East Syracuse, New York
Encyclopedia
East Syracuse is an incorporated village
and a suburb
of the City of Syracuse
in eastern Onondaga County
, New York
. United States
. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village
had a population of 3,178.
The Village of East Syracuse is located immediately east of Syracuse, in the Town of Dewitt.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 3,178 people, 1,393 households, and 742 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,015.0 people per square mile (776.6/km²). There were 1,503 housing units at an average density of 953.0 per square mile (367.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.06% White, 1.45% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 2.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.
There were 1,393 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples
living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $28,703, and the median income for a family was $34,293. Males had a median income of $34,405 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,066. About 14.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Village was incorporated in 1881 and population peaked in the early 1960s, with a 1960 census reported population of 4,708.
The current settlement, originally named "Messina," grew up along the northern edge of the Erie Canal
across from Headson's Landing, a busy canal port with the only bridge to cross the canal east of downtown Syracuse
for ten miles. In the middle of the nineteenth century the Messina Plank Road (now New York State Route 290
) was built from Messina east to Manlius Center and the canal port there. Large venetian blind and buggy whip factories operated in Messina in the late nineteenth century.
In the 1870s, the main line of the New York Central Railroad
was built through the northern part of Messina. The DeWitt Railyards complex, one of the busiest in the world in its day, stretched from Messina five miles east to Minoa. East and westbound trains were assembled in the yards at the "Hump", where trains were pushed up tracks on one side of an artificial hill and routed to their train by track switches as the rolled freely down the far side. During most of the nineteenth century the larger part of the hamlet was south of the railroad yards, but as the population grew with rail workers, housing expanded to the north.
During the boom following construction of the railroad, the name "East Syracuse" began to replace Messina. That name was chosen for the new village when it was incorporated in 1881. At that time the village thrived due to its access to transportation. The railroad was the new powerhouse, but the canal remained viable, with Headson's Landing still a busy port. The northeastern corner of the Headson's Landing Bridge was the original southwestern corner of the village.
In the 20th century, Erie Boulevard was built over the canal from west of Syracuse to about a mile past Headson's landing. In the 1960s, Interstate 690
was built through the southern part of the Village between the railroad and Erie Blvd. Now only a small portion of the original settlement south of the railroad remains, including about 100 of the Village's 1400 dwelling units.
With the canal gone and the railroad seeing only a portion of its former business, and as the interstate system and other high speed roads have turned the all day trip of the nineteenth century into an hours's drive, East Syracuse has become fully a suburb of Syracuse.
East Syracuse is home to Bristol Labs, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb
. Formerly the world's largest source of penicillin, production was ended there in 2005 due to the less expensive production of this antibiotic overseas. Bristol Labs now makes several newer drugs, along with housing a state-of-the-art ramp-up facility designed to quickly adapt to make moderate quantities of new drugs for clinical trials.
East Syracuse played another role in making the world a little bit smaller in 1996, when Village Trustee Jason M Rhoades, a twenty year old college student and management intern at NYNEX (now Verizon), made history by being the first legislator in the world to participate in a legislative meeting by telecom from a business trip in Massachusetts. Rhoades was also the Village's youngest Trustee when elected in 1995 at the age of nineteen, and one of the youngest people ever elected to any municipal office in New York State. In 2001, he became the Village's youngest Mayor at the age of twenty-five.
Serving as mayor of East Syracuse has apparently developed into a springboard. Former mayors Tony Albanese and Lorene Dadey square off again this year as, respectively, Republican and Democratic candidates for DeWitt Town Board. Current mayor Dan Liedka
, the only mayor ever endorsed for election by both Village political parties and well known for his energetic administration, is prominently mentioned as a potential candidate for the state senate in 2010.
A recent list of the Mayors of East Syracuse (with party affiliation) includes:
is a public school system, serving the entirety of East Syracuse and its surrounding area (Minoa, Kirkville, and the eastern most portion of Eastwood). Students may also choose to attend Christian Brothers Academy
, Manlius Pebble Hill
, Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School
or many other private schools in Metro Syracuse.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the City of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
in eastern Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
had a population of 3,178.
The Village of East Syracuse is located immediately east of Syracuse, in the Town of Dewitt.
Geography
East Syracuse is located at 43°3′52"N 76°4′13"W (43.064516, -76.070143). The Village center is at Manlius and North Center Streets.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,178 people, 1,393 households, and 742 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,015.0 people per square mile (776.6/km²). There were 1,503 housing units at an average density of 953.0 per square mile (367.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.06% White, 1.45% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.
There were 1,393 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $28,703, and the median income for a family was $34,293. Males had a median income of $34,405 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $17,066. About 14.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Village was incorporated in 1881 and population peaked in the early 1960s, with a 1960 census reported population of 4,708.
