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77-591: Oneonta's first pro baseball team came to town on August 7, 1924, when the Utica Utes of the old New York–Pennsylvania League moved there. The newly renamed Indians folded at the end of the season. In 1940, the Cornwall, Ontario club in the old Canadian–American League moved to Oneonta. The Oneonta Indians (who, despite the name, were an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox ) won back-to-back championships in 1941–42 before

154-548: A 30-year average from 1981 to 2010) is 45.7 in (116 cm), falling on an average of 175 days. The city's growth during the 19th century is indicated by the increase in its population; in 1845 the United States Census ranked Utica as the 29th-largest in the country, with 20,000 residents, more than the populations of Chicago , Detroit or Cleveland . As of 2014 , the city is the tenth-most populous in New York and

231-459: A high rate of poverty and a shrunken tax base, adversely affecting schools and public services. Local, regional and statewide economic efforts have been proposed to revitalize the area economy. In 2010 the city developed its first comprehensive master plan in more than a half-century. After a decade of delays and false starts, plans to create a nanotechnology center in the area came to fruition when semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed opened

308-561: A plant in Marcy just north of Utica in 2022. In October 2023, a new hospital in downtown Utica opened, replacing Utica's two existing hospitals. According to the United States Census Bureau , Utica has a total area of 17.02 sq mi (44.1 km )—16.76 sq mi (43.4 km ) of land and 0.26 sq mi (0.67 km ) (1.52 percent) of water. The city is located at New York's geographic center, adjacent to

385-524: A printing and publishing center, with many newspapers. During the 1850s, Utica aided more than 650 fugitive slaves ; it played a major role as a station in the Underground Railroad . The city was on a slave escape route from the Southern Tier to Canada by way of Albany, Syracuse, or Rochester . The route, used by Harriet Tubman to travel to Buffalo , guided slaves to pass through Utica on

462-456: A tax rate per thousand of $ 25.24. According to the city's police department, there were six murders, 125 robberies, 22 rapes, and 237 assaults in 2014 (an increase from the previous year, representing a violent-crime rate of 0.6 percent). There were 432 burglaries, 1,845 larcenies and 107 motor-vehicle thefts (a decrease from 2013, representing a property-crime rate of 3.8 percent). Compared to other cities in New York, Utica's crime rate

539-583: A worn footpath with a paved road. The village became a rest and supply area along the Mohawk River for goods and the many people moving through Western New York to and from the Great Lakes. The boundaries of the village of Utica were defined in an act passed by the New York State Legislature on April 3, 1798. Utica expanded its borders in subsequent 1805 and 1817 charters . On April 5, 1805,

616-692: Is a city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York , United States. The tenth-most-populous city in New York State , its population was 65,283 in the 2020 U.S. Census . Located on the Mohawk River at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains , it is approximately 95 mi (153 km) west-northwest of Albany , 55 mi (89 km) east of Syracuse and 240 mi (386 km) northwest of New York City . Utica and

693-543: Is a relative balance between the Democratic and Republican parties, a change from the predominantly single-party politics of the 20th century. Throughout the 1950s, Democrats held the mayor's office and a majority on the city council, under the control of Rufus Elefante 's political machine . Utica is in New York's 22nd congressional district , which has been represented by Republican Brandon Williams since 2023. The city

770-415: Is a suburban and rural area surrounding the industrialized cities of Schenectady , Utica and Rome , along with other smaller commercial centers. The 5,882 square miles (15,230 km ) area is an important agricultural center and encompasses the heavily forested wilderness areas just to the north that are part of New York 's Adirondack Park . The Mohawk Valley is part of a natural passageway connecting

847-619: Is also present in other Rust Belt cities such as Buffalo, Elmira and Erie, Pennsylvania ). Utica shares a cuisine with the mid-Atlantic states , with local and regional influences. Its melting pot of immigrant and refugee cuisines, including Dutch , Italian , German , Irish and Bosnian , have introduced dishes such as ćevapi and pasticciotti to the community. Utica staple foods include chicken riggies , Utica greens , half-moons , Italian mushroom stew, and tomato pie . Other popular dishes are pierogi , penne alla vodka , and sausage and peppers . Utica has long had ties to

