Onondaga, New York
Encyclopedia
Onondaga is a town
located in Onondaga County
, New York
, United States
. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town
had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Town of Onondaga is located southwest of the City of Syracuse
, which it borders.
was a village that served as the capital of the Iroquois
League and the primary settlement of the Onondaga people. During the American Revolutionary War
, the Onondagas sided with the British, and Onondaga was attacked by the Continental Army
on April 21, 1779. After the war, the Onondagas were forced to cede their lands in New York to the new state, although some land was set aside to form the Onondaga Reservation. Most of the Onondagas left New York and were resettled in Upper Canada
.
The Onondaga region was within what was designated the Central New York Military Tract
, in which the new government allotted land grants to veterans as payment for their war service. In the postwar years, the area was flooded with migrants from New England and eastern New York. The Town of Onondaga was incorporated on April 2, 1798 from parts of other towns, with several subsequent boundary changes. When Onondaga County was formed in 1794, the town was established originally from parts of the Towns of Marcellus
, Pompey
, and Manlius
.
The first court house for the County of Onondaga was built in 1805 on the public square in Onondaga Hill
, which was then the county seat. The building was laid out by surveyor and engineer James Geddes (see Town of Geddes
). After the county seat was moved to Syracuse
in 1830, the building in Onondaga Hill was used as a school until 1846.
The Gen. Orrin Hutchinson House
on Seneca Turnpike is the only Town of Onondaga site listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the town has a total area of 57.8 square miles (149.7 km²), of which, 57.7 square miles (149.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.16%) is water.
Interstate 81
passes along the east side of the town. US Route 11 is a north-south highway in the eastern part of Onondaga, paralleling the interstate. US Route 20 is an east-west highway in the south of the town. New York State Route 173
is an east-west highway through the middle of Onondaga. New York State Route 11A
diverges westward from US-11. New York State Route 80
cuts through the south part of the town.
of 2000, there were 21,063 people, 7,679 households, and 5,513 families residing in the town. The population density
was 364.9 people per square mile (140.9/km²). There were 7,964 housing units at an average density of 138.0 per square mile (53.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.29% White, 1.96% African American, 1.07% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 7,679 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,421, and the median income for a family was $63,674. Males had a median income of $42,495 versus $31,160 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,522. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
located in 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 town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Town of Onondaga is located southwest 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...
, which it borders.
History
Native Americans have inhabited the region for centuries. As early as 1600, OnondagaOnondaga (village)
Onondaga was a village that served as the capital of the Iroquois League and the primary settlement of the Onondaga nation. It was the meeting place of the Iroquois Grand Council....
was a village that served as the capital of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
League and the primary settlement of the Onondaga people. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the Onondagas sided with the British, and Onondaga was attacked by the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
on April 21, 1779. After the war, the Onondagas were forced to cede their lands in New York to the new state, although some land was set aside to form the Onondaga Reservation. Most of the Onondagas left New York and were resettled in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
The Onondaga region was within what was designated the Central New York Military Tract
Central New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
, in which the new government allotted land grants to veterans as payment for their war service. In the postwar years, the area was flooded with migrants from New England and eastern New York. The Town of Onondaga was incorporated on April 2, 1798 from parts of other towns, with several subsequent boundary changes. When Onondaga County was formed in 1794, the town was established originally from parts of the Towns of Marcellus
Marcellus (town), New York
Marcellus is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,319 at the 2000 census. The town was probably named after Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman general, by a clerk interested in the Classics....
, Pompey
Pompey, New York
Pompey is a town in the southeast part of Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,159 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the Roman general and political leader Pompey by a late 18th-century clerk interested in the Classics in the new federal republic.- History :The...
, and Manlius
Manlius (town), New York
Manlius is a town in Onondaga County, east of the city of Syracuse, New York, United States. The population was 32,370 at the 2010 census, making it the third largest suburb in metropolitan Syracuse...
.
The first court house for the County of Onondaga was built in 1805 on the public square in Onondaga Hill
Onondaga Hill, New York
Onondaga Hill is a hamlet in the Town of Onondaga in Onondaga County, New York, southwest of the city of Syracuse. It is located on the Seneca Turnpike at the intersection of New York State Route 173 and New York State Route 175....
, which was then the county seat. The building was laid out by surveyor and engineer James Geddes (see Town of Geddes
Geddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
). After the county seat was moved to 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 1830, the building in Onondaga Hill was used as a school until 1846.
