Utica is a city in and the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Oneida CountyOneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
,
New YorkNew 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census.
The city of Utica is situated within the region referred to as the
Mohawk ValleyThe Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
in
Central New YorkCentral New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
. Utica has an extensive park system, with winter and summer sports facilities. Utica and the neighboring city of
RomeRome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
are principal cities of the
Utica–Rome, New York Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Utica-Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in central New York, anchored by the cities of Utica and Rome...
, which includes Oneida and
HerkimerHerkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
counties.
Demographics
Early history
Utica is located where it is because it was next to the shallowest spot along the
Mohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
that made it the best place for fording across. Also due to an
IroquoisThe Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Indian crossroads and fording location it made trade exceedingly easy for local merchants. With a shallow spot on the river and that as already inhabited by trading partners, the location was ideal for a settlement.
Utica was first settled by Europeans in 1773, on the site of Fort Schuyler which was built in 1758. The fort was named Fort Schuyler after
Col. Philip SchuylerPhilip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
, a hero of the French and Indian War. After the
French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
the fort was abandoned and then during the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
the original settlement (
Yunę́ʼnare·θ in
TuscaroraTuscarora, sometimes called Ska:rù:rę, is an Iroquoian language of the Tuscarora people, spoken in southern Ontario, Canada, and northwestern New York around Niagara Falls, in the United States. The historic homeland of the Tuscarora was in eastern North Carolina, in and around the Goldsboro,...
) was destroyed by
ToriesLoyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and
Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The settlement eventually became known as Old Fort Schuyler when a military fort in nearby
Fort StanwixFort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
in
Rome, New YorkRome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
, was renamed Fort Schuyler during the American Revolution and evolved into a village.
In 1794, a road was built to
Albany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
known as State Road. By 1797 the road was extended and completed to the
Genesee RiverThe Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
and the full road was known as it is now, Genesee Road. The creation of the Seneca Turnpike was the first significant factor in the growth and development of Utica, as this small settlement became the resting and relocating area on the
Mohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
for goods and people moving into Western New York and past the Great Lakes.
Moses Bagg, a blacksmith, built a small tavern near Old Fort Schuyler to accommodate weary travelers waiting for their horse's shoes to be repaired. After just a few years this small shanty tavern became a two story inn and pub known as
Bagg's HotelBagg's Hotel was located in Utica, New York. The Bagg's Tavern preceded it and hosted General George Washington, General Lafayette, Henry Clay and General Ulysses S. Grant. It was a log house founded in 1794 by Moses Bagg...
. The first bridge over the
Mohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
was erected in the summer of 1792 by a Long Island carpenter who had settled in Utica, Apollos Cooper, although local and regional architects that had seen the bridge were very skeptical to use it, and the bridge was soon destroyed in the spring floods.
The perhaps apocryphal account of Utica's naming suggests that around a dozen citizens of the Old Fort Schuyler settlement met at the Bagg's Tavern to discuss the name of the emerging village. Unable to settle on one particular name, Erastus Clark's entrant of "Utica" was drawn from several suggestions, and the village thereafter became associated with
Utica, TunisiaUtica is an ancient city northwest of Carthage near the outflow of the Medjerda River into the Mediterranean Sea, traditionally considered to be the first colony founded by the Phoenicians in North Africa...
, the ancient
CarthaginianCarthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
city.
Utica was incorporated as a village in 1798. Utica expanded its borders in subsequent charters in 1805 and 1817. Expansion and growth continued to occur in Utica; by 1817 the population had reached 2,860 people. Genesee Street was packed with shops and storefronts, a prosperous stagecoach line had expanded its business, a fully established bank was founded by Alexander Johnson, a newspaper company The Utica Observer established by William McLean, five churches as well as two hotels were all located within this center square of Utica.
Origins of street names
Utica's history can be evidenced in various street names. For example, Moses Bagg built a tavern in 1794 that became the center of all village activity. From this square came four streets: Southward, a trail that once connected the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Seneca lands, became a road that led to Genesee country. To the east of Bagg Square, there was the Main Street of Utica which sprouted First, Second, and Third streets as the settlement grew.
To the west there was the road to Whitesboro. A shortcut was built in 1795 to facilitate the movement of stagecoaches coming from the west to Utica's Hotel, which the Holland Land Company funded. To the north, there was a street running along a river which during the spring would flood, earning the name Water Street. Heading northward from the Square, one would find himself at Deerfield Corners; from there he could go west along Riverside, northbound to Trenton (through land once owned by the Weaver family, or along Dr. Alexander Coventry's, the village's first physician, property.) East of Deerfield Corners one would travel along the road where General Herkimer led his troops to the Battle of Oriskany.
Once the land known as Cosby Manor, situated along the Mohawk River, was surveyed by John Bleeker, son of Rutger Bleeker - an original owner of the lands - the southern side was further divided into separate plots. To distinguish this set of plots from the land belonging to General Bradstreet's progeny, Division Street came into being. In the initial developments of the Bleeker property, the land was surveyed to its southernmost point at South street and as far west as West street. The streets within the property became named after Rutger Bleeker's family: Catherine Bleeker, his wife; Elizabeth Brinckerhoff, Mary Miller, Blandina Dudley, and Sarah Bleeker, his daughters; John Bleeker, his son; Morris Miller, his son-in-law, and
Horatio SeymourHoratio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
, his grandson-in-law.
John Lansing was an executor of Rutger Bleeker's will. Charlotte and Neilson are believed to be related to the family somehow but by undetermined links.
Italians in Utica
The largest nationality group of the great migration to America between 1880 and 1920, Italians trace their presence in Utica to the arrival of Dr. John B. Marchisi in 1817. A prosperous pharmacist, he was the first of thousands of Italians to arrive in Oneida County over the next century.
Centered around the parishes of St. Mary of Mount Carmel and St. Anthony of Padua, Italian life and culture flourished, spreading throughout the county to cities, towns and small villages alike. While the immigrants arriving in the great migration usually found jobs in the local textile mills, brickyards, construction companies and unskilled manufacturing occupations, numerous entrepreneurs soon began small businesses running the spectrum of economic activity from push-cart peddlers and olive oil merchants to haberdashers, bankers and insurance agents. Italian language newspapers such as Il Pensiero Italiano, La Luce, and Il Messagero dell'Ordine, along with the humorous Il Pagliaccio and various organizational and cultural publications reflected the richness of Italian life in Oneida County. The Italian population was also served for more than ten years by the "Italiannaires Program", hosted by Rena Bonapart, on WIBX radio.
