A Brief History of Our Village

The Village of Menands was incorporated after a special election held on August 15th 1924 when residents voted to encompass the old boundaries of the 15th school district of the Town of Colonie. The Village of Menands takes its name from Louis Menand, a prominent 19th century Horticulturist who was born in France on August 2nd 1807 and immigrated to America in 1837. Not long after arriving he met and married Adelaide Jackson of Albany in 1840. In 1842 they settled in (what is now) the Village that bears his name. Here he established one of the finest horticultural and garden establishments in the area at the time. His home and greenhouses where located on the north side of Menand Road at what is now the site of the Village’s Ganser-Smith Park. In the mid 1850’s the first railroad built north out of Albany. It was called the “Albany Northern” and adjoined the eastern boundary of Mr. Menand’s greenhouses and gardens where the trains would stop. Eventually a large railroad station was built and the stop was simply called “Menand’s” and the area soon associated itself with the name.

Mr. Howard Menand became first official historian in Menands in 1969. Howard was born here on October 28th 1890 and was the great grandson of Louis Menand. Howard compiled much of the history of the Village from his memory growing up here as a child. This enabled Howard to draw on his vast memory of the area known as “Menands Gardens” and what it was like before its’ official incorporation in 1924.

Howard dedicated many hours and days in the years leading up to the 50th Anniversary celebration of the incorporation of Menands in 1974 and compiled the 50th Anniversary booklet for Menands. The booklet included a very descriptive narrative of how the Village evolved, who the earliest residents were, where they lived, and in many instances what their occupations were. His work created a sound written foundation of this areas historic past. Howard passed away on April 28th 1977 at 86 years of age.

After Howard’s passing, the next appointed Village Historian was Mr. Jack Cotter. Mr. Cotter was not a lifelong resident of Menands but had retired here and recognized the importance of Menands to its relationship with local, state, and even national history. Mr. Cotter’s research focused on early Dutch records, land grants and early Native American relationships with the European settlers.

Shortly after Mr. Cotter passed away I was appointed in 1986 by (then) Mayor Tom Gibbs to replace Mr. Cotter as Village Historian. Mayor Gibbs recognized my interest in history and that my family on my father’s side had long resided in this area prior to the Village’s incorporation 1924. My grandparents on my father’s side came here from Czechoslovakia prior to World War One. My grandfather secured a job with the old Albany Car Wheel Company’s foundry in Menands. The Albany Car Wheel Company made cast iron wheels for trolleys and trains. The Franklin family lived in one of 12 small houses owned by the Car Wheel Company which leased them to their employees. Locals referred to the enclave as: “Polock Town”, because the homes there were all occupied by people who were mostly of Polish, Czech., Ukrainian, and a few other European nationalities. The Albany Car Wheel Co. went out of business in the 1960’s and all of the small cottage like houses were demolished except for two which were moved to other locations and the enclave ceased to exist.

If you have questions or have information or photos you believe to be of historic significance, please contact me at: (518) 782-2601 or by e-mail at:email hidden; JavaScript is required

Kevin Franklin, Historian, Village of Menands & Town of Colonie.

You may also visit the Town of Colonie Historian website for further information at:  https://www.colonie.org/departments/historian/