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924-759: Is generally low. The Utica Police Department patrols the city, and law enforcement is also under the jurisdiction of the Oneida County Sheriff's Office and the New York State Police . The Utica Fire Department coordinates four engines, two truck companies, and rescue, HAZMAT and medical operations with a 123-person crew. Utica's position in the northeastern United States has allowed the blending of cultures and traditions. It shares characteristics with other cities in Central New York including its dialect group ( Inland Northern American English , which

1001-539: Is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5b, and native vegetation can tolerate temperatures from −10 to −15 °F (−23 to −26 °C). Winters are cold and snowy; Utica receives lake-effect snow from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . Utica is colder on average than other Great Lakes cities because of its location in a valley and susceptibility to north winds; temperatures in the single digits or below zero Fahrenheit are not uncommon on winter nights. Annual precipitation (based on

1078-695: Is served by the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York , with offices in the Alexander Pirnie Federal Building. According to the comptroller's office, Utica's governmental expenses totaled $ 79.3 million (~$ 101 million in 2023) in 2014 (a net increase of $ 940,000 from the previous year). The 2015–16 budget proposes general-fund spending of $ 66.3 million (~$ 83.3 million in 2023). City taxes collected in 2014 were $ 25,972,930, with

1155-510: Is the city's tallest. Streets laid out when Utica was a village had more irregularities than those built later in the 19th and 20th centuries. As a result of the city's location (adjacent to the Mohawk River), many streets parallel the river, so they do not run strictly east–west or north–south. Remnants of Utica's early electric-rail systems can be seen in the West and South neighborhoods, where

1232-741: The Apalachin meeting of American Mafia leaders in 1957. The New York Journal American dubbed Utica the "Sin City of the East", and reporting from sources like the Journal American and Newsweek gave Utica a national reputation for Mafia activities. Local business interests, as well as other media sources such as Look magazine, asserted that these reports were exaggerated, and corruption and crime in Utica were no worse than that in similar American cities. In 1959,

1309-581: The Atlantic Ocean , by way of the Hudson Valley , with the interior of North America. Native American Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy lived in the region. In the 17th century, Dutch , French and English immigrants —and in the 18th century German , Irish and Scottish —settled the area. Following the rapid industrialization of the mid-19th century, Italians and Welsh People settled in

1386-690: The Bosnian War , and the Karen people of Myanmar , with about 4,000 resettled. Utica also has sizable communities of refugees from the former Soviet Union , Southeast Asia , Africa , the Middle East , and elsewhere. Between 2005 and 2010, Utica's population increased for the first time in decades, largely because of refugee resettlement. In 2015, about one quarter of the population of Utica were refugees, and 43 languages were spoken in city schools. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees described Utica as

1463-711: The CONMED Corporation (a surgical-device and orthotics manufacturer) and the Mohawk Valley Health System , the city's primary health care system. Construction, such as the North-South Arterial Highway project, supports the public-sector job market. Although passenger and commercial traffic on the Erie Canal has declined greatly since the 19th century, the barge canal still allows heavy cargo to travel through Utica at low cost, bypassing

1540-550: The Eastern League , who had left for Richmond, Virginia . Miller also said in the press release that he had hoped to have organized baseball playing in Damaschke Field for the 2010 baseball season, but early indications showed that local Oneonta High School will use the field for playing purposes as early as their 2010 season. Notes Sources Utica, New York Utica ( / ˈ juː t ɪ k ə / )

1617-554: The Embargo Act of 1807 and local investment enabled further expansion of the textile industry. In addition to the canals, transport in Utica was bolstered by railroads running through the city. The first was the Mohawk and Hudson Rail Road , which became the Utica and Schenectady Railroad in 1833. Its 78 mi (126 km) connection between Schenectady and Utica was developed in 1836 from

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1694-549: The Erie and Chenango Canals and the New York Central Railroad . During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city's infrastructure contributed to its success as a manufacturing center and defined its role as a worldwide hub for the textile industry . Like other Rust Belt cities, Utica underwent an economic downturn throughout the mid-20th century. The downturn consisted of industrial decline due to offshoring and

