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 STATUE, SITE OF "OLD FORT."

importance of the frontier trade added largely to the English population. As early as 1710, the Rev. Thomas Barclay, the English chaplain to the fort in Albany, preached once a month at Schenectady, where, as he writes, "there is a garrison of forty soldiers, besides about sixteen English and about one hundred Dutch families." At that time the Dutch had no pastor. Mr. Barclay writes, "There is a convenient and well built church which they freely give me the use of." It was not, however, until 1759, when there were three hun