Oswego County, New York

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Oswego County
County
Oswego County Courthouse, (Built 1860), Oswego, New York.jpg
Oswego County Courthouse
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Flag
Oswego County, New York seal.png
Seal
Map of New York highlighting Oswego County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of New York
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New York's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°28′N76°12′W / 43.47°N 76.2°W / 43.47; -76.2
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of New York.svg New York
Founded1816
Seat Oswego
Largest cityOswego
Area
 • Total
1,312 sq mi (3,400 km2)
 • Land952 sq mi (2,470 km2)
 • Water360 sq mi (900 km2)  27%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
117,525 [1]
 • Density123.5/sq mi (47.7/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 24th
Website www.oswegocounty.com

Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 117,525. [2] The county seat is Oswego. [3] The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning 'the pouring out place', referring to the point at which the Oswego River feeds into Lake Ontario at the northern edge of the county in the city of Oswego. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state.

Contents

Oswego County is part of the Syracuse metropolitan area.

History

When counties were established in the British colony of New York in 1683, the present Oswego County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of what is now New York state as well as all of the present state of Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of Cumberland County in the British colony, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont.

On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles (8.0 km) west of the present city of Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for William Tryon, colonial governor of New York.

In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County to honor the general, Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of Quebec, replacing the name of the hated British governor.

In 1789, the size of Montgomery County was reduced by the splitting off of Ontario County from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties.

Oswego County was partly in Macomb's Purchase of 1791.

In 1791, Herkimer County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being Otsego, and Tioga County). This was much larger than the present county, however, and was reduced by a number of subsequent splits.

In 1794, Onondaga County was created from a part of Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Onondaga County, including the present Cayuga, Cortland, and part of Oswego counties.

In 1798, Oneida County was created from a part of Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Oneida County, including the present Jefferson, Lewis, and part of Oswego counties.

In 1805, Oneida County was reduced in size by the splitting off of Jefferson and Lewis counties.

In 1816, Oswego County was created as New York State's 48th county from parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties.

In 1841, businessmen in Oswego attempted to divide Oswego County into two counties. They failed to persuade the State to do so, however. Occasionally, the topic still resurfaces today by dividing the county into an east part and a west part, with the east portion being renamed "Salmon County".

At various times, beginning in 1847 and as late as 1975, attempts were made to move the county seat to the Village of Mexico. However, none of these attempts succeeded.

On April 20, 2002, at around 6:50 am, many residents of Oswego County were shaken awake by a magnitude 5.2 earthquake centered near Plattsburgh, New York. Minor damage to a Fire Hall in Altmar was the only report of damage. No injuries were sustained.

During February 1–12, 2007, a major lake effect snowfall dumped over 10 feet (3 m) of snow in many places in Oswego County, resulting in several roof collapses, some communities being cut off, and some people being snowed-in in their homes. A state of emergency was declared for the county, and the National Guard was sent in to help clear the snow.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,312 square miles (3,400 km2), of which 952 square miles (2,470 km2) is land and 360 square miles (930 km2), comprising 27%, is water. [4]

Oswego County is in northwestern New York State, just north of Syracuse and northwest of Utica, on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Part of the Tug Hill Plateau is in the eastern part of the county and, at 1,550 feet (470 m), is the highest point. [5] The Salmon River Falls, a 110-foot (34 m) waterfall, is a popular sightseeing destination in the northeastern portion of the county. [6]

There are two harbors in the county: Oswego Harbor at the mouth of the Oswego River and Port Ontario on the Salmon River. The first major port of call on the Great Lakes is the Port of Oswego Authority dock.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1820 12,374—
1830 27,119119.2%
1840 43,61960.8%
1850 62,19842.6%
1860 75,95822.1%
1870 77,9412.6%
1880 77,9110.0%
1890 71,883−7.7%
1900 70,881−1.4%
1910 71,6641.1%
1920 71,045−0.9%
1930 69,645−2.0%
1940 71,2752.3%
1950 77,1818.3%
1960 86,11811.6%
1970 100,89717.2%
1980 113,90112.9%
1990 121,7716.9%
2000 122,3770.5%
2010 122,109−0.2%
2020 117,525−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790–1960 [8] 1900–1990 [9]
1990–2000 [10] 2010–2019 [2]

Oswego County is also home to two colleges: State University of New York at Oswego in the Town of Oswego and the Fulton Branch Campus of Cayuga County Community College in the City of Fulton.

