- Arent van Curler
Arent van Curler, later van Corlaer, (
1619 -1667 ) was the cousin ofKiliaen van Rensselaer and undertook the management of Rensselaer's patroonshipRensselaerwyck in the Dutch colony ofNew Netherland in1637 .He was born in
Nijkerk ,Netherlands .In
1643 , Van Curler married a widow, Antonia Slaaghboom, and the couple settled nearFort Orange .In
1662 , he founded Schenectady on land he purchased from the Mohawks. He was known for his fair dealings with the Indians, negotiating disputes and arranging for captives to be freed.He died, drowning in
Lake Champlain in northern New York, while attempting to visit Governor de Tracy of Canada.
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