The Gen. Orrin Hutchinson House
Gen. Orrin Hutchinson House
The Gen. Orrin Hutchinson House, also known as the General George Hutchinson House, is the only Town of Onondaga site listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Orrin Hutchinson was a Brigadier General of the militia. He died in 1842....
on Seneca Turnpike is the only Town of Onondaga site listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 town has a total area of 57.8 square miles (149.7 km²), of which, 57.7 square miles (149.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.16%) is water.
Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
passes along the east side of the town. US Route 11 is a north-south highway in the eastern part of Onondaga, paralleling the interstate. US Route 20 is an east-west highway in the south of the town. New York State Route 173
New York State Route 173
New York State Route 173 is a state highway located in the Syracuse area of central New York, United States. It takes a slightly bow-shaped route from NY 31 in the town of Van Buren to NY 5 in Chittenango, gently curving to the south of Downtown Syracuse in the center of its routing...
is an east-west highway through the middle of Onondaga. New York State Route 11A
New York State Route 11A
New York State Route 11A is a state highway in Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. As its numbering implies, NY 11A is a spur of U.S. Route 11. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 80 in Tully. Its northern terminus is at a junction...
diverges westward from US-11. New York State Route 80
New York State Route 80
New York State Route 80 is a west–east New York State Route located within Onondaga, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Herkimer, and Montgomery Counties in New York. Its western terminus is located at a junction with NY 175 in the city of Syracuse in Onondaga County, from which it...
cuts through the south part of the town.
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 21,063 people, 7,679 households, and 5,513 families residing in the town. 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 364.9 people per square mile (140.9/km²). There were 7,964 housing units at an average density of 138.0 per square mile (53.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.29% White, 1.96% African American, 1.07% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.16% 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 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 7,679 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,421, and the median income for a family was $63,674. Males had a median income of $42,495 versus $31,160 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 town was $25,522. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Onondaga
There are no villages in the Town of Onondaga. The following is a complete list of the town's hamlets as listed in the New York Gazetteer, as well as other localities of interest:- Cards Corners – A populated place on NY-175 near the west town line.
- Cedarvale – A hamlet near the west town line.
- Five Corners – A location between Navarino and Joshua on US-20.
- Griffin's Corners – A populated place east of South Onondaga.
- Gwilt's Corners – A populated place
- Howlett Hill-- A hamlet in the northwest part of Onondaga, west of Kellys Corners.
- Indian Village – A hamlet within the Onondaga Nation Reservation on NY-11A.
- Ironsides – A populated place south of South Onondaga by the south town line.
- Joshua – A populated place on US-20 in the southwest part of the town.
- Kellys Corners – A populated place in the northwest part of Onondaga.
- Loomis Hill – A populated place in the north-west part of Onondaga.
- Lord's Corners – A hamlet on US-20 in the south part of the town.
- Navarino – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
- NedrowNedrow, New YorkNedrow is a hamlet located in the Town of Onondaga in Onondaga County, New York. The population was 2,265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nedrow is located at , on US Route 11, south of Syracuse, New York...
– A hamlet on US-11 near Interstate 81. - Nichols' Corners – A hamlet northwest of South Onondaga.
- Onondaga Castle – A hamlet at the junction of US-11 and NY-11A in the east part of the town, south of Nedrow.
- Onondaga HillOnondaga Hill, New YorkOnondaga Hill is a hamlet in the Town of Onondaga in Onondaga County, New York, southwest of the city of Syracuse. It is located on the Seneca Turnpike at the intersection of New York State Route 173 and New York State Route 175....
– A hamlet on NY-173 near the center of Onondaga. - Onondaga Nation Reservation – A Native American reservation partly in the town, considered by the natives to be autonomous of other jurisdictions.
- Pumpkin Hollow – A valley at the west town line.
- Sentinel Heights – A populated place near the east town line, southeast of Nedrow.
- South Onondaga – A hamlet in the south part of the town.
- Southwood – A hamlet near the east town line on NY-173.
- Split RockSplit Rock, New YorkSplit Rock is a hamlet in the Town of Onondaga in Onondaga County, New York. Today more a historic place than a community, Split Rock is a site of great interest to industrial archeology. The Solvay Process Company developed quarry operations here, delivering limestone used for the Solvay process...
– A hamlet near the north town line. - TauntonTaunton, New YorkTaunton is a hamlet in the Town of Onondaga in Onondaga County, New York, southwest of the city of Syracuse. Landmarks of Taunton are the former Morey's Mill, once a popular source of apple cider, and Wolf Hollow, an estate created by William S. Andrews, Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and...
– A hamlet near the north town line. - Wellington Corner – A populated place near the west town line, west of Cards Corners.