2020 census

Oswego County, New York – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 [11] Pop 1990 [12] Pop 2000 [13] Pop 2010 [14] Pop 2020 [15] % 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)112,146119,132118,110116,091105,71098.46%97.83%96.51%95.07%89.95%
Black or African American alone (NH)4235786748621,3700.37%0.47%0.55%0.71%1.17%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3084174614654570.27%0.34%0.38%0.38%0.39%
Asian alone (NH)3494544987098700.31%0.37%0.41%0.58%0.74%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [16] x [17] 161419xx0.01%0.01%0.02%
Other race alone (NH)793148593020.07%0.03%0.04%0.05%0.26%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [18] x [19] 9781,3575,181xx0.80%1.11%4.41%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)5961,1591,5922,5523,6160.52%0.95%1.30%2.09%3.08%
Total113,901121,771122,377122,109117,525 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000

As of the census [20] of 2000, there were 122,377 people, 45,522 households, and 31,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 128 inhabitants per square mile (49/km2). There were 52,831 housing units at an average density of 55 units per square mile (21/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.17% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population. 15.5% were of Irish, 14.0% German, 13.7% Italian, 13.3% English, 9.6% American, 7.9% French and 5.3% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.2% spoke English and 1.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 45,522 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 10.90% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,598, and the median income for a family was $43,821. Males had a median income of $34,976 versus $23,938 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,853. About 9.70% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

A map of towns, cities and villages in Oswego County, New York Map of Towns in Oswego County, New York.svg
A map of towns, cities and villages in Oswego County, New York

Oswego County has 22 towns, 2 cities, and 10 villages.

Larger settlements

#LocationPopulationTypeArea
1†Oswego 18,142CityLake Shore
2 Fulton 11,896CityRiverbank
3‡Brewerton 4,029CDPLake Oneida
4 SUNY Oswego 3,541CDPLake Shore
5 Phoenix 2,382VillageRiverbank
6 Pulaski 2,365VillageLake Shore
7 Central Square 1,848VillageLake Oneida
8 Mexico 1,624VillageLake Shore
9 Constantia 1,182CDPLake Oneida
10 Minetto 1,069CDPRiverbank
11 Sand Ridge 849CDPRiverbank
12 Sandy Creek 771VillageLake Shore
13 Cleveland 750VillageLake Oneida
14 Lacona 582VillageLake Shore
15 Hannibal 555VillageRiverbank
16 Parish 450VillageEast
17††Altmar 407CDPEast

† - County seat

†† - Former village

‡ - Not wholly in this county

Towns

Nature

The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary lies in the waters of southeastern Lake Ontario off Oswego County. [21] [22]

Swimming places in the county include

on Lake Ontario [23]
Swimming on Oneida Lake :
Pool swimming include:

Economy

Oswego's economy is most prominent as industry; in 2012, manufactured shipments made up $2.1 billion of the local economy. Retail made up the next most prominent sector, totaling $1.2 billion or more than $10,000 per resident. Wholesale merchants also made $368 million sales the same year. Services made up the final total, equal to over $500 million in food service, healthcare, accommodation, and social services. [25]

Media

Sample News Group owns and publishes four periodical newspapers in the county, The Palladium-Times, Valley News, Oswego County News and Oswego Shopper. These collectively operate the website OswegoCountyNewsNow.com. [26] [27]

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Oswego County, New York [28]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 33,54861.94%20,48337.82%1320.24%
2020 32,14258.98%21,14538.80%1,2112.22%
2016 27,68857.47%17,09535.48%3,3977.05%
2012 19,98044.81%23,51552.73%1,0962.46%
2008 23,57147.76%24,77750.21%1,0012.03%
2004 26,32551.01%24,13346.76%1,1492.23%
2000 23,24947.96%22,85747.15%2,3734.89%
1996 17,15937.57%20,44044.75%8,07417.68%
1992 18,53036.38%16,99033.36%15,41130.26%
1988 25,36257.37%18,43041.69%4190.95%
1984 31,48168.39%14,34731.17%2060.45%
1980 22,81653.63%15,34336.07%4,38210.30%
1976 23,94959.19%16,33240.36%1820.45%
1972 29,10971.84%11,31727.93%920.23%
1968 20,04154.39%14,63639.72%2,1685.88%
1964 12,41533.35%24,78866.59%230.06%
1960 24,01360.69%15,54439.28%110.03%
1956 29,27776.87%8,80923.13%00.00%
1952 27,60970.66%11,44429.29%190.05%
1948 19,09558.03%12,82038.96%9893.01%
1944 19,73360.99%12,59338.92%290.09%
1940 22,68862.62%13,45937.15%830.23%
1936 22,80366.33%11,06832.20%5051.47%
1932 18,32256.90%13,31441.35%5651.75%
1928 21,84964.39%11,63934.30%4421.30%
1924 18,57665.08%7,86427.55%2,1027.36%
1920 17,90566.37%8,04529.82%1,0293.81%
1916 9,85457.72%6,21036.38%1,0085.90%
1912 5,99637.47%5,25632.84%4,75129.69%
1908 10,44758.22%6,17234.39%1,3267.39%
1904 11,17460.63%6,15233.38%1,1045.99%
1900 11,16060.44%6,60535.77%6993.79%
1896 11,41162.81%6,40135.23%3561.96%
1892 10,01256.44%6,72937.93%9985.63%
1888 11,29658.37%7,42938.38%6293.25%
1884 9,97654.71%7,43440.77%8254.52%