1771-662: The French and Indian War , the Mohawk River Valley was of prime strategic importance; to the British, it provided a corridor to the Great Lakes from which to threaten New France directly, while to the French it provided a corridor to the Hudson Valley and on to the heart of British North America . In addition, many settlements of the Mohawk , Britain's crucial Indian ally at the time of

1848-601: The Oneonta Yankees , or O-Yanks, an affiliation they would have for three decades. Stocked with future New York Yankees stars, the O-Yanks won NYPL titles in 1968, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1990 and 1998. Since 1991, the franchise has participated in the annual New York–Penn League Game in Cooperstown, New York . This is an official New York–Penn League game played at Doubleday Field in conjunction with

1925-597: The Republican political machine in Utica declined and was replaced by a Democratic machine headed by Rufus Elefante with the support of Governor (and later, President) Franklin D. Roosevelt . Democratic political leaders cooperated with local business interests to draw modern industry to Utica. General Electric , Chicago Pneumatic , Bendix Aviation , and Univac among others established factories in Utica. Utica College and Mohawk Valley Community College were founded to provide skilled workers, and Oneida County Airport

2002-603: The U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River , sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains , northwest of the Capital District . As of the 2010 United States Census , the region's counties have a combined population of 622,133 people. In addition to the Mohawk River valley, the region contains portions of other major watersheds such as the Susquehanna River . The region

2079-483: The brewing industry. The family-owned Matt Brewing Company (Saranac Brewery) resisted the bankruptcies and plant closings that came with the industry consolidation under a few national brands. As of 2012, it was ranked the 15th-largest brewery by sales in the United States. The Brewers Association named the brewery among America's top 35 craft breweries in 2019. Mohawk Valley The Mohawk Valley region of

2156-452: The rails were set into the streets . Utica's neighborhoods have historically been defined by their residents, allowing them to develop their own individuality. Racial and ethnic groups, social and economic separation and the development of infrastructure and new means of transportation have shaped neighborhoods, with groups shifting between them as a result. West Utica (or the West Side)

2233-670: The right-of-way previously used by the Mohawk and Hudson railroad. Later lines, such as the Syracuse and Utica Railroad , merged with the Utica and Schenectady to form the New York Central Railroad , which originated as a 19th-century forest railway of the Adirondacks . In the early 1800s, William Williams and his partner published Utica's first newspaper, The Utica Club , from their printing shop on Genesee Street. In 1817 Williams also published Utica's first directory. Utica went on to become

2310-521: The "town that loves refugees" in 2005, although discrimination problems have arisen. In 2016, the Utica City School District settled lawsuits alleging refugee students were excluded from attending high school. In 2024, 13-year-old Karen refugee Nyah Mway was shot and killed by police, making national news and tarnishing Utica's refugee-friendly reputation. Despite the reinvigorating effects of immigration, Utica continues to struggle with

2387-621: The 1850s, plank roads were built through the marshland surrounding the city. Utica's suburbs have more hills and cliffs than the city. Located where the Mohawk Valley forms a wide floodplain, the city has a generally sloping, flat topography. Utica's architecture features many styles that are also visible in comparable areas of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, including Greek Revival , Italianate , French Renaissance , Gothic Revival and Neoclassical . The modernist 1972 Utica State Office Building, at 17 floors and 227 ft (69 m),

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2464-458: The 1990s. New immigrants and refugees have included Bosnians displaced by the Bosnian War , Burmese , Karens , Latin Americans , Russians and Vietnamese . More than 42 languages are spoken in the city. Utica's population halted a forty-year decline in 2010, influenced by this influx of refugees and immigrants. In the 2020 United States Census , Utica's population was 65,283. According to

2541-653: The 2013 American Community Survey , the Italian American population has declined since its peak by more than 40%. Italian Americans however remain the most prominent ethnic group, constituting 20% of the city population. Utica is historically one of the most Italian cities in the country. Throughout the 20th century, the city had a higher concentration of Italian immigrants than other cities with notable levels of Italian immigration, such as New York City , Chicago , and Philadelphia . Italian immigrants from Basilicata were first to arrive, but most later immigrants came from

