Ryan Mahoney, curator of the Schenectady County Historical
Society, discusses a panel featured in the traveling exhibit
“Light on New Netherlands,” which is hosted at the new education
center at Mabee Farm. Photo by John Purcell. ROTTERDAM JUNCTION
What many people believe to be the Dutch’s role in forming the
America of today might fall short of the full story. A bigger
part of that tale is now on display, as the Schenectady County
Historical Society is hosting the “Light on New Netherlands”
traveling exhibit at the George E. Franchere Education Center at
Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction from now through Feb. 28. The
exhibit is produced by the New Netherland Institute and consists
of 26 panels aimed at introducing important but little known
aspects of what role the Dutch played in the settlement and
development of colonial America, most specifically the
development of New Netherland, the Dutch colony that stretched
from Albany to Delaware in the 17th century. Some of the
subjects presented include exploratio