Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck

Born in Europe in 1638, Dirck came with his father, a West India Company employee to New Netherland were he entered the service of a merchant Pieter Van Allen.

After a while Dirck began to trade in furs on his own account and became a successful businessman. During the 1670’s, his fortune was additionally augmented by expanding the business activities to landowning in the upriver region of New York in partnership with Robert Livingston, a businessman of Scotland origin.

Around that time he also became active in the public life of the Albany community. In the course of the next three decades, Dirck held various offices culminating in 1686 when he was elected an alderman, and in 1696 a Mayor of Albany.