Starbuck Island from the Troy Waterfront | 01.11.2025
Much like watching clouds, observing ice formations can be mesmerizing. Yesterday, these delicate, ethereal shapes floated along the Hudson’s dark waters, each one unique and fleeting. One after another, they drifted past, only to vanish into the ice jam beneath the Congress Street Bridge.
Starbuck Island, located between Green Island and Troy, New York, derives its name from the Starbuck Brothers Foundry established on Center Island in 1821. The foundry was among the early iron manufacturing enterprises in the region, contributing to the area's industrial development during the 19th century. The island's association with the Starbuck family and their foundry led to its naming as Starbuck Island.
Additionally, the name "Starbuck" appears in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick as the first mate of the Pequod. Melville, who spent part of his early life in the Albany area, may have drawn inspiration from local names during his writing.
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