From a small group of early immigrants, the Italian community rapidly grew to political prominence, forming an important voting block in elections as early as 1888. By 1910 Italians were being regularly elected to office in Utica, while some historians credit the East Utica Italian community as the spark that ignited Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaign for governor of New York in 1928. From the early 1940s the Italian community has played a dominant role in Utica and area politics.
Welsh in Utica
Suffering from poor harvests in 1789 and 1802 and dreaming of land ownership, the initial settlement of five Welsh families soon attracted other agricultural migrants, settling Steuben, Utica and Remsen townships. Adapting their traditional agricultural methods, the Welsh became the first to introduce dairying into the region and Welsh butter became a valued commodity on the New York market. Drawing on the size of the local ethnic community and the printing industry of Utica became the cultural center of Welsh-American life by 1830. The Welsh-American publishing industry included 19 different publishers who published 240 Welsh language imprints, 4 denominational periodicals and the influential newspaper Y Drych.
However, the Welsh community in Utica was never very large and was often dwarfed by other ethnicities, most notably the Italians and the Polish.
Erie Canal & Textile era
Utica's location on the
Erie CanalThe 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...
stimulated its industrial development. The middle section of the Canal, from
RomeRome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
to
SalinaSalina is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 33,290 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the Latin word for "salt."...
, was the first portion to open in 1820. The
Chenango CanalThe Chenango Canal was a towpath canal that was built and operated in the mid-19th century in Upstate New York in the United States. It was 97 miles long and for much of its course followed the Chenango River, from Binghamton on the south end to Utica on the north end...
, connecting Utica and Binghamton, opened in 1836, and provided a further stimulus for economic development by providing water transportation of
coalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from Northeast Pennsylvania.
Utica was well positioned to benefit from the Erie Canal, the civil engineering marvel of its time. Utica’s population with the creation of the canals began to skyrocket. The population began to increase threefold over a span of ten years since the first section of the canal opened in 1819. Utica was the virtual half-way point for canal travelers, thus making the town the perfect stop-over point. During the planning stage of the canal the cotton looms that would make Utica famous were in their infancy, and a vigorous real estate market in the town had ballooned lot prices tenfold since 1800. An anonymous traveler noted that by 1829, about five years after the canal's completion, Utica had become "a really beautiful place . . . [and Utica's State Street] in no respect inferior to [Broadway] in New York." Utica, along with other burgeoning towns such as Syracuse, would benefit from the fact that the Erie Canal ran directly through town.
By the late 19th century, Utica had become a transportation hub and a commercial center of considerable note, but was not like the heavy industrial towns in
New EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Utica, in particular, was limited in its capability to produce industrial goods because the Mohawk River did not run fast enough to turn the industrial machines. Upon investigating the New England style of steam production, they found how to use coal in their manufacturing. Now with the recently completed
Chenango CanalThe Chenango Canal was a towpath canal that was built and operated in the mid-19th century in Upstate New York in the United States. It was 97 miles long and for much of its course followed the Chenango River, from Binghamton on the south end to Utica on the north end...
that connected Utica to the coal field in Pennsylvania, there was a vast supply readily available. Because of the
Embargo Act of 1807The Embargo Act of 1807 and the subsequent Nonintercourse Acts were American laws restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years of 1807 and 1812. The Acts were diplomatic responses by presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison designed to protect American interests...
that cut off the English textile production, the Northeast had a firm grasp on the textile industry. With investments from local entrepreneurs Utica’s textile industry was starting to really take off.
The city still served as a Northeast crossroads, hosting the day's most celebrated personalities. Samuel Clemens lectured to a sold-out Utica crowd in 1870, where Clemens noted in personal correspondence that he brought down the house "like an avalanche." It was during this time that Utica hosted the 1884 New York State Republican Convention, an event covered in great detail in Edmund Morris' Pulitzer Prize winning biography The Rise of
Theodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, in which Morris describes Utica at this time as "a shabby canal-town in the middle of the Mohawk Valley.". Senator
Roscoe ConklingRoscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
, a leading GOP lawmaker of the Stalwart political faction, resided in the city at this time, and figured as the region's most historically significant politician until local native James Schoolcraft Sherman was elected the 27th Vice President of the United States, serving under President
William Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
.
Loom to boom era
In the wake of the demise of the textile industry, Utica became a major player in the tool and die industry, which thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually declining in the late 20th century. Like the textile industry before it, the machine tool industry largely forsook Utica for the American South, with one notable example being The Chicago Pneumatic Company, which shuttered its extensive manufacturing facility in Utica in 1997 and relocated to
Rock Hill, South CarolinaRock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fourth-largest city in the state. It is also the third-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina. The population was 71,459 as of . Rock Hill has undergone rapid growth between...
.
By the mid-20th century, virtually all of the textile mills closed and migrated to the American South. In the 1930s through the 1950s Utica became nationally if not internationally known as "Sin City" for the extent of its corruption and control by the political machine of Rufus P. Elefante.
In the early and mid-20th century, Utica had become a major manufacturing center for radios, manufactured by the
General ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
company, which, at one time, employed some 8,000 workers there, and was once known as: "The radio capital of the world." However, by the mid-1960s, General Electric had moved its radio manufacturing to the Far East. In the early 1990s, GE's Light Military Electronics operation in Utica was sold to
Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
and soon closed altogether.
Organized Crime in Utica
Utica, from the turn of the 20th century, and probably to a lesser extent even today, is and was a center for
organized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. It was a city where rackets were and are reputedly controlled by the Buffalo Cosa Nostra family and at least three other families, including the Scranton, Colombo, and Genovese family which had and likely still have a local presence. At least three Uticans attended the infamous
Apalachin MeetingThe Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...
mafia summit. Utica was a battleground in the late 1970s and early 80s when the Buffalo Family was weakened after the death of Boss
Stefano MagaddinoStefano Magaddino was an Sicilian mafioso who became the boss of the Buffalo crime family in western New York. His underworld influence stretched from Ohio and Southern Ontario as far north as Montreal, Quebec...
and other families and influences jockeyed for power and influence, and multiple gangland style homicides took place between 1979 and 1986. More recently in the 1990s, the infamous "Falange Crew" (A group who seemed to have highly unusual multiple and somewhat ambiguous ties to the Buffalo, Scranton, and Colombo families) ran the rackets, until they were decimated by federal indictments and convictions.
