SafekipediaOswego County, New York
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. The county seat is the city of Oswego.
The name "Oswego" comes from a Mohawk-language word. It means 'the pouring out place'. This name refers to where the Oswego River flows into Lake Ontario. This place is at the northern edge of the county in the city of Oswego.
Oswego County is part of the Central New York region. It is also included in the larger Syracuse metropolitan area.
History
Oswego County has a long history. It started when New York was a British colony. In 1683, the land that is now Oswego County was part of Albany County. Albany County was very large and included parts of what are now Vermont.
Later, Albany County was split into smaller counties. In 1772, one part became Tryon County, named after William Tryon, the colonial governor of New York. After the American Revolutionary War ended in 1784, Tryon County was renamed Montgomery County for General Richard Montgomery.
Over time, Montgomery County was also split. Oswego County was officially created in 1816 from parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties. It became New York State’s 48th county.
Geography
Oswego County is in northwestern New York. It is north of Syracuse and northwest of Utica. The county sits on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. It covers 1,312 square miles (3,400 km2). Of this, 952 square miles (2,470 km2) is land and 360 square miles (930 km2) is water.
The highest point in the county is part of the Tug Hill Plateau. It reaches up to 1,550 feet (470 m). A well-known sight is the Salmon River Falls. This waterfall is 110 feet (34 m) tall.
The county has two important harbors. These are Oswego Harbor at the mouth of the Oswego River and Port Ontario on the Salmon River. The Port of Oswego Authority dock is the first major stop for ships entering the Great Lakes.
Demographics
Oswego County has two colleges: the State University of New York at Oswego in the Town of Oswego and the Fulton Branch Campus of the Cayuga County Community College in the City of Fulton.
The census in 2000 counted 122,377 people in the county. Most people, about 97%, were White. Many families spoke English at home, with only a few speaking Spanish. Most homes had children under 18, and many were led by married couples. The average home had about 2.6 people, and families were a little larger at around 3.1 people. About a third of the county’s people were under 18 years old, and the median age was 35. The median income for a home was $36,598, and about 14% of the population lived below the poverty line.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 12,374 | — | |
| 1830 | 27,119 | 119.2% | |
| 1840 | 43,619 | 60.8% | |
| 1850 | 62,198 | 42.6% | |
| 1860 | 75,958 | 22.1% | |
| 1870 | 77,941 | 2.6% | |
| 1880 | 77,911 | 0.0% | |
| 1890 | 71,883 | −7.7% | |
| 1900 | 70,881 | −1.4% | |
| 1910 | 71,664 | 1.1% | |
| 1920 | 71,045 | −0.9% | |
| 1930 | 69,645 | −2.0% | |
| 1940 | 71,275 | 2.3% | |
| 1950 | 77,181 | 8.3% | |
| 1960 | 86,118 | 11.6% | |
| 1970 | 100,897 | 17.2% | |
| 1980 | 113,901 | 12.9% | |
| 1990 | 121,771 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 122,377 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 122,109 | −0.2% | |
| 2020 | 117,525 | −3.8% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 118,569 |  | 0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2019 | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980 | Pop 1990 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 112,146 | 119,132 | 118,110 | 116,091 | 105,710 | 98.46% | 97.83% | 96.51% | 95.07% | 89.95% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 423 | 578 | 674 | 862 | 1,370 | 0.37% | 0.47% | 0.55% | 0.71% | 1.17% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 308 | 417 | 461 | 465 | 457 | 0.27% | 0.34% | 0.38% | 0.38% | 0.39% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 349 | 454 | 498 | 709 | 870 | 0.31% | 0.37% | 0.41% | 0.58% | 0.74% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 16 | 14 | 19 | x | x | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 79 | 31 | 48 | 59 | 302 | 0.07% | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.26% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 978 | 1,357 | 5,181 | x | x | 0.80% | 1.11% | 4.41% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 596 | 1,159 | 1,592 | 2,552 | 3,616 | 0.52% | 0.95% | 1.30% | 2.09% | 3.08% |
| Total | 113,901 | 121,771 | 122,377 | 122,109 | 117,525 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Communities
Oswego County has 22 towns, 2 cities, and 10 villages.
The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary is near the county. Popular places to swim include:
Other swimming spots are Taft Bay Park at Bernhards Bay, New York on Oneida Lake, and beaches in towns like Gallager Pool in Oswego and Fulton City Pools.