2618-500: The 29th-largest in the country (with 20,000 residents, more than the populations of Chicago , Detroit or Cleveland . ) Utica's location on the Erie and Chenango canals encouraged industrial development, allowing the transport of anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania for local manufacturing and distribution. Utica's economy centered around the manufacture of furniture, heavy machinery, textiles and lumber. The combined effects of

2695-696: The American Revolution were fought in New York State, including the Battle of Oriskany , Battle of Saratoga and defense of Fort Stanwix . During the war, a series of raids against valley residents took place led by John Johnson . These raids were collectively known as the " Burning of the Valleys ". In 1825, the Erie Canal was completed as the first commercial connection between the American East and West. During

2772-719: The Hall of Fame's Induction Weekend festivities. In 1999, the Yankees moved their affiliation to the Staten Island Yankees , so the Detroit Tigers organization moved in. Notable Oneonta Yankees alumni include Don Mattingly (1979), Bernie Williams (1987) and Jorge Posada (1991). NFL hall-of-fame quarterback John Elway batted .318 over 45 games in 1982 for the Oneonta Yankees in his brief professional baseball career. On July 20, 2006,

2849-459: The Iroquois tribes to the French side. The original inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley can be traced back 10,000 plus years and included Algonquian people that later relocated from the newly established Fort Orange Dutch trading post region as early as 1624, as the name implies, the inhabitants were and remained Mohawks . The name Mohawk Valley has its origins in the years 1614 and 1624-25 following

2926-779: The Mohawk Valley People of the Flint name. Schoharie County is sometimes considered to be part of the Mohawk Valley because the Schoharie Creek , primarily located in Schoharie County, is a major tributary that empties into the Mohawk River at Fort Hunter in Montgomery County. Furthermore, the northern border of Schoharie County with Montgomery County is very close to the Mohawk River. Schenectady , Albany , and Saratoga counties are also sometimes considered to be part of

3003-690: The New York Central Railroad right-of-way en route to Canada. Utica was the locus for Methodist preacher Orange Scott 's antislavery sermons during the 1830s and 1840s, and Scott formed an abolitionist group there in 1843. Beriah Green organized the 1835 initial meeting of the New York State Anti-Slavery Society in Utica, which was disrupted by an anti-abolitionist mob led by local congressman Samuel Beardsley and other "prominent citizens". (It adjourned to Gerrit Smith 's home in nearby Peterboro, New York . ) This mob

3080-622: The New York State Thruway and providing intermodal freight transport with the railroads. Republican Michael P. Galime was elected to a four-year term as mayor in 2023, and took office at the start of 2024. The common council consists of 10 members, six of whom are elected from single-member districts . The other four, including its president, are elected at-large . Utica has a Strong mayor-council form of government. The council has eight standing committees for issues including transportation, education, finance and public safety. There

3157-605: The South. The 1954 opening of the New York State Thruway (which bypassed the city) and declines in activity on the Erie Canal and railroads throughout the United States also contributed to a poor local economy. During the 1980s and 1990s, major employers such as General Electric and Lockheed Martin closed plants in Utica and Syracuse. Some Utica businesses relocated to nearby Syracuse, with its larger and more educated workforce. Utica's population fell while population in

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3234-791: The Tigers won the longest game in NYPL history: a 6-hour and 40-minute, 26-inning marathon against the Brooklyn Cyclones . Brooklyn scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning; the Tigers tied the game in the top of the fourth. Neither side scored again until the 26th inning, when the Tigers plated five runs (three earned) off of Cyclones outfielder Mark Wright, who had entered the game to pitch (the Cyclones had already used six of their regular pitchers). The Tigers had three players who went 1-for-12, including center fielder Deik Scram, whose lone hit knocked in

3311-548: The aftermath of the war, numerous colonial settlers migrated into the region of New York from New England, especially Connecticut . In 1794 a state road, Genesee Road , was built from Utica west to the Genesee River . That year a contract was awarded to the Mohawk Turnpike and Bridge Company to extend the road northeast to Albany, and in 1798 it was extended. The Seneca Turnpike was key to Utica's development, replacing

3388-515: The bend Unundadages ("around the hill"), a name that now appears on the city's seal. During the American Revolutionary War , border raids from British -allied Iroquois tribes harried the settlers on the frontier. George Washington ordered Sullivan's Expedition , Rangers , to enter Central New York and suppress the Iroquois threat. More than 40 Iroquois villages were destroyed along with their winter stores, causing starvation. In