Rust Belt era
Like many industrial towns and cities in the northeastern
Rust BeltThe Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
, Utica has experienced a major reduction in manufacturing activity in the past several decades, and is in serious financial trouble; many public services have been curtailed to save money. Suburban Utica, particularly the towns of New Hartford and Whitesboro, have begun to experience suburban sprawl; this is common in many
Upstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
cities, which are suffering from what the
Sierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
termed "sprawl without growth," although recently notable efforts have been made to revitalize the Downtown and Oneida Square areas of Utica by planning the construction of quality apartment housing. The city's economy is heavily dependent on commercial growth in its suburbs, a trend that is characterized by development of green sites in neighboring villages and does little to revitalize the city itself. Because of the decline of industry and employment in the post-World War II era, Utica became known as "The City that God Forgot." In the 1980s and early 1990s, some of Utica's residents could be seen driving cars with bumper stickers that read "Last One Out of Utica, Please Turn Out The Lights," clearly taking a more humorous stand on their city's rapid population loss and continued economic struggles.
Utica in the 21st century
City leaders and local entrepreneurs tried to build on the city's losses. In 1996 the former GE-Lockheed facility was purchased by Oneida County's Industrial Development Association for lease to ConMed Corporation (founded by Utica local Eugene Corasanti) for use as a manufacturing facility and the company's worldwide headquarters, bringing 500 new jobs to the area. The Boehlert Center at the newly restored, historic Union Station in downtown Utica is a regional transportation hub for
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and the Adirondack Scenic Railway. Next door to Union Station is The Children's Museum of History, Science & Technology, a 5 story building built in the 1890s.
Despite the obvious economic growth in its suburbs, downtown Utica continues to be the focus of regional economic revitalization efforts, most notably in the area of arts and entertainment. Anchored by the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, the construction of a new home for the Players of Utica, and the recent expansion of the historic Stanley Theatre, the Oneida Square Arts District is becoming a vibrant neighborhood once again. The popularity of
Utica CollegeUtica College is a private university located in Utica, New York. The history of the college dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area. Syracuse University established Utica College as a four-year institution in 1946, and in 1995, UC ...
Pioneer Men's Division III Hockey continue to attract people to a downtown that was quite desolate in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Night life in Utica has been significantly affected with Utica Monday Nite and the recent Saranac Thursday Night party with proceeds being donated to the United Way. Since its inception in 1998, the festivities, which include beer, soft drinks, food, and live music, has continued to draw thousands to Utica's westside brewery district, invigorating nearby taverns and eateries.
Recognizing this trend, current Mayor David Roefaro gave Utica the moniker "Renaissance City." In 2010, Roefaro fulfilled a campaign promise and delivered the City's first Comprehensive Master Plan in over 50 years. http://www.uticamasterplan.org/
Roefaro has also been working to "green" the city and develop a sustainability plan by partnering with a Cornell University program called, “Rust To Green." http://www.rust2green.org/ R2G is an action-research and service-learning project to get faculty and students working together with local community partners in Upstate NY cities to encourage sustainable urban development. The program builds on the findings of the Brookings Institution’s 2007 report entitled “Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing America's Older Industrial Cities”. Among its findings, the report concludes, “Given their assets, the moment is ripe for the revival of older industrial urban economies… Older industrial cities possess a unique set of characteristics and resources that, if fully leveraged, could be converted into vital competitive assets.” The authors analyzed New York State’s older industrial cities, and determined that seven of them - Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse and Utica - had “a range of existing assets that, if fully leveraged, would serve as a platform for their renewal.” Two of these cities, Utica and Binghamton, were selected by Cornell University as the pilot sites, and in February 2010 the City of Utica convened its first meeting of the Rust to Green Utica core team. Rust To Green Utica launched New york State's first local Food Policy Council in 2010.
21st Century immigrant influx
The arrival of a large number of
BosniaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
n immigrants over the past several years has stanched a population loss that had been steady for more than three decades. Bosnian immigrants now constitute about 10% of the total population of Utica. Other recent immigrant groups have arrived from Somalia, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Iraq.
This influx of refugees from many war-torn nations and politically oppressive regimes has drawn mainstream national media attention, from The New York Times (see citation above) to Reader's Digest. Reader's Digest dubbed Utica the "Second Chance City" in an article chronicling the crucial role that immigrants have traditionally played in invigorating Utica's political, economic, and social life; the article argues that Utica now hosts thousands of immigrants that have taken advantage of the city's social services benefits, welfare, public and private sector affordable housing, and entry-level skilled manufacturing jobs to start a new life, a trend that began nearly thirty years ago. In a cover story in their 2005 REFUGEES Magazine, the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) wrote an extensive article on refugees in Utica, titling the publication, "The Town That Loves Refugees".
Geography and climate
The
Erie CanalThe 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...
, the
Mohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
, and the
New York State ThruwayThe New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
pass through the north part of the city. The city is adjacent to the border of
Herkimer County, New YorkHerkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
.
Utica is located in the
Mohawk RiverThe Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
Valley region of New York State.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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 city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43 km²), of which, 16.4 square miles (42.5 km²) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) (1.57%) is water.
Utica has a
humid continental climateA humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, which is characterized by cold winters and moderate summers.
Daytime highs during the summer are generally between 75 °F (24 °C) and 85 °F (29 °C), with some days not reaching 70 °F (21 °C) being common. Summer nights usually bottom out somewhere between 50 °F (10 °C) and 60 °F (16 °C). The all time highest recorded temperature for the city was 100 °F (38 °C), which occurred on July 19, 1953.
Winters in Utica are very cold and
snowSnow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
y, as the area is susceptible to
Lake effect snowLake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores...
from the
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
to the west. An example of typical wintertime snowfall amounts is presented below. Daytime highs during the wintertime are typically observed at or just above freezing (32 °F to 35 °F/0 °C to 2 °C), with some days not reaching 25 °F (-4 °C). Winter nights will see temperatures drop to settle between 10 °F (-12 °C) and 20 °F (-7 °C). Temperatures in the single digits or below zero are not uncommon for winter nights in Utica. The all time lowest recorded temperature in the city was -28 °F (-33 °C), which occurred once on February 18, 1979 and again on January 12, 1981.
