The Village of Scotia itself was incorporated just over 100 years ago but its past is deep and full of historic events. Nestled in the arms of the Mohawk River this fertile land was visited frequently by the Haudenosaunee(Iroquois) and Algonkian Indians.

In the 1650's, Alexander Lindsey of Glen bought land along the north shore of the river from the Iroquois Indians. While he emigrated to the new world with Dutch settlers, he named his estate Scotia, in memory of the Scottish hills of his native country. While a Scotsman, political/reglious conflicts forced our founder to the Netherland where he became a key member of the Dutch India Company. This resulted in our area having a combination of both Scottish and Dutch heritage.

"The Camp" pictured above in 1889 was a colonial military camp and training ground during the war of 1754-1760 and again during the war of 1812-1814. Visible in the photo is the First Baptist Church which still provides a historic feel to our main street.

In the mid 1800's Scotia was well known as the center of the Broom industry with almost 100 operating broomcorn farms, manufacturing up to 1,000,000 brooms a year.

Incorporated in 1904 the Village of Scotia celebrated a year long centennial.

Discuss growing up in old Scotia with friends a Facebook's Remembering Scotia

Web Sites of Historic Interest

• Haudenosaunee: People Building a Long House
  
• The Story of the Schenectady Massacre
  
• Schenectady Public Libary - Glenville
  
• Schenectady Public Libary - Scotia
  
• The Old Mohawk-Turnpike Book - Charles B Knox Gelatine Co. Inc.
  
  
• GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF COLLINS LAKE - Union College
  
• Mohawk Valley Library Association - I Spy
  
• Scotia History by Michelle Norris (pdf)
  
• FlintHouse.org
  
• Scotia Cinema
  
• 1st National Bank 75th Anniversary Photos
  
• Van Ep(p)'s Family Genealogy