3465-536: The brutal fighting. The land housing Old Fort Schuyler was part of a 20,000-acre (81 km ) portion of marshland granted by King George II to New York governor William Cosby on January 2, 1734. Since the fort was located near several trails (including the Great Indian Warpath ), its position—on a bend at a shallow portion of the Mohawk River—made it an important fording point. The Mohawk call

3542-409: The city during a general restructuring in older industrial cities. New industries to rise in the city were electronics manufacturing (led by companies such as General Electric, which produced transistor radios ), machinery and equipment, and food processing . The city struggled to make a transition to new industries. During the second half of the 20th century, the city's recessions were longer than

3619-535: The city prospered as one of the wealthiest per capita in the United States. In the early 20th century, the local textile industry began to decline, which had a significant impact on the local economy. The boll weevil adversely affected southern cotton crops in this period. During the late 1940s, air-conditioned mills opened in the southern United States , and jobs were lost as factories were moved south, where labor costs were lower because " right to work " laws weakened unions. Other industries also moved out of

3696-403: The city's industries in the early part of the 20th century. Like many other industrial centers, labor unrest affected Utica in the 1910s; on April 5 1912 martial law was proclaimed to stop riots in Utica, Yorkville , and New York Mills , while on October 28 during the strike wave of 1919 , city police shot six or more striking textile workers. In 1919, two-thirds of employed Uticans worked in

3773-431: The closure of textile mills, population loss caused by the relocation of jobs and businesses to suburbs and to Syracuse, and poverty associated with socioeconomic stress and a depressed tax base. With its low cost of living, the city has become a melting pot for refugees from war-torn countries around the world, encouraging growth for its colleges and universities , cultural institutions and economy. The first Utica

3850-473: The county increased, reflecting a statewide trend of decreasing urban populations outside New York City . Eccentric populist mayor Ed Hanna , who served from 1974 to 1978 and from 1996 to 2000, brought himself national media attention but was unable to stem Utica's decline. The low cost of living in Utica has attracted immigrants and refugees from around the world. The largest refugee groups in Utica are Bosnians , with 4,500 refugees resettled following

3927-410: The early 21st century, the Mohawk Valley economy is based on logistics , industrial processes , machinery, and industrial services . In Rome, the former Griffiss Air Force Base has remained a regional employer as a technology center. The Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona is a tourist destination, with a number of expansions during the 1990s and 2000s. Utica's larger employers include

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4004-420: The franchise he purchased in 1966. The agreement allowed the Tigers to stay in Oneonta up until the 2010 season. On January 27, 2010, Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller announced in a press release saying that the Tigers would be leaving Oneonta for Norwich, Connecticut for the 2010 season. The new team would play their games in the newly renovated Dodd Stadium which had been vacated by the Connecticut Defenders of

4081-443: The go-ahead run for the Tigers in the 26th inning. The 2007 season ushered a new era for Oneonta Tiger baseball, as their stadium received a face-lift, while premiering the team's official website, www.oneontatigers.com. Guillermo Moscoso pitched the second perfect game in NYPL history in a 6–0 victory over the Batavia Muckdogs on July 15, 2007. In early July 2008, it was announced that long-time owner Sam Nader had sold

4158-408: The hill") refers to a bend in the Mohawk River that flows around the city's elevated position as seen from the Deerfield Hills in the north. The Erie Canal and Mohawk River pass through northern Utica; northwest of downtown is the Utica Marsh, a group of cattail wetlands between the Erie Canal and Mohawk River (partially in the town of Marcy ) with a variety of animals, plants and birds. During

4235-561: The historically Welsh neighborhood of Corn Hill. Bagg Commemorative Park and Bagg's Square West (Utica's historic centers) are in the northeastern portion of downtown, with Genesee Street on the west and Oriskany Street on the south. The following are listed on the National Register of Historic Places : Utica has a humid continental climate (or warm-summer climate: Köppen Dfb ) with four distinct seasons, characterized by cold winters and temperate summers. Summer high temperatures range from 77–81 °F (25–27 °C). The city