As of the 2010 census, there were 62,235 people residing in the city. The population gain since 2000 represented a reversal of over 40 years of population decline. As of the 2000 census, the
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,710.0 people per square mile (1,432.3/km²). There were 29,186 housing units at an average density of 1,785.3 per square mile (689.2/km²). The
racial makeupRace 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...
of the city was 79.42% White, 12.92%
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.28%
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 2.21%
AsianAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.05%
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, 2.16% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races.
HispanicHispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 5.79% of the population.
There were 25,100 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% 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 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,916, and the median income for a family was $33,818. Males had a median income of $27,126 versus $21,676 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 city was $15,248. About 19.8% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The city government consists of a mayor who is elected at large. The Common Council consists of nine members. Six are elected from single member wards. The other three are elected at large.
Arts, history, and culture
- The Children’s Museum — Open throughout the year, The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science and Technology
The Children's Museum of History, Science and Technology, also known as The Children's Museum of History and Science in Utica, New York, is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, space science, technology and science...
is a hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science that attracts local visitors and global tourists. Located in the historic Baggs Square East section of downtown Utica, the five story brick building, constructed in 1890, was originally a dry goods company. Four of its floors, each 6000 square feet (557.4 m²), contain hundreds of interactive exhibits. It is a NYS and Federally designated historic building. Among the most popular of its hundred of interactive exhibits are a life-size wooden train, an LED dance floor, live radio and weather rooms, a real airplane which children can explore, and a large HO and Lionel train exhibit visitors can operate via foot pedals.
- The Landmarks Society of Greater Utica —
- National Distance Running Hall of Fame
The National Distance Running Hall of Fame was established on July 11, 1998, to honor those who have contributed to the sport of distance running...
— On July 11, 1998, a hall of fame was established to honor the athletes who have lent their names and achievements to defining the sport of distance running.
- Mohawk Valley Ballet — This ballet company was formed in 1974 by Delia Foley. It is a strict and rigorous company in which students ages 5-18 are taught under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum where they are examined once a year to assess their level of achievement. The company is pre-professional and the students can perform in both the fall production of The Nutcracker and the spring production. Both are performed at the historic Stanley Theater of Performing Arts in Utica. The Mohawk Valley Ballet reaches out to the community in more ways than one. The company most recently made a partnership with Upstate Cerebral Palsy in which students from the dance company teach children with special needs, ages 3-6 the basics in dance. The program has been overwhelmingly successful, winning a Pepsi refresh grant to fund each child's uniform for dance as well as allowing them to attend the performances the Mohawk Valley Ballet produces. The program has allowed children from Upstate Cerebral Palsy to even participate in the performances of the Ballet Company. The Mohawk Valley Ballet truly reaches out to the Mohawk Valley in a variety of ways and impacts the art in the community greatly each year.
- Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute — Founded in 1919 as "an artistic, musical and social center", The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is a regional fine arts center founded in 1919 and located in Utica, New York. The institute has three program divisions:*Museum of art*Performing arts*School of art-Museum of art:...
Museum of Art features a renowned permanent collection, rotating exhibitions and community art education for adults, teens and children. The Institute is named for three generations of one Utica family, whose philanthropy and civic pride is still enjoyed today. The campus, located on 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) in downtown Utica, features a variety of restored historic homes surrounding an International-style gallery building (circa 1960) designed by world famous architect Philip JohnsonPhilip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
(who considered it to be his finest work), and Fountain ElmsFountain Elms is a historic home located at Utica in Oneida County, New York. It is part of the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The original block was completed in 1852 in the "Italian Style". It is basically a cube with a center hall plan. The original rear wing was remodeled in 1883 and...
a superb Victorian-era Italianate mansion, once the home of the Williams family. These landmark buildings were connected by the construction of the Education Wing in 1995 and both are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. In 2000, PrattMWP was opened to offer a nationally accredited college program in association with Pratt InstitutePratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
- Oneida County Historical Society — Founded in 1876, The Oneida County Historical Society collects and commemorates the history of Central New York in general and County of Oneida in particular.
- Players of Utica —
- Sculpture Space — Sculpture Space is unique in North America as the only international, artist-in-residency program dedicated exclusively to professional sculptors. Founded in 1975 in the former Utica Steam Engine and Boiler Works building, the organization selects 20 artists each year for two-month, funded residencies which have helped to advance the careers of more than 400 national and international artists. Annual events include the CHAIRity Auction and a Mardi Gras Party.
- The Stanley Center for the Arts — The Stanley Center for the Arts is located in a fully restored 2,945 seat Mexican-baroque movie palace (circa 1928), which was designed by prolific theater architect Thomas Lamb for the Mastbaum chain of theaters. The theatre, originally named for Stanley Mastbaum, is currently a vital piece of the regional arts scene as the home of The Great Artist Series, Broadway Theater League, Utica Symphony, and touring shows. The Stanley is owned and operated by The Central New York Community Arts Council (CNYCAC). That same organization was responsible both for its rescue from the wrecking ball in 1974 as well as the professional, historically sensitive restoration to its former grandeur. CNYCAC recently completed a major stage house and facility expansion project. The theatre reopened in the spring of 2008, immediately hosting live music acts and performances by the Broadway Theatre League.
- Utica Memorial Auditorium
Utica Memorial Auditorium is a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Utica, New York, with a capacity of 5,700 for concerts.It was built in 1959 on the site of the old Erie Canal. When it was completed, the "Aud" was one of just three arenas built without obstructed views. It hosted the 1962 NCAA...
— The Utica Memorial Auditorium, or AUD is a 4,000 seat multi-purpose arena (circa 1959) that was fully renovated in the 1990s. The Utica DevilsThe Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
, one-time farm affiliate of the NHL New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, featured several future NHL stars. The "Utica Aud" now hosts the Utica College Pioneers Division III Hockey Program. The men's hockey program set a NCAA Division III Men's Hockey attendance record for the 2007-2008, averaging 2,791 fans per game.