The Oswego County Legislature has 25 members, elected from equal population districts, reduced from 36 in 1993. The legislators are split between seven committees that meet monthly and also attend a general meeting once per month. The seven standing committees as of December 2019 were Government, Courts and Consumer Affairs; Public Safety; Infrastructure, Facilities and Technology; Economic Development and Planning; Health; Human Services; and Finance and Personnel. [29]

In the 2019 general election, the county GOP won three more seats previously occupied by Democrats, expanding its control of the legislature to 23–2. The two Democratic candidates who were elected ran unopposed, and there was only one other Democrat running for any of the 25 seats. Meanwhile, a proposition that sought to expand legislator terms from two years to four years was rejected, with 65.06 percent of 17,701 total votes countywide going against the proposition. [30]

District representation (2024)

Source: [31]

District NumberMunicipalityRepresentative
1Sandy Creek, Redfield, BoylstonMichael G. Yerdon (R)
2Orwell, Albion, Williamstown, RichlandHerbert G. Yerdon (R)
3Pulaski, RichlandEdward Gilson (R)
4Amboy, Hastings, Parish, Williamstown, West MonroeDavid Holst (R)
5ConstantiaRoy Reehil (R)
6Hastings, West MonroeJohn Martino (R)
7MexicoFrank Bombardo (R)
8Palermo, Hastings, SchroeppelPaul House, Majority Leader (R, C, I)
9Central Square, HastingsJames Weatherup, Legislature Chair (R, I)
10Volney, Granby, SchroeppelMary Chesbro (R, C)
11VolneyLinda Lockwood (R)
12Schroeppel, HastingsRichard Kline (R, C)
13New Haven, ScribaPatrick Twiss, Majority Whip (R)
14ScribaStephen Walpole (R, I)
15City of OswegoKevin Hill (R)
16City of OswegoJames Scanlon (R)
17City of Oswego, ScribaCharles Burger (R)
18City of OswegoRobert Wilmott (R, C, I)
19Minetto, Oswego (Town), Hannibal, GranbyMarie Schadt, Minority Whip (D, C)
20Oswego TownPaul Connolly (R)
21HannibalNoelle Salmonson (R)
22Granby, City of FultonJames Karasek (R)
23GranbyMichael Soloway (R)
24City of Fulton, GranbyMarc Greco, Vice Chair (R, I)
25City of FultonFrank Castiglia, Minority Leader (D)

Oswego County has two representatives in the state assembly, with Republicans William A. Barclay and Brian Manktelow [32] both serving as assemblymen for portions of the county. There are two state senators who represent Oswego County. Mark Walczyk represents the 49th district and Chris Ryan represents the 50th district in the state senate.

Education

School districts include: [33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "US Census QuickFacts". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  5. ↑ Oswego County Clerk's Office, NY Archived February 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Minetor, Randi (2014). Hiking waterfalls in New York: a guide to the state's best waterfall hikes. Guildford, Conn.: Falcon Guides. pp. 67–69. ISBN   978-0762787500 . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  11. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - New York - Table 15 - Persons by Race and Table 16 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 34/29-34/70)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau .
  12. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - New York - Table 3 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau . p. 45-215.
  13. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Oswego County, New York". United States Census Bureau .
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Oswego County, New York". United States Census Bureau .
  15. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Oswego County, New York". United States Census Bureau .
  16. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  17. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  18. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  19. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  20. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  21. ↑ "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Designation Ceremony". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Visit Oswego County's Beaches and Pools". visitoswegocounty.com.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Oswego County Division of Promotion and Tourism: Swimming". oswego.ny.us. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Quickfacts: Oswego County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau . July 1, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Sample News Group Publication List". Sample News Group . Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  27. ↑ "About Us". Oswego County News Now. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  28. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  29. ↑ "2019 Legislative Standing Committees". Oswego County Government. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  30. ↑ Reitz, Matthew (November 6, 2019). "County term length prop fails, GOP adds to supermajority". Oswego County News Now. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Find / Contact your Legislator".
  32. ↑ "Brian Manktelow - Assembly District 130 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". New York State Assembly.
  33. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Oswego County, NY" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved October 18, 2024. - Text list

Further reading

43°28′N76°12′W / 43.47°N 76.20°W / 43.47; -76.20

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