4312-579: The largest and most powerful nation in the eastern and lower Mohawk Valley. Colonists had a long-standing fur trade with the Mohawk, in exchange for firearms and rum. The Iroquois nations' dominating presence in the region prevented the Province of New York from expanding past the middle of the Mohawk Valley until after the American victory in the Revolutionary War. Following the war several Iroquois nations were forced to cede lands to New York: British allies due to defeat and American allies in exchange for post-war shelter and supplies which were necessary following

4389-415: The loop shut down for three years due to World War II. After the war, the renamed Oneonta Red Sox took two more titles, in 1948 and in the league's final season of 1951. In 1966, the Red Sox shifted their franchise in the current New York–Penn League from Wellsville, New York to Oneonta, keeping the Red Sox moniker for that season. In 1967, Sam Nader and Sidney Levine purchased the team and renamed them

4466-447: The national average. The exodus of defense companies (such as Lockheed Martin, formed from the merger of the Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta in 1995) and the electrical-manufacturing industry played a major role in Utica's recent economic distress. From 1975 to 2001, the city's economic growth rate was similar to that of Buffalo, while other upstate New York cities such as Rochester and Binghamton outperformed both. In

4543-441: The nearby city of Rome anchor the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area comprising all of Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Formerly a river settlement inhabited by the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, Utica attracted European-American settlers from New England during and after the American Revolution . In the 19th century, immigrants strengthened its position as a layover city between Albany and Syracuse on

4620-826: The regions of Apulia , Lazio , Calabria , and Abruzzo , with an unusually large number from the village of Alberobello in Apulia. A smaller number came from Sicily than is typical for most Italian-American communities. The remainder of sizable ethnic groups include, as approximations: Slavs (18%) broken down as Poles (8.3%), Bosnians (7%) and Eastern Slavs at a combined (2.7%). Irish (11.3%), African Americans (10.5%), German (10.3%), ethnically English or American residents (8%), Puerto Ricans (6.8%). Burmese (3.5%), French and French-Canadians (2.7%), Arabs and Lebanese (2%), (non-Hispanic) Caribbean West Indies (1.8%), Dominicans (1.5%), Vietnamese (1.5%) and Cambodians (.7%). Iroquois or other (non-Hispanic) Amerindians (.3%). Median income per Utica household

4697-434: The scandals culminated in criminal investigations of city employees and officials: many were arrested on charges related to prostitution , gambling , fraud , and conspiracy , and others were forced to resign. The Utica Daily Press and Utica Observer-Dispatch were awarded the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their investigations of local corruption. Elefante's machine lost dominance. Organized crime in Utica

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4774-413: The settlement by Dutch traders who established a trading post in the Valley, the Mohawk tribe became alliances and targets during the Indian Wars. The Mohawks of Mohawk Valley call themselves Kanien'keha'ka , and "People of the Flint" in part due to their creation story of a powerful flinted arrow. Among other things, the traditional use of Mohawk Valley flint as Toolmaking Flint is only one attribution to

4851-417: The site of Old Fort Schuyler , built by American colonists for defense in 1758 during the French and Indian War , the North American front of the Seven Years' War against France . Prior to construction of the fort, the Mohawk , Onondaga and Oneida nations of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy had controlled this area southeast of the Great Lakes region as early as 4000 BC. The Mohawk were

4928-503: The sixth-most populous metro region in New York. It is the seat of Oneida County, and a focal point of the six-county Mohawk Valley region. According to a U.S. Census estimate, the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area decreased in population from 299,397 in 2010 to 296,615 on July 1, 2014, and its population density was about 3,818 people per square mile (1,474 people/km ). Utica's population has remained ethnically diverse and has received many new influxes of immigrants since

5005-455: The textile industry. The textile industry in the Northern United States declined rapidly following World War I , as mills relocated to the Southern United States . Textiles remained the leading industry in Utica through 1947, employing a little less than a quarter of workers at the few remaining mills. As early as 1928, the area Chamber of Commerce sought to diversify Utica's industrial base. Prompted by local labor issues and national trends,

5082-403: The valley. During the 18th Century, the Mohawk Valley was a frontier of great political, military, and economic importance. Colonists— such as Phillip Schuyler , Nicholas Herkimer , William Johnson —trading with the Iroquois set the stage for commercial and military competition between European nations, leading to the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution . Almost 100 battles of