- The Utica Public Library — The origins of the Utica Public Library date back to 1825, when it was a private lending collection. By 1899 it was decided to build a permanent facility, and Thomas R. and Frederick T. Proctor donated the land on Genesee Street, W.P. White started the building fund, and the citizens of Utica voted to help finance the project. Utica native Arthur Jackson of the New York City firm Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings , located in New York City, was one of the outstanding Beaux-Arts architecture firms in the United States. The partnership operated from 1885 until 1911, when Carrère was killed in an automobile accident...
won the architectural competition to design the building. Important features include its red brick and Indiana limestone façade, barrel vaulted main hall, grand staircases, large pediment over the entranceway, two-story columns and the impressive front grounds. The Utica Public Library buildingUtica Public Library is a historic library building located in Utica in Oneida County, New York. It is a rectangular five story Neoclassical style structure, constructed of New Haven brick on a limestone foundation. It features a central pedimented pavilion with Corinthian order columns. It was...
was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982. By the 1980s, major improvements to the building itself were required, along with the installation of an on-line computer system to electronically access the holdings of the local library, all the libraries in the Mid-York Library System, and some area colleges. These projects were all completed by the early 2000s. On December 12, 2004 the Utica Public Library celebrated its Centennial Anniversary of the building, and today boasts over 192,000 items in the collection. In 2008, it was the site of the first annualMayor's Charity Ball.
- The Utica Symphony Orchestra — On March 25, 1932, a group of interested citizens met at the Utica Public Library and founded the Utica Civic Musical Society, now known as the Utica Symphony Orchestra. The Society had a large chorus and symphony orchestra, both under the direction of Berrian R. Shute. George M. Weaver, Jr. served as the first president of the Society. In 1933, Nicholas Gualillo and 60 musicians reorganized into the Utica Symphonic Orchestra. In 1935 the Utica Civic and the Utica Symphonic merged, and from 1935 to 1940, Shute and Gualillo acted as joint conductors of the new Utica Orchestra. This orchestra remained under the auspices of the Civic Musical Society which announced that its chief aim was to broaden the circle of concert goers in Utica and vicinity. In 1983 the name of the organization was changed to Utica Symphony, Inc. The present conductor is Charles Schneider.
- The Utica Zoo — The Utica Zoo has served the region for over 88 years. Located in Roscoe-Conkling Park, the zoo is part of the Parkway Recreational Complex made possible by the donation of land from Thomas R. Proctor in 1909. The zoo has grown from its small beginnings with three fallow deer to its present collection of over 200 animals. Of the 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of land set aside for the zoo's use, 35 are presently developed. The Zoo is home to the world's largest watering can. The 2,000 pound can is 15 in 6 in (4.72 m) in height and 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter.
- Utica Monday Nite — Utica Monday Nite was initiated in 1997, with the mission to promote a regional arts economy by making the arts and humanities available and accessible to all Utica residents and visitors from the wider region. Utica Monday Nite presents a summer arts and humanities festival in downtown parks and public spaces on thirteen Monday nights from June through August. Events and activities are offered free to the public.
- The Hotel Utica
Hotel Utica is a historic hotel building in Utica, New York. It was designed by Eisenvein & Johnson, an architectural firm from Buffalo, and is located on the northwest corner of Lafayette Street and Seneca Street...
— The Hotel Utica (circa 1912) was originally built as a 10-story building of fireproof construction with 200 rooms, four dining rooms, a ballroom, an assembly hall, a restaurant for ladies and a grill and cafe for gentlemen. The top four floors were added in 1926, which increased the total number of rooms to 250. Famous guests included: Judy Garland, Mickey Mantle, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Hopalong Cassidy, Mae West, Bobby Darin, and then current U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. As business declined, the hotel ceased operating in 1972. It then became two adult care residences, the Hunter House and then Loretto Adult Residence. After a period of vacancy, it was purchased by local investors Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano. They undertook a $13 million dollar rehabilitation from 1999-2001 that was patterned on the restoration of The Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. In 2001, The Hotel Utica became a member of The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America. After years of Carucci and Gaetano failing to pay property and school taxes, and falling behind on the remaining $6.3 million on what originally was a $5 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan, the hotel remains for sale, and sits currently on the City of Utica's foreclosure list. The Hotel Utica is a member of the reservation company Choice Hotels International.
- Parks System — Utica's Park system began to expand during the late 19th Century. A committee was formed at this time to create more parks within the city. Thomas R. Proctor a local wealthy resident of Utica purchased over 316 acres (1.3 km²) of land. Proctor then hired well renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
to develop his newly acquired land into parks. In 1905, Proctor in turn donated the land to Utica increasing the city park system to 515 acres (2.1 km²). The Utica Parks and Parkway Historic DistrictUtica Parks and Parkway Historic District is a national historic district located at Utica in Oneida County, New York. It consists of four contributing historic elements: a historic right-of-way known as the Memorial Parkway and the three large parks it connects: Roscoe Conkling Park, F.T. Proctor...
was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2008.
Annual signature events
- Boilermaker Road Race
The Boilermaker Road Race is a USATF-certified race in Utica, New York, United States. The race attracts elite runners from all over the world as well as runners from across the country....
, the largest 15K road race in the United States.
- Falling Leaves Road Race.
- Snowfari winter festival. This event draws thousands of winter recreational enthusiasts while raising funds for the Utica Zoo. Snowfari offers regional qualifiers for Winter Empire State Games events, SBX (snowboarder cross), mountain bike races, a cardboard sled race, and other events.
- Utica Monday Nite, a summer festival visual and performing arts.
- Utica Music Fest.
Food and drink in Utica
Utica has an array of ethnic cuisines. The Utica area features a number of Italian-American restaurants, some that date back generations. More recent immigrant groups to the city have contributed distinct culinary options including Bosnian, German, Chinese, Lebanese, Burmese, Dominican, Jamaican, Greek, and Thai.
Some culinary items associated with Utica:
- Halfmoons — Halfmoons
A black and white cookie, also known as a half and half cookie, a drop cake or a half moon, is a soft, sponge cake-like shortbread which is iced on one half with vanilla fondant, and on the other half by dark chocolate fondant...
are a black and white pastry made with a large (5") dark chocolate cake style cookie iced on one half with white cream frosting and the other half with dark chocolate frosting.
