Founded in 1624 near present-day Albany, Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland and the trading and military outpost from which Albany later grew. Replacing flood-prone Fort Nassau, it became a major fur-trading center, moving thousands of pelts each year and anchoring a village first called the Fuyck and later Beverwyck. Though modest in structure and often damaged by flooding, it stood at the center of frontier trade and political conflict, including disputes over jurisdiction. After the English takeover in 1664, it was renamed Fort Albany, then gradually abandoned, while its archaeological remains later confirmed its historic importance.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Rensselaer, New York · USA