Troy is situated on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, across from Albany. It has a long history that starts with the Native Americans of the area through the Dutch and English settlers. The city was an important trading post and early industrial center involving steelmaking and textile manufacturing. Today, Troy is home to several colleges and universities and a vibrant downtown community.

In 1813, the United States government got the nickname “Uncle Sam.” The name comes from a meat packer from Troy who supplied barrels of beef to the US Army during the War of 1812. Samuel Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels “U.S.” for United States but soldiers began referring to the food as coming from Uncle Sam.