History
The original inhabitants of the area were Onondaga clans, whose village was atop a hill on the eastern border of Onondaga territory along what is now Kinne St. An established trail ran down part of what is now James Street to Ley Creek where the Onondagas could travel by canoe to their capital along the northeast shore of Onondaga Lake. Portions of this Onondaga village dating from the early eighteenth century were uncovered in the 1930s when East Syracuse High School was being built on Kinne St near James.The current settlement, originally named "Messina," grew up along the northern edge of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
across from Headson's Landing, a busy canal port with the only bridge to cross the canal east of downtown Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
for ten miles. In the middle of the nineteenth century the Messina Plank Road (now New York State Route 290
New York State Route 290
New York State Route 290 is a state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, extending from downtown Syracuse to the east side of the county...
) was built from Messina east to Manlius Center and the canal port there. Large venetian blind and buggy whip factories operated in Messina in the late nineteenth century.
In the 1870s, the main line of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
was built through the northern part of Messina. The DeWitt Railyards complex, one of the busiest in the world in its day, stretched from Messina five miles east to Minoa. East and westbound trains were assembled in the yards at the "Hump", where trains were pushed up tracks on one side of an artificial hill and routed to their train by track switches as the rolled freely down the far side. During most of the nineteenth century the larger part of the hamlet was south of the railroad yards, but as the population grew with rail workers, housing expanded to the north.
During the boom following construction of the railroad, the name "East Syracuse" began to replace Messina. That name was chosen for the new village when it was incorporated in 1881. At that time the village thrived due to its access to transportation. The railroad was the new powerhouse, but the canal remained viable, with Headson's Landing still a busy port. The northeastern corner of the Headson's Landing Bridge was the original southwestern corner of the village.
In the 20th century, Erie Boulevard was built over the canal from west of Syracuse to about a mile past Headson's landing. In the 1960s, Interstate 690
Interstate 690
Interstate 690 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is a spur of I-90 that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in Van Buren to I-481 in DeWitt...
was built through the southern part of the Village between the railroad and Erie Blvd. Now only a small portion of the original settlement south of the railroad remains, including about 100 of the Village's 1400 dwelling units.
With the canal gone and the railroad seeing only a portion of its former business, and as the interstate system and other high speed roads have turned the all day trip of the nineteenth century into an hours's drive, East Syracuse has become fully a suburb of Syracuse.
East Syracuse is home to Bristol Labs, a division of Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
. Formerly the world's largest source of penicillin, production was ended there in 2005 due to the less expensive production of this antibiotic overseas. Bristol Labs now makes several newer drugs, along with housing a state-of-the-art ramp-up facility designed to quickly adapt to make moderate quantities of new drugs for clinical trials.
East Syracuse played another role in making the world a little bit smaller in 1996, when Village Trustee Jason M Rhoades, a twenty year old college student and management intern at NYNEX (now Verizon), made history by being the first legislator in the world to participate in a legislative meeting by telecom from a business trip in Massachusetts. Rhoades was also the Village's youngest Trustee when elected in 1995 at the age of nineteen, and one of the youngest people ever elected to any municipal office in New York State. In 2001, he became the Village's youngest Mayor at the age of twenty-five.
Serving as mayor of East Syracuse has apparently developed into a springboard. Former mayors Tony Albanese and Lorene Dadey square off again this year as, respectively, Republican and Democratic candidates for DeWitt Town Board. Current mayor Dan Liedka
Danny Liedka
Danny J. Liedka is the current mayor of East Syracuse, New York.Liedka was first elected to the Village of East Syracuse Board as a Trustee in 2003, and was reelected in 2005. In 2007, he was elected Mayor after being the first candidate in Village history to secure the endorsement of all three...
, the only mayor ever endorsed for election by both Village political parties and well known for his energetic administration, is prominently mentioned as a potential candidate for the state senate in 2010.
A recent list of the Mayors of East Syracuse (with party affiliation) includes:
- Michael "Mickey" Wrenn (Progressive) 1961-65;
- Carl Sterling (Peoples) 1965-70;
- Ronald A Russell Jr (Peoples) 1970-73, 1975-1979, 1981-1985, 1997-2001;
- Fred Ray (Citizens) 1973-75;
- Richard Benack (Citizens) 1979-81;
- Richard Rhoades (Citizens) 1985-87;
- Peter Higgins (Peoples) 1987-95;
- Donald E Reichert (Citizens) 1995-97;
- Jason M Rhoades (Citizens) 2001-03;
- Lorene McCoy Dadey (Peoples) 2003-05;
- Tony Albanese (Citizenz) 2005-07;
- Danny J LiedkaDanny LiedkaDanny J. Liedka is the current mayor of East Syracuse, New York.Liedka was first elected to the Village of East Syracuse Board as a Trustee in 2003, and was reelected in 2005. In 2007, he was elected Mayor after being the first candidate in Village history to secure the endorsement of all three...