- Tomato Pie
Tomato pie is commonly regarded as unique to Italian-American populations. Unlike typical New York-style pizza, which is closely related to Neapolitan pizza, tomato pie is derived heavily from Sicilian pizza, and as such can be found in predominantly Sicilian-American communities.The basic recipe...
— Tomato Pie is a rectangular thick-crust bread covered with a sweet Italian tomato sauce, served cold.
- Chicken Rigatoni — or Chicken riggies
Chicken Riggies or Utica Riggies is an Italian-American pasta dish native to the Utica-Rome area of New York State. It is a pasta-based dish usually consisting of chicken, rigatoni and hot or sweet peppers in a spicy cream and tomato sauce, although many variations exist.-Beginnings:The origins of...
as locals call them, are chicken, rigatoni, peppers, and onions in a spicy, cream and tomato sauce. Riggie Fest occurs every April. http://www.riggiefest.net/.
- Greens — A generally spicy dish made of escarole with various ingredients (depending on recipe) such as potatoes, sausage, hot peppers..
- Sausage and Peppers — Italian sausage with fried onions and peppers on a crusty bread.
- Pusties — They are "officially" called pasticciotti, a single-serving Italian custard-filled tart. The usual fillings for the rich tart crust are chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and Italian cheesecake.
- Pierogis— They are a Polish/Ukrainian/Russian pasta filled with various items, such as Potato, Saurkraut, fruit, Polish Mushrooms, etc.
Utica is the headquarters of the
Matt Brewing CompanyF.X. Matt Brewing Company is an American family-owned brewery at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Utica, New York. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in the United States, as it has been brewing beer since 1853...
, brewer of Utica Club, Saranac and other beers, which was founded in 1888.
Sports teams
Utica currently has no professionally affiliated sports teams.
The Utica Devils were a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1987-1993.
The Utica Bulldogs 1993-1994 and The Utica Blizzards 1994–1997 were members of the United Hockey league (UHL) and another stint from 1998-2001 (January) in which the team was called the Mohawk Valley Prowlers. Currently, Utica is a vast supporter of the Division III Utica College Pioneers who average around 3000 fans a game, which is highest in the United States for that level of play.
Utica was also the home of the Utica Blue Jays/Blue Sox with their last affiliation being with the Florida Marlins until 2001.
Most recently the city's newly created "Master Plan" has suggested building a brand-new stadium along the old Harbor Point area in the city that would attract development in a way that could revitialize the culture and youth of the city. The stadium (though finances have not been outlined) would certainly attract a Single-A, possibly Double-A franchise to move back to Utica within the coming years.
Utica continues to look for professional sports opportunities seeing that they are a major city in the State of New York sitting on major routes of transportation.
Utica has a growing rugby team called The Utica Klubs. This steadily growing team plays rugby matches all over the state and invites several teams to Utica for matches each year. The team is sponsored by Nail Creek Pub and Brewery on Varick St. in the city. Information on the Klubs can be found at http://uticarugby.com.
Utica has two women's
roller derbyRoller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
leagues,
Central New York Roller DerbyCentral New York Roller Derby Central New York Roller Derby, also known as CNY Roller Derby, or CNYRD, was organized in late 2007 in Utica NY...
and Utica Rollergirls. Central New York Roller Derby is a
Women's Flat Track Derby AssociationThe Women's Flat Track Derby Association is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501 business...
League; they have three teams, all affiliated with CNYRD. The teams are the Utica Clubbers, and the Blue Collar Betties and the Rome Wreckers. The Utica Rollergirls are also a single team league which is affiliated with
USA Roller SportsUSA Roller Sports , formerly the United States Amateur Confederation of Roller Skating, is the national governing body of competitive roller sports in the United States...
. Both leagues compete against teams from other leagues in the upstate NY area and surrounding states. In addition, Utica also has a men's roller derby team, as-yet unaffiliated Quadfathers.
Television
Print
Daily newspapers:
Utica — *
Observer-Dispatch
Rome — *
The Daily Sentinel
Herkimer — *
The Evening Telegram
Little Falls — *
The Evening Times
Oneida — *
The Oneida Daily Dispatch
Independent news magazine — The Utica Phoenix
Internet
Radio
- WADR
WADR and WUTQ are AM radio stations operating at 1480 kHz and 1550 kHz and located in Remsen, New York and Utica, New York respectively. They are former Clear Channel Communications stations, but with the breakup of Clear Channel's Utica cluster, were sold to Ken Roser. In July 2010,...
/WUTQ
- WBGK
WBGK is an FM radio station licensed to Newport , New York. The station broadcasts a format known as "Bug Country," primarily consisting of the Real Country satellite format from ABC Radio. The station broadcasts at 99.7 MHz on the FM dial and is owned by Roser Communications Network, Inc...
- WIBX
WIBX is a talk radio station based in Utica, New York. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.-History:WIBX went on the air December 5, 1925...
- WFRG
WFRG-FM is a country music radio station. It bills itself as "The Best And Most Country" and broadcasts to the Utica, New York market.-History:...
- WHCL
WHCL-FM is a radio station licensed to the Trustees of Hamilton College operating out of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, USA. The station serves the Utica area. The station is student, faculty, and community run; broadcasting a variety format of music, talk, and sports radio. The station...
- WKLL
WKLL, WKRL-FM, and WKRH are a series of radio stations owned by Galaxy Communications. The FM stations, broadcasting at 94.9 MHz, 100.9 MHz, and 106.5 MHz respectively, are all branded as "K-Rock" and run a modern rock format...
- WKVU
WKVU is a radio station broadcasting a Christian format. Licensed to Utica, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica-Rome area. The station is currently owned by Educational Media Foundation, and is an affiliate of the K-Love network....
- WLZW
WLZW is an Adult Contemporary radio station in Utica, New York formerly owned byRegent Broadcasting, currently owned by Townsquare Media.-History:The station ran a Beautiful Music format under the call letters WIBQ until abruptly...
- WNRS
WNRS is a radio station broadcasting a sports/talk format. Licensed to Herkimer, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica area. The station is currently owned by Arjuna Broadcasting Corp. and features programing from Citadel Media, Fox Sports Radio and Bloomberg Radio.-History:The station went...