5159-422: The village's eastern and western boundaries were expanded, and on April 7, 1817, Utica separated from Whitestown on its west. After completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the city's growth was stimulated again. Utica became a printing and publishing center, with many newspapers. The municipal charter was passed by the state legislature on February 13, 1832. In 1845 the United States Census ranked Utica as

5236-403: The war, were located in or near the valley. At the beginning of the war, the major British stronghold in the Mohawk corridor was Fort Oswego , located on Lake Ontario . The French captured and destroyed the fort after a short siege in 1756, and the Mohawk Valley lay open to French advance as a result. Although the French did not directly exploit this avenue of attack, its impact swayed some of

5313-483: The western border of Herkimer County , and at the southwestern base of the Adirondack Mountains . Utica and its suburbs are bound by the Allegheny Plateau in the south and the Adirondack Mountains in the north, and the city is 456 ft (139 m) above sea level; this region is known as the Mohawk Valley . The city is 90 mi (145 km) west-northwest of Albany and 45 mi (72 km) east of Syracuse . The city's Mohawk name, Unundadages ("around

5390-404: Was $ 30,818. Per capita income was $ 17,653, and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty threshold . During the mid-19th century, Utica's canals and railroads supported industries producing furniture , locomotive headlights, steam gauges, firearms , textiles and lumber . World War I sparked the growth of Savage Arms , which produced the Lewis gun for the British Army , and

5467-442: Was a former city in modern-day Tunisia . Many central New York locations have the names of ancient cities or people ( Rome , Syracuse , Ithaca , Troy , Homer , Cicero , Ovid , and a number of others). The reuse of the name of ancient Utica for a modern village, then city, owes a great deal to classically trained surveyor Robert Harpur (1731–1825), for many years a professor in King's College (today Columbia University ). It

5544-425: Was built to provide transport. The city also underwent residential redevelopment, including slum clearance and modernizing streets and neighborhoods to accommodate the automobile . The period of Utica history through the 1940s and 1950s is sometimes called the "loom to boom" era. While it led to growth of the suburbs of New Hartford and Whitestown , Utica's population remained flat during this era, and unemployment

5621-496: Was curtailed, but resurged in the late 1970s. The local Mafia, present since the 1930s, ended with the indictment of local associates of the Buffalo crime family in 1989. Strongly affected by the deindustrialization that took place in other Rust Belt cities, Utica suffered a major reduction in manufacturing activity during the second half of the 20th century. The remaining textile mills continued to be undercut by competitors in

5698-411: Was he who gave out the central New York State Classical names, and he stated that he named the village of Utica. However, another theory involves a 1798 meeting at Bagg's Tavern (a resting place for travelers passing through the village) where the name was picked from a hat holding 13 suggestions. How Utica came to be among them, if not due ultimately to Harpur, is unknown. Utica was established on

5775-635: Was historically home to German , Irish and Polish immigrants. The Corn Hill neighborhood in the city center had a significant Jewish population. East Utica (or the East Side) is a cultural and political center dominated by Italian immigrants. North of downtown is the Triangle neighborhood, formerly home to the city's African-American and Jewish populations. Neighborhoods formerly dominated by one or more groups saw other groups arrive, such as Bosnians and Latin Americans in former Italian neighborhoods and

5852-570: Was part of a national campaign of anti-abolitionist violence in the 1830s . The early 20th century brought rail advances to Utica, with the New York Central electrifying 49 mi (79 km) of track from the city to Syracuse in 1907 for its West Shore interurban line. In 1902, the Utica and Mohawk Valley Railway connected Rome to Little Falls with a 37.5 mi (60.4 km) electrified line through Utica. Waves of Lebanese Maronite , Italian, Irish, and Polish immigrants worked in

5929-432: Was persistently elevated. As in some other US cities during the decade, scandals involving political corruption , vice , and organized crime tarnished Utica's reputation. It remains unclear whether Elefante and his inner circle were actively involved in organized crime or simply turned a blind eye to it. Organized crime in Utica received national attention after three Utican mafiosos were reported to have attended

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