History
In the early 1800s, the park was a popular hunting and picnicking ground. In the 1850s, it was decided that the vale at the top of Franklin Street would be an ideal setting for a cemetery – it was a scenic area with plenty of room for expansion. In this tranquil valley cut by the Cowhorn Creek, sunlight filters onto gravestones dating back to the 1720s. In its time, this land was not considered valuable because a deep ravine and a series of ponds prevented home construction. But it was a beautiful area and walking distance from town so that residents could easily tend the graves of their beloved family members.
When the park was laid out in the 1860s, winding trails were created, more than 1000 trees were planted, and even Cowhorn Creek was dammed to create the park’s two lakes.
Among the famous persons buried in contiguous Vale Cemetery include inventor Charles Steinmetz; John Ellis, founder of Schenectady Locomotive Works; Dr. Eliphalet Nott, longtime president of Union College; and veterans from every war going back to the American Revolution. In addition, victims of the 1690 Schenectady Massacre were re-interred at Vale Cemetery when their graves were moved from the Stockade in the mid-1800s.
Vale Park is listed on the New York State and the National registers of Historic Sites and is also home to a number of protected wildflowers and birds.