Utica, New York
This article is about Utica in New York, USA. For other places with this name, see Utica.Utica, New York is a
city the
State of New York and the
county seat of
Oneida County.
The
City of Utica is situated within the region referred to as the
Mohawk Valley in Eastern New York State. Utica has an extensive park system, with winter and summer sports facilities.
Like many industrial towns and cities in the northeastern
Rust Belt, Utica has experienced a major reduction in manufacturing activity in the past several decades, and is in serious financial straits; many public services have been curtailed to save money. Suburbs in the region have begun to experience
suburban sprawl; this is common in many
Upstate New York cities, which are suffering from what the
Sierra Club termed "sprawl without growth."
The arrival of a large number of
Bosnian immigrants over the past several years has invigorated the economy while they constitute about 10% of the total population of Utica. Its economy is heavily dependent on commercial growth in its most significant suburbs,
New Hartford and
Herkimer.
Founded in
1704 by
Joseph Crandall, Utica was first settled in
1773 on the site of
Fort Schuyler which was built in 1758 and abandoned after the
French and Indian War. The city's name, said to have been picked at random from a hat, originates from the classical North African city of
Utica (in present-day
Tunisia). During the
American Revolution the original settlement was destroyed in an attack by
Tories and
Native Americans, but was rebuilt after the Revolution. Utica was incorporated as a
city in
1832Utica's location on the
Erie Canal stimulated its industrial development which was further enhanced as railroads and other canals were built. The middle section of the Erie Canal, from Utica to
Salina, was in
1820 the first portion to open, and elaborate celebrations were held in the town. The
First Maternal Association was founded in 1824.
The
Utica Psychiatric Center, the first psychiatric center in New York State, opened in
1843.
Utica was ruled by
Democratic Party machine politics for nearly 50 years following
World War II. Although Utica had numerous mayors in the postwar period, the real boss of the city was
Rufus Elefante. Elefante never held elected political office, but he and his cronies ran almost every aspect of the city's business from Marino's restaurant. He derived his power from Utica's large
Italian-American immigrant population. The Italians received political favors from Elefante, and in exchange they voted in a block according to his wishes. At one time Utica was commonly referred to as "Sin City".
The
Erie Canal, the
Mohawk River, the
New York Barge Canal, and the
New York State Thruway pass through the north part of the city. The city is adjacent to the border of
Herkimer County, New York.
Utica is located at (43.096569, -75.231887) in the
Mohawk River Valley region of New York State.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.0
km² (16.6
mi²). 42.3 km² (16.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.57%) is water.
| Historical populations[1] |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| 1840 | 12,782 |
| 1850 | 17,565 |
| 1860 | 22,529 |
| 1870 | 28,804 |
| 1880 | 33,914 |
| 1890 | 44,007 |
| 1900 | 56,383 |
| 1910 | 74,419 |
| 1920 | 94,156 |
| 1930 | 101,740 |
| 1940 | 100,518 |
| 1950 | 100,489 |
| 1960 | 100,410* |
| 1970 | 91,611* |
| 1980 | 75,632* |
| 1990 | 68,637* |
| 2000 | 60,651 |
| 2003 | 59,947 (Est.) |
| * Source document from Oneida County, not Census Bureau. Document here. |
|---|
As of the
census of 2000, there were 60,651 people, 25,100 households, and 14,231 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,432.3/km² (3,710.0/mi²). There were 29,186 housing units at an average density of 689.2/km² (1,785.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.42%
White, 12.92%
African American, 0.28%
Native American, 2.21%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 2.16% from
other races, and 2.96% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino 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 couples 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 income 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.
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,651.A 2003 estimate projected that Utica's population had shrunk to 59,947.
Frank Woolworth opened the first of many of his 5 and 10-cent
Woolworth stores on
February 22,
1879 in Utica.
Utica is the site of the
Boilermaker Road Race and the
Running Hall of Fame. Universities in Utica include
Utica College,
State University of New York Institute of Technology, Pratt at
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, and
Mohawk Valley Community College. Nearby colleges include
Hamilton College in
Clinton, New York,
Herkimer County Community College in
Herkimer, New York, and
Colgate University in
Hamilton, New York. The
Stanley Theater of Utica is one of the best known theatres in the eastern U.S.
Several widely distributed beers are brewed at the historic F.X. Matt Brewery including The Saranac line of beers, and
Utica Club which was the first beer to be sold in the United States after Prohibition was repealed. Other famous sites include Utica Zoo, Munson Williams Art Museum, Children's Museum, Baggs Square and the
Oriskany Monument.
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.
Utica is the birth place of
Isaac Singer, former
Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, and
James Schoolcraft Sherman, the 27th Vice President of the United States..
The current mayor is
Timothy Julian, who took office in
2000. He was re-elected in
2003 for a full four-year term.
The Utica Zoo is home to the world's largest watering can. The 2,000 pound can is 15 feet 6 inches in height and 12 feet in diameter.
Throughout the summer, Utica has a celebration of Visual Arts, Performing Arts, History and Heritage, called Utica Monday Nite.
On the second week of July, Utica hosts the Boilermaker 15K road race, the largest and most competitive race of its kind in the United States.
In the winter, Utica hosts Central New York's largest winter festival,
Snowfari. The 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, and The Cardboard Sled Race, to name a few events.
Open throughout the year,
The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science and Technology attracts local visitors and global tourists.
Utica is the headquarters for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mohawk Valley. The "club" provides comprehensive youth services for 2300 youth annually and is an affordable child care alternative for youth 6-18 years of age. For more information 315.724.2524.
Utica has many famous athletes to root for. Ex-Major Leaguers
Andy Van Slyke,
Dave Cash, and
Mark Lemke are all from the area. NFL Defensive Lineman
Will Smith played at Utica's Proctor High School. Current college athletes include SU standouts Josh Wright, Nick Santiago, Vinny Giruzzi, and John Nehme Jr. In NHL hockey, there is Robert Esche of the Philadelphia Flyers (Whitesboro), Mark Mowers of the Boston Bruins (Whitesboro), and draftee of the San Jose Sharks Steven Zalewski (New Hartford).
Unique foods that are popular in the area include:
*Halfmoons (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 (a type of rectangular thick-crust pizza with a sweet tomato sauce, served cold)
*Chicken Rigatoni (
Chicken Riggies as called by the locals)
*Greens
The Utica Crib was named for the New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica where it was heavily used in the 19th century to confine patients who refused to stay in their beds.
*
City of Utica, New York*
Utica Information*
Boilermaker 15K Road Race*
Utica Monday Nite*
The Children's Museum*
Greater Utica Rome Area Board of Realtors*
Utica Crib and more*
Job Search Engine for Utica and Central New York*
Snowfari: Central New York's largest winter festival.*
Observer-Dispatch - Utica's daily newspaper
*
The Daily Sentinel - Rome's daily newspaper
*
The Evening Telegram - Herkimer's daily newspaper
*
The Evening Times - Little Falls' daily newspaper
*
The Oneida Daily Dispatch - Oneida's daily newspaper
*
WKTV - Utica/Rome's NBC affiliate
*
WUTR - Utica/Rome's ABC affiliate
*
WTVH - Central New York's CBS affiliate
*
WFXV - Utica/Rome's FOX affiliate
*
WPNY - Utica/Rome's UPN affiliate
*
WBU - Utica/Rome's WB affiliate
*
Hamilton College*
Herkimer County Community College*
Mohawk Valley Community College*
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute*
SUNY Institute of Technology*
Utica School of Commerce*
Utica College*
Colgate University