(Peoples) 2007-.
Village Government
The annual Village operating budget for fiscal year that began on June 1, 2006 is $5,231,210, including the separate sewer and water budgets, of which $2,201,934 or 42% comes from local property taxes. Current Village officials include:- Dan LiedkaDanny LiedkaDanny J. Liedka is the current mayor of East Syracuse, New York.Liedka was first elected to the Village of East Syracuse Board as a Trustee in 2003, and was reelected in 2005. In 2007, he was elected Mayor after being the first candidate in Village history to secure the endorsement of all three...
, Mayor; - Barbara Falcone-Quonce, Deputy Mayor;
- James E Carr Jr, Village Trustee;
- Jodi Gehrke-Turner, Village Trustee;
- Chad Tolhurst, Village Trustee;
- Robert Germain, Village Attorney;
- William Morris and Thomas Campoli, Village Engineers;
- Donald Benack Jr, Village Justice;
- Erik Carlson, Acting Justice;
- Bridget Albanese, Court Clerk;
- Patricia Derby, Village Clerk;
- Terry Knaflewski, Deputy Clerk;
- Karen Serens, Receiver of Taxes;
- Chris Hoch, Treasurer;
- Frank Stirpe, Codes Enforcement Officer;
- William Cramer, Building Inspector;
- Lisa Wojtaszek, Historian;
- Michael Cramer, Fire Chief;
- Donald Morris, Police Chief;
- Ronald A Russell III, Public Works Supt;
- Randall Rhoades, Public Works Foreman;
- Thomas Richardson, Recreation Director;
- Stanley Adydan, Board of Ethics Chair;
- Sally Seeley, Housing Authority Chair;
- Ronald Gustafson, Planning Board Chair;
- Mary Albanese, Recreation Commission Chair;
- Barbara Falcone Quonce, Beautification Committee Chair;
- Robert Sweeney, Zoning Board of Appeals Chair.
Education
The East Syracuse-Minoa Central School DistrictEast Syracuse-Minoa Central School District
The East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District is a pre-K through 12th grade public school district centered in the Town of DeWitt in Central New York, enrolling approximately 3,500 students. ES-M serves portions of the Towns of DeWitt and Manlius, specifically the villages of East Syracuse,...
is a public school system, serving the entirety of East Syracuse and its surrounding area (Minoa, Kirkville, and the eastern most portion of Eastwood). Students may also choose to attend Christian Brothers Academy
Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, New York)
Christian Brothers Academy is a private, Catholic college preparatory school in suburban Syracuse, New York run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle. Located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, the school has roughly 750 students in grades...
, Manlius Pebble Hill
Manlius Pebble Hill
The Manlius Pebble Hill School is a non-sectarian, coeducational, independent Pre-K through 12 school in DeWitt, New York. The school is a result of a merger in 1970 between the Manlius School and the Pebble Hill School .-The Manlius School:The Manlius School was founded in 1869 in Manlius, New...
, Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School
Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School
Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in East Syracuse, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. The school was named one of the 50 best Catholic schools in the United States in 2005....
or many other private schools in Metro Syracuse.
Elementary schools
- East Syracuse Elementary School
- Fremont Elementary School
- Woodland Elementary School
- St. Matthew's School
Middle school
Fire Department
The Village of East Syracuse, and the Northern part of the Town of DeWitt is protected by firefighters from the East Syracuse Fire Department. The department, operating out of two fire stations is 100% volunteer. Currently being led into action by Chief Michael Cramer, the department averages 1,000+ emergency calls a year. More information can be found at http://www.eastsyracusefire.comPublic Works
The Department of Public Works for the Village of East Syracuse use several late model International dump trucks for plowing and other assorted tasks.Commerce
Manlius Street, typically referred to as Main Street, is home to a wide variety of locally owned shops, eating establishments, bars, manufacturers and other service providers.Notable natives
- Jennifer Diederich, fashion designer and contestant on Bravo's Project Runway Season 5.
- Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
, voice actor and voice of SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants (character)SpongeBob SquarePants is a main fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg...
and other characters in the TV Show of the same name. - Edward Simons FulmerEdward Simons FulmerEdward Simons Fulmer is a former officer and pilot of the United States Army Air Forces. Fulmer is one of the few living Knights of the Military William Order.-Military career:...
(East Syracuse, 1913), who, as a second lieutenant and pilot of a glider of the U.S. Army Air Force, distinguished himself in Operation Market GardenOperation Market GardenOperation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
and was decorated with the coveted Military Order of William, the DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
equivalent of the Congressional Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, for his bravery.