Unification of Albany, Troy, Lansingburgh, Waterford, West Troy, Greenbush, Kenwood and Normanskill (1868)

A BIG THING.—A correspondent of an Albany paper proposes that Albany, Troy, Lansingburgh, Waterford, West Troy, Greenbush, Kenwood, and Normanskill, be consolidated into one "GREAT CITY AND COUNTY." This would be a very large thing, open to some objections, perhaps, but none the less worthy of consideration on that account. If the fresh young blood, the vigor and enterprise, of Cohoes and West Troy could be infused into Albany, the sleeping Dutchmen of that town would not know themselves in three months time. They would find themselves at work where now they only sleep, and they would sing where now they only grunt. We have heard of old men renewing their age by marrying young wives—and such might be the effect of annexation on Albany. Attaching Troy to Lansingburgh, the effect would be scarcely less happy. Troy needs our good example, our sound business principles, our schools, clean streets, superb sewerage, grand old elms, our home comforts and, above all, our piety. Of all these we have a superabundance, and can therefore well afford to share them with our neighbors. We should ask in return only that the new members of our household should pay their own debts, drink and sell only good liquor, bathe often, and fear God and keep his commandments. Could the Trojans rise to a standard so exalted?The following is the communication in the Albany paper referred to. The initials are doubtless those of Andrew J. Colvin, an ex-Judge and ex-Senator of Albany county.Now that the representatives of these two cities have been brought face to face and a feeling of fraternal affection evidently exists between them, permit me to suggest that the material, if not the intellectual, moral and religious interests of both demand that they should be united in one GREAT CITY AND COUNTY. Let this city and county comprise not only the cities of Troy and Albany, but also West Troy, Cohoes, and down to Kenwood, or the Normanskill, on this side of the river, and Greenbush, East Albany, the Nail Works village and Lansingburgh on the other side of the river. Indeed, I should like to see all the territory lying within three miles of the Hudson river, on either side thereof, as far North as the Mohawk, and as far South as the Normanskill, erected into one GREAT CITY.All the land between Albany and West Troy, by the recent death of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, passes into the hands of William P. Van Rensselaer. There is some twenty-five hundred acres still undisposed of, and this land will now soon be thrown upon the market and if divided up into lots will be promptly sold and speedily built upon and improved.There is no reason in the world, why Albany and Troy and the intermediate territory above indicated should not constitute one united city, having the same prosperity. Should this union be effected, a few years will witness and development and growth in this beautiful part of the Hudson Valley which will not only astonish ourselves, but the whole country.That say you, Mr. Editor, to that? And what will our Albany, Troy and Cohoes papers say to this proposition? A. J. C.Lansingburgh Gazette. June 18, 1868