- WODZ
- WOKR
- WOUR
WOUR - 96.9 WOUR is a Classic Rock radio station that broadcasts from Utica, New York. The station is currently owned by Galaxy Communications.-On-Air Personalities:*"Gomez and Dave in the Morning" 6am-10am*Dave Frisina 10am-3pm*"Genesee Joe" 3pm-7pm*C.J...
- WPNR
- WRCK
WRCK is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Utica, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica-Rome area...
- WRNY
WRNY is an American radio station broadcasting at 1350 kHz. The station was owned by Clear Channel until September 2007, when ownership was transferred to Galaxy Utica as a result of Clear Channel's decision to "go private"...
/WIXT/WTLB
- WRUN
- WRUY
- WRVN
- WSKS/WSKU
- WUMX
WUMX is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Rome, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica, Rome New York area. The station is currently owned by Galaxy Utica Licensee LLC, the Utica division of Galaxy Communications...
- WUNY
- WUTI
WUTI is a radio station broadcasting a talk format. Licensed to Utica, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica area. The station is currently owned by Leatherstocking Meida Group, Inc., and simulcasts with WFBL in Syracuse.-History:...
- WXUR
For the radio station that was run under these call letters under the ownership of Dr. Carl McIntire, see WPHI-FM.WXUR is a radio station broadcasting a [Album Rock]] format. Licensed to Herkimer, New York, USA, the station serves Utica, NY. The station is currently owned by Arjuna Broadcasting...
Education
Utica's sole remaining public high school is
Thomas R. Proctor High SchoolThomas R. Proctor High School is a public high school in Utica, New York. The school is in Oneida County and the current school principal is Steven Falchi. There are 164 full-time teachers and 2,566 students. -Athletic Department:...
, as its original public high school (Utica Free Academy, founded in 1814) shut down in 1990. Utica is also home to Notre Dame High School, a small parochial high school, founded in 1959 by the Xaverian Brothers.
Higher Education choices in Utica include: Utica College,
State University of New York Institute of TechnologyThe State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome is a campus of the State University of New York located just north of Utica in the town of Marcy. Established by the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 14, 1966, SUNYIT is the State of New York's public institute of technology....
,
Mohawk Valley Community CollegeMohawk Valley Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York located in Oneida County, New York in the United States...
, and
Utica School of CommerceThe Utica School of Commerce is a business college with three locations in upstate New York.The college was founded in 1896 and has two-year programs for business administration, administrative specialist, health service management, non-profit agency management, and Information systems technology...
. Nearby colleges include Hamilton College in
Clinton, New YorkClinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, a royal governor of the colony of New York....
,
Herkimer County Community CollegeHerkimer County Community College is a two-year community college in the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The college is in the northwest part of the village, bounded on the north by Reservoir Road.- History :...
in
Herkimer, New YorkHerkimer is a village in Herkimer County, New York, United States, about southeast of Utica. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 7,498 people. The village is named after the Herkimers, Palatine German immigrants who settled in this area in 1723...
, and
Colgate UniversityColgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in
Hamilton, New YorkThe Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
.
Utica is the home of
Utica CollegeUtica College is a private university located in Utica, New York. The history of the college dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area. Syracuse University established Utica College as a four-year institution in 1946, and in 1995, UC ...
, founded in 1946, as a four-year college affiliated with
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. While Utica College became fully independent from Syracuse University in 1995, its undergraduates still receive Syracuse degrees. Utica College was originally an urban campus in the Oneida Square area of the city. In 1961, it relocated to a modern 128 acre (0.51799808 km²) campus on the west side of Utica. Currently a new science wing and additional buildings are being added to the campus.
Utica is also the home of
Mohawk Valley Community CollegeMohawk Valley Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York located in Oneida County, New York in the United States...
, which was founded in 1946 as the New York State Center of Applied Arts and Sciences at Utica, and was the first community college established in New York State. MVCC found its true raison d'etre during the 1950s as a training facility for unemployed textile workers looking to operate technical equipment at a new General Electric plant. The college became a fully accredited institution in 1960, and has gradually expanded its campus along Utica's Culver Avenue.
State University of New York Institute of TechnologyThe State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome is a campus of the State University of New York located just north of Utica in the town of Marcy. Established by the SUNY Board of Trustees on June 14, 1966, SUNYIT is the State of New York's public institute of technology....
is located along the Utica and Marcy New York border, though it was first established in 1969 on Utica's westside. A four-year institution, SUNY-IT offers a variety of technology based majors and master's degree programs.
Empire State CollegeEmpire State College, one of the thirteen arts and science colleges of the State University of New York, is a multi-site institution offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is primarily oriented towards the adult learner...
was founded in 1971 and is one of thirteen SUNY colleges of arts and sciences. Empire State College consists of eight centers with the Central New York Center being in Syracuse. Each center has different units providing educational services for those communities. The Utica Unit serves Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, and Otsego counties.
Colleges and universities
- Empire State College
Empire State College, one of the thirteen arts and science colleges of the State University of New York, is a multi-site institution offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is primarily oriented towards the adult learner...
- Mohawk Valley Community College
Mohawk Valley Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York located in Oneida County, New York in the United States...
- Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is a regional fine arts center founded in 1919 and located in Utica, New York. The institute has three program divisions:*Museum of art*Performing arts*School of art-Museum of art:...
- St. Elizabeth's College of Nursing
- SUNY Institute of Technology
- Utica School of Commerce
The Utica School of Commerce is a business college with three locations in upstate New York.The college was founded in 1896 and has two-year programs for business administration, administrative specialist, health service management, non-profit agency management, and Information systems technology...
- Utica College
Utica College is a private university located in Utica, New York. The history of the college dates back to the 1930s when Syracuse University began offering extension courses in the Utica area. Syracuse University established Utica College as a four-year institution in 1946, and in 1995, UC ...
Local inventions
The "Union Suit"- a type of red-colored long underwear jumpsuit with a buttoned flap on the backside was invented in Utica.
The first color newspaper, "The Utica Saturday Globe" was published in Utica.
The Utica Crib, a device for restraining persons, was named for the
New York State Lunatic AsylumThe Utica Psychiatric Center, also known as Utica State Hospital, which opened in Utica in 1843, was New York's first state-run facility designed to care for the mentally ill and was one of the first such institutions in the United States, predating and perhaps influencing the Kirkbride Plan which...
at Utica where it was heavily used in the 19th century to confine patients who refused to stay in their beds.
