The name of the village is derived from the Oneida name for Chittenango Creek, Chu-de-nääng′, meaning "where waters run north."[4] While the name "Chittenango" is often thought by locals to mean "river flowing north" or "where the waters divide and run north," a reference to the direction of water flow from the creek's point of origin to Oneida Lake, there is no derivation for these alternatives. On an 1825 map of the area, the village is called Chittening, a name used by early settlers which is thought to be derived directly from Chu-de-nääng′.[5] According to American anthropologistLewis H. Morgan who studied Iroquois customs and language in his 1851 book League of the Iroquois, the name "Chittenango" may have come from Chu-de-nääng′ Ga-hun′-da, a redundant combination of the Oneida terms for "Chittenango Creek" (Chu-de-nääng′) and "creek" (Ga-hun′-da).[6]
Initial growth of this village is largely attributed to the construction of the Erie Canal which officially opened in 1825, joining Buffalo on Lake Erie with Albany, the capital of New York, and the Hudson River. The Erie Canal passes just north of the village. The Chittenango Canal Company, incorporated in 1818, constructed a canal 1.5mi (2.4km) in length connecting Chittenango to the Erie Canal.[7] The village became a virtual canal town upon the construction of the Chittenango Canal Boat Landing, which featured a three-bay dry dock where canal boats were built and repaired. The canal brought prosperity, growth and expansion to the village. It created a need for inns, hotels and restaurants, and area farms and factories found the canal useful as an inexpensive and easy way to ship goods further along the canal or beyond. Because the canal connected to the Hudson River, boats were able to ship goods south to the metropolis of Manhattan.[8]
Development increased considerably due to John B. Yates, who opened and operated grist and saw mills, a woolen mill, stores, and founded the village's first church in 1828, the Dutch Reformed Church, now the First Presbyterian Church of Chittenango.[9][10]
The village was incorporated on March 15, 1842.[11] At the time, it contained between 900 and 1,000 inhabitants, about 180 dwellings, three churches, the Yates Polytechnic Institute, a large woolen factory, two large water lime factories, one flouring mill, three taverns and ten stores.[12] In 1853, the first bank in the village, the Chittenango Bank, was organized and began business with capital of $110,000, which increased to $150,000 one year later. The bank closed business nearly one decade later, and in December 1863 the First National Bank of Chittenango was organized, occupying the same building erected by the first bank. This bank also closed down in 1883.[13]
The first newspaper in the village was the Chittenango Herald, established in 1831 by Isaac Lyon. It later bore successively the name of Chittenango Republican, the Chittenango Phoenix, and the Democratic Gazette, until it was discontinued in 1853.[15] In 1869 the Madison County Times was established and papers were published until 1975, at which time the Chittenango-Bridgeport Times was formed. This paper ran until 2009 when it merged with other greater Syracuse area papers to form the current Eagle Newspapers.[16]
The Chittenango Pottery Company, largely owing its early success to its location near the Chittenango Landing, was established in 1897. After burning down twice, the present, now abandoned brick structure was erected. After years of neglect and disrepair, the building was demolished in 2015.[17]
As of the census[22] of 2010, there were 5,081 people, 1,993 households, and 1,380 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,117.1 inhabitants per square mile (817.4/km2). There were 2,085 housing units at an average density of 868.8 per square mile (335.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.2% White, 1.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 1,993 households, out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% of households had married couples living together, 13.3% of households had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-family households (people living in households with no members related to the householder). 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18 years, 7.1% from 18 to 24 years, 11.6% from 25 to 34 years, 14.4% from 35 to 44 years, 16.7% from 45 to 54 years, 12.1% from 55 to 64 years, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
Detailed socioeconomic information collected during past censuses was not collected during the 2010 Census. The 2010 Census used only a short form asking ten basic questions, including name, sex, age, date of birth, ethnicity, race, and homeownership status.[23] According to the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the village was $43,750, and the median income for a family was $50,179. Males had a median income of $34,787 versus $25,902 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,014. About 4.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Chittenango School District enrolls about 2,350 K-12 students in two elementary schools (K-4), one middle school (5-8) and one high school (9-12). The district is one of 23 members of the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, and employs about 210 instructional staff and 160 additional support staff.[24]
Transportation
Chittenango travel plaza westbound on I-90
Luther Airport is located 1.15mi (1.85km) east of the central business district of Chittenango. This is a small, private grass strip, and home to several small propeller aircraft including a beautiful biplane.[25]
Oz-Stravaganza! was cancelled during 2020 and 2021 due to health concerns over Covid-19. As Covid restrictions were gradually lifted, the festival came back in 2022, though on a smaller scale, with a lower amount of vendors than previous festival years.
The Wizard of Oz theme continues beyond the annual festival. The village is the home of the International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation.[30] The group is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and is 100% volunteer run. It is Chartered by the NY State Board of Regents. The organization coordinates the annual Oz-Stravaganza festival and also the All Things Oz Museum located in the historic village downtown. The museum features a collection of original costumes and props from the OZ universe, as well as collectibles and Baum family heirlooms. The foundation collection is nearly 15,000 items, and 1,200 - 1,400 are on exhibit at any time.
In 1982, the village installed a brick sidewalk on either side of the downtown portion of Genesee St. which was painted yellow as an homage to the yellow brick road from the novels and film. The sidewalk required regular upkeep as the color would fade over time and the bricks would chip and crack due to the freeze-thaw cycles in the colder months and regular use throughout the year. As part of a downtown Chittenango revitalization project in 2007, the sidewalks were replaced with concrete which was then stamped and colored to replicate the yellow brick road.[31] The old bricks have been made available to purchase at the All Things Oz museum and during the festival to raise money for the town's festival.[32] In 2017, the village also added a yellow brick road sidewalk to Dr. West memorial park where the annual Oz-stravaganza festival is held.
