric was located in nearby Schenectady and who frequently fished off the northern end of Green Island; introduced his friend, Henry Ford, to the village. In 1919 Ford, Edison, John Burroughs, Harvey Firestone, Harvey Firestone Jr., and the manager of Ford's Upper Peninsula of Michigan operations camped and fished on land in Green Island, that would, in 1922, become The Ford Motor Company's plant manufacturing radiators and springs. At one point the plant employed close to 1,000. The location was convenient because of the Federal Dam which was used to provide hydroelectric power to operate the plant. Edison also considered building a factory at Green Island as well, which Ford believed would use electricity generated at his hydro power plant. The Ford plant served as Green Island's largest employer until it was closed in 1989. Although the factory portion was demolished in 2004, the dam remains active and continues to produce electricity, now owned by the Green Island Power Authority (GIPA). The cheap electricity supplied by GIPA has lured many businesses to Green Island's north end, including Zak Incorporated, Honeywell Friction Materials, Long Island Pipe Supply, General Control Systems, Crystal IS, the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Sealy Mattress Company, Reliable Brothers, and Case Window & Door Inc.

The Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad: Green Island Shops and St. Mark's Episcopal Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Read the full history

McNulty political dynasty

One of the Capital Region's most powerful political families first came to power in 1917 when John "Jack" McNulty Sr. was elected Green Island tax collector. He took over as head of the Green Island municipal Democratic Party in 1919, a position that he held until his death fifty years later in 1969. His son, John "Jack" McNulty Jr., was elected to the post as his immediate successor. He would be succeeded by his son Michael R. McNulty in the 1970s, marking the sixth decade the post had been held by a McNulty. McNulty Jr. won his first election as town supervisor in 1949, a position his son Michael would also hold. Jack Jr., his son Michael and his daughter Ellen McNulty-Ryan have each served terms as Green Island's mayor. Michael was also elected to Congress, representing New York's 21st congressional district from 1989 to 2009 (numbered as the 23rd for his first two terms).

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Green Island, New York, revision 1375955122 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

For local organizations

Are you with a Green Island historical society?

We share a part of every Green Island sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.

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Custom orders

Want something Green Island we don't make yet?

A favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.

Free printables

Color Green Island

13 free coloring pages of Green Island, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.

Nearby

Neighboring towns

Sources

Green Island's population was 2,934 in the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 2,620 in 2010.