Alplaus, New York
Encyclopedia
Alplaus is a hamlet located in Schenectady County
, New York
, USA. Its name is derived from the Dutch
Aal Plaats, or "Place of the Eels".
Alplaus is in the southeast corner of the Town of Glenville
.
Some may consider it part of the hamlet of East Glenville
; however, it is generally recognized as a separate community. For the 2000 census, Alplaus is part of the East Glenville census-designated place
.
Alplaus has the smallest population in a zip code (12008) within the continental United States.
Census data for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area
(ZCTA) associated with Alplaus for the 2000 census had a total population of 431 people in 175 households.
12008 to define Alplaus, while others may say it is the Alplaus volunteer fire department (officially known as Glenville Fire District #2).
Alplaus is located at 42°51′19"N 73°53′58"W. It has an elevation of approximately 210 feet /64 m at the Mohawk river.
Rexford
, a hamlet in the Town of Clifton Park
in Saratoga County
, borders Alplaus to the East. The Mohawk River
borders on the south. Generally, the Glenridge and Schenectady Country Airport represents the western border.
The major natural feature of the hamlet is the Alplaus Kill
(creek), which is a tributary to the Mohawk River.
There is one main road (Alplaus Avenue), with several streets branching from it. On this road in the center of the hamlet are two important community facilities: the Post Office
, the Fire House
, and Samuel's.
(FAA
code KSCH) lies partially within Alplaus. The Stratton Air National Guard
Base is located on this airport. The 109th Airlift Wing, based at Stratton, supports Arctic and Antarctic operations using C-130 aircraft.
The Wells Seaplane Base (FAA id 94D) is located at the Mohawk Marina near the mouth of the Alplaus Kill.
and 96 Sault
and Algonquin Indians
encamped at the mouth of Alplaus Kill, prior to the Schenectady massacre
.
From 1902 to 1941, the "longest trolley bridge in the world" crossed the Mohawk river at Alplaus. The trolley brought visitors from Schenectady to the fairgrounds in Rexford.
The Alplaus United Methodist Church http://www.troyconference.org/home.asp?site=alplausumc was organized in 1914.
The Alplaus fire department was founded in 1930.
During World War II
, the General Electric
Company tested jet engines and electronic surveillance equipment at the Schenectady County Airport.
Kurt Vonnegut
lived in Alplaus when he worked for General Electric in Schenectady, in the late 1940s. He was a member of the Alplaus Volunteer Fire Department. http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/vonnegutkurt.html His recollections of the fire department's extra-loud siren can be found in his novel, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. [www.albany.edu/writers-inst/vonnegutkurt.html]
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA. Its name is derived from the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
Aal Plaats, or "Place of the Eels".
Alplaus is in the southeast corner of the Town of Glenville
Glenville, Schenectady County, New York
Glenville is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. It was incorporated in 1821. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,183....
.
Some may consider it part of the hamlet of East Glenville
East Glenville, New York
East Glenville is a hamlet in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 6,064 at the 2000 census...
; however, it is generally recognized as a separate community. For the 2000 census, Alplaus is part of the East Glenville census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
.
Alplaus has the smallest population in a zip code (12008) within the continental United States.
Census data for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
(ZCTA) associated with Alplaus for the 2000 census had a total population of 431 people in 175 households.
Geography
Since Alplaus is not an incorporated area, its borders are not specific. Some may consider the ZIP CodeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
12008 to define Alplaus, while others may say it is the Alplaus volunteer fire department (officially known as Glenville Fire District #2).
Alplaus is located at 42°51′19"N 73°53′58"W. It has an elevation of approximately 210 feet /64 m at the Mohawk river.
Rexford
Rexford, New York
Rexford is a hamlet in Saratoga County, New York, USA, located on the north bank of the Mohawk River.Rexford is in the Town of Clifton Park, near the southwest town line. Its boundaries, like those of neighboring Alplaus, are unofficial and necessarily vague. To the south, it is bounded by the...
, a hamlet in the Town of Clifton Park
Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
in Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, borders Alplaus to the East. The Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
borders on the south. Generally, the Glenridge and Schenectady Country Airport represents the western border.
The major natural feature of the hamlet is the Alplaus Kill
Kill (body of water)
As a body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel." The modern Dutch term is kil....
(creek), which is a tributary to the Mohawk River.
There is one main road (Alplaus Avenue), with several streets branching from it. On this road in the center of the hamlet are two important community facilities: the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, the Fire House
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
, and Samuel's.
Airports
The Schenectady County AirportSchenectady County Airport
Schenectady County Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles north of the city of Schenectady in Schenectady County, New York, USA....
(FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
code KSCH) lies partially within Alplaus. The Stratton Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
Base is located on this airport. The 109th Airlift Wing, based at Stratton, supports Arctic and Antarctic operations using C-130 aircraft.
The Wells Seaplane Base (FAA id 94D) is located at the Mohawk Marina near the mouth of the Alplaus Kill.
History
In 1690, 114 FrenchmenFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and 96 Sault
Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Michigan, commonly shortened to Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians or the more colloquial Sault Tribe, is an indigenous community located in what is now known as Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The tribal headquarters is located within the major city in...
and Algonquin Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
encamped at the mouth of Alplaus Kill, prior to the Schenectady massacre
Schenectady massacre
The Schenectady Massacre was a Canadien attack against the village of Schenectady in the colony of New York on 8 February 1690. A party of more than 200 Canadiens and allied Mohawk nation, Sault and Algonquin warriors attacked the unguarded community, destroying most of the homes, and killing or...
.
From 1902 to 1941, the "longest trolley bridge in the world" crossed the Mohawk river at Alplaus. The trolley brought visitors from Schenectady to the fairgrounds in Rexford.
The Alplaus United Methodist Church http://www.troyconference.org/home.asp?site=alplausumc was organized in 1914.
The Alplaus fire department was founded in 1930.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Company tested jet engines and electronic surveillance equipment at the Schenectady County Airport.
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
lived in Alplaus when he worked for General Electric in Schenectady, in the late 1940s. He was a member of the Alplaus Volunteer Fire Department. http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/vonnegutkurt.html His recollections of the fire department's extra-loud siren can be found in his novel, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. [www.albany.edu/writers-inst/vonnegutkurt.html]