Chittenango, and its yellow brick road featured in episode 6 of Michael Portillo's "Great American Railroad Journeys" shown on the BBC. Chittenango also features a new Wizard of Oz themed casino that officially opened on June 2, 2015, called the Yellow Brick Road Casino, operated by the Oneida Indian tribe that also operates the much larger Turning Stone Casino and Resort located near Verona, New York.
Notable people
John Kirby Allen (1810–1838), co-founder of Houston, Texas; Texas state legislator, and backer of the Texas Revolution. John Allen was partner in at that store in Chittenango in 1826 for at least a year.[33]
Jerry Lawson, professional distance runner, former American record holder (1993) in the marathon with a time of 2:09:35. He was a graduate of Chittenango High School.
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,016. Its county seat is Wampsville. The county is named after James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and was first formed in 1806. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state.
Oneida County is a county in the state of New York, United States. As of February 26, 2024, the population was 226,654. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois League or Haudenosaunee, which had long occupied this territory at the time of European encounter and colonization. The federally recognized Oneida Indian Nation has had a reservation in the region since the late 18th century, after the American Revolutionary War.
Canastota is a village located inside the Town of Lenox in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 4,556 at the 2020 census.
Oneida is a city in Madison County in the U.S. state of New York. It is located west of Oneida Castle and east of Wampsville. The population was 11,390 at the 2010 census. The city, like both Oneida County and the nearby silver and china maker, was named for the Oneida tribe, which had a large territory here around Oneida Lake during the colonial period.
Sullivan is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 15,339 at the 2010 census. The town is named after General John Sullivan.
Verona is a town in southwestern Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,293 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Verona, Italy.
Cicero is a town in northern Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 31,435. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman.
DeWitt is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,074. The town is named after major Moses DeWitt, a judge and soldier. An eastern suburb of Syracuse, DeWitt also is the site of most of the campus and all of the academic buildings of Le Moyne College.
Mattydale is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,446 at the 2010 census.
Bridgeport is a hamlet located partly in the town of Sullivan in Madison County, New York, United States and partly in the town of Cicero in Onondaga County. The population was 1,490 at the 2010 census.
Milan is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,371 at the 2020 census. It is best known as the birthplace and childhood home of Thomas Edison.
The yellow brick road is a central element in the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by American author L. Frank Baum. The road also appears in the several sequel Oz books such as The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) and The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913).
Cazenovia is an incorporated town in Madison County, New York. The population was 6,740 at the time of the 2020 census. The town is named after Theophile Cazenove, the Agent General of the Holland Land Company.
Boonville is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 2,072 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Gerrit Boon, an agent of the Holland Land Company.
Manlius is a village in Onondaga County, New York, United States, and a southeast suburb of Syracuse. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,662.
Manlius is a town to the east of Syracuse in Onondaga County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 33,712, making it the third largest suburb in metropolitan Syracuse. In 2005, the town was ranked 98th on CNN's list of Best Places to Live.
Cazenovia Lake is located in Madison County, New York. It is located 20 miles (32 km) southeast of the city of Syracuse. The village of Cazenovia is located southeast of the lake.
The Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) or Oneida Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in the United States. The tribe is headquartered in Verona, New York, where the tribe originated and held territory prior to European colonialism, and continues to hold territory today. They are Iroquoian-speaking people, and one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, or Haudenosaunee. The Oneida are known as "America's first allies" as they were the first, and one of the few, Iroquois nations to support the American cause. Three other federally recognized Oneida tribes operate in locations where they migrated or were removed to during and after the American Revolutionary War: one in Wisconsin in the United States, and two in Ontario, Canada.
The Old Erie Canal State Historic Park encompasses a 36-mile (58 km) linear segment of the original Erie Canal's Long Level section. It extends westward from Butternut Creek in the town of DeWitt, just east of Syracuse, to the outskirts of Rome, New York. The park includes restored segments of the canal's waterway and towpath which were in active use between 1825 and 1917. It is part of the New York State Park system.
The Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in central New York, anchored by the city of Syracuse. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 662,057, slightly down from 662,577 in the 2010 census.
↑ American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. Annual Report of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society to the Legislature of the State of New York. Vol. 27. Albany: J.B. Lyon, State Printers, 1922.
↑ Beauchamp, William M. Aboriginal Place Names of New York. New York State Education Department. Albany. 1907. p. 112.
↑ Morgan, Lewis H. League of the Iroquois. Corinth, NY. Corinth Books (1851). pp. 65, 137.
↑ Mitchell, Samuel Augustus. An Accompaniment to Mitchell's Reference and Distance Map of the United States. Philadelphia, PA. Mitchell and Hinman (1834). ISBN1-149-26923-5 p. 228.
↑ Wyld, Lionel D. Canastota and Chittenango: Two Historic Canal Towns. Charleston, SC. Arcadia Publishing (1998). ISBN0-7524-0971-9 pp. 7-10.
↑ Smith, John E. Our country and its people; a descriptive and biographical record of Madison County, New York. Boston, MA. The Boston History Company (1899). pp. 326-327.
↑ Whitney, Luna M. Hammond. History of Madison County, state of New York. Syracuse, NY. Truair, Smith & Co., Book and Job Printers (1872). p. 674.
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