Rotterdam, NY
Rotterdam, NY
Rotterdam, NY - Town Hall

Town Historian

The Historian is an official of the local government appointed by the Supervisor and Town Board. Duties of the historian consist of collecting, preserving and making available materials relating to the history of the community. The historian also is responsible for preserving current records for the future.

Contact: James Schaefer, Ph.D., Town Historian
Email:  historian@rotterdamny.org

History of Rotterdam, NY

The area that is now the town of Rotterdam, New York was first settled predominately by the Dutch, about the year 1661. The town, named after the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, was formed from a ward of the city of Schenectady on April 14, 1820.

The fertile soil along the Mohawk River was responsible for a thriving broom corn industry during the mid-1800’s. With the advent of the Erie Canal in 1825 and later, with the coming of railroads to Rotterdam, hamlets began to spring up, including Rotterdam Junction, South Schenectady, and Pattersonville. Rotterdam was an important part of the Northeast’s railroad system. The Erie Canal traversed the entire length of northeast Rotterdam, with two locks located in the town. Athens Junction and Mohawkville were quiet, pleasant settlements in the southeastern part of town.

Rotterdam, a thriving suburban community, began as a frontier town, and now boasts hundreds of agricultural, industrial, and commercial businesses. The population has grown from 1,529 in 1820 to more than 28,000.

Established as a first class town in 1942, Rotterdam has since adopted the seal of the Old World Rotterdam, along with its motto, "Stronger Through Effort." Through diligent application of this motto, Rotterdam looks confidently to the future.

Town Supervisors

2022-present
Mollie A. Collins

2016-2021
Steven A. Tommasone

2012 - 2015
Harry C. Buffardi

2010 - 2011
Francis Del Gallo

2006 - 2009
Steven A. Tommasone

2002 - 2005
John J. Paolino

1998 - 2001
Joseph Signore

1984 - 1997
James Constantino

1967 - 1983
John F. Kirvin

1964 - 1966
Charles P. Burke

1958 - 1963
John F. Kirvin

1955 - 1957
Benjamin N. Williams

1954 - 1955
James R. Olin

1948 - 1953
William L. Alheim

1946 - 1947
James J. O'Connor

1942 - 1945
Carl Brown

1938 - 1941
James A. Riley

1936 - 1937
John Roberts

1934 - 1935
Roy Hamilton

1932 - 1933
James Hotaling

1930 - 1931
Roscoe C. Vanderbilt

1922 - 1929
James Hotaling

1916 - 1921
James A. Levy

1912 - 1915
John H. Veeder

1910 - 1911
Elwin J. Haskins

1904 - 1909
Anson H. Cady

1899 - 1903
Alanson Robison

1896 - 1898
Andrew J. McMillan

1894 - 1895
Amel F. Hake

1891 - 1893
Peter VanDyke

1888 - 1890
Isaac Wemple

1884 - 1887
John C. Myers

1883 - 1883
Simon J. Schermerhorn

1881 - 1882
Samual A. Weast

1878 - 1880
James Turnbull

1876 - 1877
Isaac Wemple

1875 - 1875
Jacob D. Wemple

1874 - 1874
Seeley Patterson

1870 - 1873
John M. Veeder

1869 - 1869
H.M. Akin

1868 - 1868
James Clute

1866 - 1867
James McMillan, Jr.

1865 - 1865
Jacob D. Wemple

1861 - 1864
James McMillan, Jr.

1860 - 1860
James T. Wasson

1859 - 1859
William Akin

1857 - 1858
Henry M. Crane

1856 - 1856
Simon J. Schermerhorn

1855 - 1855
Moses Chism

1854 - 1854
George Veeder

1853 - 1853
N.I. Schermerhorn

1852 - 1852
George Veeder

1850 - 1851
N.I. Schermerhorn

1848 - 1849
John W. Conklin

1847 - 1847
James T. Wasson

1846 - 1846
Abram N. Bradt

1845 - 1845
James Allen

1844 - 1844
James T. Wasson

1841 - 1843
Abram Warren

1840 - 1840
John C. Becker

1838 - 1839
Simon Schermerhorn

1837 - 1837
H.A. Vanslyck

1836 - 1836
J.I. Schermerhorn

1835 - 1835
J.B. Schermerhorn

1832 - 1834
H.A. Vanslyck

1828 - 1831
Simon Schermerhorn

1826 - 1827
B. Schermerhorn, Jr.

1824 - 1825
Peter Becker

1823 - 1823
John Pangburn

1822 - 1822
H.A. Vanslyck

1821 - 1821
Peter Becker

Town Supervisors

2022-present
Mollie A. Collins

2016-2021
Steven A. Tommasone

2012 - 2015
Harry C. Buffardi

2010 - 2011
Francis Del Gallo

2006 - 2009
Steven A. Tommasone

2002 - 2005
John J. Paolino

1998 - 2001
Joseph Signore

1984 - 1997
James Constantino

1967 - 1983
John F. Kirvin

1964 - 1966
Charles P. Burke

1958 - 1963
John F. Kirvin

1955 - 1957
Benjamin N. Williams

1954 - 1955
James R. Olin

1948 - 1953
William L. Alheim

1946 - 1947
James J. O'Connor

1942 - 1945
Carl Brown

1938 - 1941
James A. Riley

1936 - 1937
John Roberts

1934 - 1935
Roy Hamilton

1932 - 1933
James Hotaling

1930 - 1931
Roscoe C. Vanderbilt

1922 - 1929
James Hotaling

1916 - 1921
James A. Levy

1912 - 1915
John H. Veeder

1910 - 1911
Elwin J. Haskins

1904 - 1909
Anson H. Cady

1899 - 1903
Alanson Robison

1896 - 1898
Andrew J. McMillan

1894 - 1895
Amel F. Hake

1891 - 1893
Peter VanDyke

1888 - 1890
Isaac Wemple

1884 - 1887
John C. Myers

1883 - 1883
Simon J. Schermerhorn

1881 - 1882
Samual A. Weast

1878 - 1880
James Turnbull

1876 - 1877
Isaac Wemple

1875 - 1875
Jacob D. Wemple

1874 - 1874
Seeley Patterson

1870 - 1873
John M. Veeder

1869 - 1869
H.M. Akin

1868 - 1868
James Clute

1866 - 1867
James McMillan, Jr.

1865 - 1865
Jacob D. Wemple

1861 - 1864
James McMillan, Jr.

1860 - 1860
James T. Wasson

1859 - 1859
William Akin

1857 - 1858
Henry M. Crane

1856 - 1856
Simon J. Schermerhorn

1855 - 1855
Moses Chism

1854 - 1854
George Veeder

1853 - 1853
N.I. Schermerhorn

1852 - 1852
George Veeder

1850 - 1851
N.I. Schermerhorn

1848 - 1849
John W. Conklin

1847 - 1847
James T. Wasson

1846 - 1846
Abram N. Bradt

1845 - 1845
James Allen

1844 - 1844
James T. Wasson

1841 - 1843
Abram Warren

1840 - 1840
John C. Becker

1838 - 1839
Simon Schermerhorn

1837 - 1837
H.A. Vanslyck

1836 - 1836
J.I. Schermerhorn

1835 - 1835
J.B. Schermerhorn

1832 - 1834
H.A. Vanslyck

1828 - 1831
Simon Schermerhorn

1826 - 1827
B. Schermerhorn, Jr.

1824 - 1825
Peter Becker

1823 - 1823
John Pangburn

1822 - 1822
H.A. Vanslyck

1821 - 1821
Peter Becker