The rollback style tow truck was invented in Utica in the 1960s.
Notable residents
- New York State Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
was a native of Utica and is buried there.
- US Senator and Republican Stalwart political leader Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
was Mayor of Utica and is buried there.
- United States Vice-President James Schoolcraft Sherman was born in Utica and is buried there.
- Revolutionary war hero Baron von Steuben
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben , also referred to as the Baron von Steuben, was a Prussian-born military officer who served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
is buried near Utica.
- Revolutionary war soldier Benjamin Walker died in Utica.
- Actress and singer Annette Funicello
Annette Joanne Funicello is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club, and went on to appear in a series of beach party films.-Early life and early stardom:...
was born in Utica on October 22, 1942.
- Actor Ron O'Neal
Ron O'Neal was an American actor, director and screenwriter...
was born in Utica.
- Actress Tiffany Pollard
Tiffany Pollard is an American reality television personality and actress. She is best known as New York and for her participation in VH1's Flavor of Love and I Love New York television series. Pollard was given the nickname by rapper Flavor Flav, whom she dated on both season 1 and season 2 of...
is from Utica.
- Musician Fran Cosmo
Fran Cosmo is an American musician best known as a former lead singer of the band Boston.-Music career:Cosmo was first featured on guitarist Barry Goudreau's self titled solo album in 1980, a prelude to the formation of Orion the Hunter in 1983...
is from Utica.
- 4 out of the 5 members of the band "moe.
moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
", are from the greater Utica area.
- Television personality Dick Clark got his start in a mailroom at Utica radio station WUTI
WUTI is a radio station broadcasting a talk format. Licensed to Utica, New York, USA, the station serves the Utica area. The station is currently owned by Leatherstocking Meida Group, Inc., and simulcasts with WFBL in Syracuse.-History:...
and his first TV job was at WKTV.
- New Orleans Saints Defensive End Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
is from Utica, graduating from Thomas R. Proctor.
- Art Mills
Arthur "Art" Grant Mills was a National League baseball pitcher and coach for the Detroit Tigers during their 1945 World Series championship. Born in Utica, New York, he was the son of pitcher Willie Mills....
(son of Willie MillsWilliam Grant Mills , nicknamed Wee Willie, was a professional baseball pitcher. He briefly pitched for the New York Giants in 1901....
), a National League pitcher; and coach of the 1945 World Series champions, the Detroit Tigers, was born in Utica.
- Arthur Bowen Davies, American artist, was born in Utica on September 26, 1863.
- Major League Baseball second baseman Dave Cash
David Cash, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played in the National League for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres .Cash established himself as a solid singles hitter and a good defensive second baseman in his seasons with...
was born in Utica on June 11, 1948.
- Television personality TJ Allard is from Utica.
- Political pollster John Zogby
John Zogby is an American political pollster and first senior fellow at The Catholic University of America's Life Cycle Institute. He is the founder, president and CEO of Zogby International, a polling firm known for both phone polling and interactive, Internet-based polling.-Early years:Zogby...
is from Utica.
- Real estate developer Steve Wynn is from Utica.
- Chris Garrett
Chris Garrett is a Canadian football running back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Garrett grew up in Utica, New York before playing college football at Ohio University.-Career:...
- Running backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in college football and the Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for the Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
.
- Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
, 35, musician, and blues prodigy was born and raised in New Hartford, New YorkNew Hartford, New York may refer to:* New Hartford , New York, in Oneida County* New Hartford , New York, within the town of New Hartford...
.
Utica in popular culture and literature
- Utica is mentioned in Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
's poem Howl"Howl" is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1955 and published as part of his 1956 collection of poetry titled Howl and Other Poems. The poem is considered to be one of the great works of the Beat Generation, along with Jack Kerouac's On the Road and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch...
("I'm with you in Rockland / where you drink the tea of the / breasts of the spinsters of Utica" ).
- The American television program The Office
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
makes occasional reference to Utica: The "Utica branch" is one of a handful of the fictional company Dunder-MifflinDunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. is a fictional paper sales company featured in the United States television series The Office. Until very late 2009, it supposedly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DMI,; in early 2010 it was absorbed by the Tallahassee, Florida-based...
's satellite offices, and has been mentioned sporadically throughout the show.
- The Branch Wars
"Branch Wars" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's sixty-third episode overall. Written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Joss Whedon, the episode originally aired in the United States on November 1, 2007 on NBC...
episode is set partly in Utica. It was not filmed there, so the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce and other local groups donated objects to dress the set to look like an actual Utica-style office.
- The Lecture Circuit Pt. 1
"Lecture Circuit" is a two-part episode of the American comedy television series The Office. They constituted the sixteenth and seventeenth episodes of the fifth season, and the 88th and 89th overall episodes of the series...
episode is also partly set in Utica.
- The American television program The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
makes occasional reference to Utica.
- Superintendent Chalmers is from Utica.
- The Eeny Teeny Maya Moe
"Eeny Teeny Maya Moe" is the sixteenth episode of the The Simpsons twentieth season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 5, 2009. Moe falls in love with a woman named Maya, whom he met over the Internet. When Moe meets her in person, she turns out to be a dwarf. Moe remains in...
episode (#LABF06) shows a hockey game between the Springfield Isotopes and the Utica Mohawks.
- Another episode features an old newsreel that ends with the narrator exclaiming, "So watch out, Utica! Springfield is a city on the... grow!"
- Bobbi Anderson, the protagonist of Stephen King's novel The Tommyknockers
The Tommyknockers is a 1987 horror novel by Stephen King. While maintaining a horror style, the novel is more of an excursion into the realm of science fiction for King, as the residents of the Maine town of Haven gradually fall under the influence of a mysterious object buried in the woods.In his...
, is from Utica.
- Portions of the 1977 film Slap Shot were filmed at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
- The rock band Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
released a DVD/CD set of their October 20, 2010 performance in Utica entitled "Live In Utica At The Aud".
- The 1997-1998 NBC sitcom Jenny
Jenny is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1997 to 1998. The series was intended to be a star vehicle for Playboy Playmate Jenny McCarthy.-Synopsis:...
, starring Jenny McCarthyJennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
, was set in Utica.
External links