Towns
- Albion
- Amboy
- Boylston
- Constantia
- Granby
- Hannibal
- Hastings
- Mexico
- Minetto
- New Haven
- Orwell
- Oswego
- Palermo
- Parish
- Redfield
- Richland
- Sandy Creek
- Schroeppel
- Scriba
- Volney
- West Monroe
- Williamstown
| # | Location | Population | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Oswego | 18,142 | City | Lake Shore |
| 2 | Fulton | 11,896 | City | Riverbank |
| 3 | ‡Brewerton | 4,029 | CDP | Lake Oneida |
| 4 | SUNY Oswego | 3,541 | CDP | Lake Shore |
| 5 | Phoenix | 2,382 | Village | Riverbank |
| 6 | Pulaski | 2,365 | Village | Lake Shore |
| 7 | Central Square | 1,848 | Village | Lake Oneida |
| 8 | Mexico | 1,624 | Village | Lake Shore |
| 9 | Constantia | 1,182 | CDP | Lake Oneida |
| 10 | Minetto | 1,069 | CDP | Riverbank |
| 11 | Sand Ridge | 849 | CDP | Riverbank |
| 12 | Sandy Creek | 771 | Village | Lake Shore |
| 13 | Cleveland | 750 | Village | Lake Oneida |
| 14 | Lacona | 582 | Village | Lake Shore |
| 15 | Hannibal | 555 | Village | Riverbank |
| 16 | Parish | 450 | Village | East |
| 17 | ††Altmar | 407 | CDP | East |
Economy
Oswego's economy is mainly based on industry. In 2012, goods made there were worth $2.1 billion. Retail shopping was also very important, with over $1.2 billion spent. Wholesale sales added $368 million that year. Services, like food, healthcare, and hotels, were important too, bringing in more than $500 million.
Media
Sample News Group publishes four newspapers in Oswego County. These newspapers are The Palladium-Times, Valley News, Oswego County News, and Oswego Shopper. They also have a website called OswegoCountyNewsNow.com.
Government and politics
Oswego County has a group of 25 elected leaders called the Oswego County Legislature. They come from different parts of the county and work together to discuss important topics like public safety, health, and finances.
Oswego County has two representatives in the state assembly and two state senators who help make laws for the area. These leaders work to address the needs of the people living in Oswego County.
| District Number | Municipality | Representative |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandy Creek, Redfield, Boylston | Michael G. Yerdon (R) |
| 2 | Orwell, Albion, Williamstown, Richland | Herbert G. Yerdon (R) |
| 3 | Pulaski, Richland | Edward Gilson (R) |
| 4 | Amboy, Hastings, Parish, Williamstown, West Monroe | David Holst (R) |
| 5 | Constantia | Roy Reehil (R) |
| 6 | Hastings, West Monroe | John Martino (R) |
| 7 | Mexico | Frank Bombardo (R) |
| 8 | Palermo, Hastings, Schroeppel | Paul House, Majority Leader (R, C, I) |
| 9 | Central Square, Hastings | James Weatherup, Legislature Chair (R, I) |
| 10 | Volney, Granby, Schroeppel | Mary Chesbro (R, C) |
| 11 | Volney | Linda Lockwood (R) |
| 12 | Schroeppel, Hastings | Richard Kline (R, C) |
| 13 | New Haven, Scriba | Patrick Twiss, Majority Whip (R) |
| 14 | Scriba | Stephen Walpole (R, I) |
| 15 | City of Oswego | Kevin Hill (R) |
| 16 | City of Oswego | James Scanlon (R) |
| 17 | City of Oswego, Scriba | Charles Burger (R) |
| 18 | City of Oswego | Robert Wilmott (R, C, I) |
| 19 | Minetto, Oswego (Town), Hannibal, Granby | Marie Schadt, Minority Whip (D, C) |
| 20 | Oswego Town | Paul Connolly (R) |
| 21 | Hannibal | Noelle Salmonson (R) |
| 22 | Granby, City of Fulton | James Karasek (R) |
| 23 | Granby | Michael Soloway (R) |
| 24 | City of Fulton, Granby | Marc Greco, Vice Chair (R, I) |
| 25 | City of Fulton | Frank Castiglia, Minority Leader (D) |
Education
Oswego County has many school districts where students learn and grow. Some of these districts include Fulton City School District, Hannibal Central School District, Mexico Central School District, Oswego City School District, Phoenix Central School District, and South Jefferson Central School District, along with others like Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, Camden, Cato-Meridian, Central Square, Pulaski, Sandy Creek, and more.
Images
Related articles
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