Rome, New York
Encyclopedia
Rome is a city
in Oneida County
, New York
, United States
. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district
. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix
at this strategic location, but it was not completed until 1763. In 1796, the city was founded around the fort and named Lynchville. Some time later, the city's name was changed to Rome, presumably after the Italian
city of Rome
. Rome was listed in the 1820 Federal census of Oneida County, but the exact date and reason for the change is unknown. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The city is in the south-central part of the county, in the heart of the Leatherstocking Region made famous by James Fenimore Cooper
's Leatherstocking Tales
. Rome is known as the City of American History.
and Canada
to the Hudson River
and the sea. The city is built astride the Oneida Carrying Place
, known to the Six Nations
or Haudenosaunee people, as Deo-Wain-Sta, or The Great Carrying Place. These names refer to a portage
road or path between the Mohawk River
to east and Wood Creek to the west, leading to Lake Ontario
. Located within the modern city limits, this short portage path was the only overland section of a trade route stretching over a thousand miles between Lake Ontario and the lower Hudson. Boats coming up the Mohawk River from the Hudson had to transfer their cargo and boats overland between 1.7 and six miles (depending on the season) to continue west to Lake Ontario.
The region was the scene of bloody fighting during the French and Indian War
. The British had erected several small forts to guard the Oneida Carrying Place
and the lucrative fur trade
against French incursions from Canada. However, a combined French, Canadian and Native American force overwhelmed and massacred a British force in the Battle of Fort Bull
. Later in 1758, after several abortive attempts to fortify the area, the British sent a very large force to secure the Oneida Carry and build a stronger rampart complex named Fort Stanwix
. The fort was abandoned at the conclusion of the war.
. The installation played a pivotal role in the Saratoga Campaign
of 1777, becoming renowned as "the fort that never surrendered". Patriot militia, regulars, and their Oneida Nation allies under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort
, successfully repelled a prolonged siege in August 1777 by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian and Native American troops and warriors commanded by British Gen. Barry St. Leger
. The failed siege combined with the battle at nearby Oriskany
as well as the battles of Bennington
, and Saratoga
thwarted a coordinated British effort to take the northern colonies, and led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands.
After the British repulse at Fort Stanwix, bloody fighting erupted along the American northern frontier, resulting in terrible losses to American settlers but especially the people of the Six Nations
. Fort Stanwix became the primary staging point for American attacks against British loyalist units and their Haudenosaunee allies, including the Sullivan Expedition
of 1779, a ruthless scorched earth campaign against Iroqouis villages allied with the British. This campaign was ordered by George Washington
in response to fierce frontier attacks and atrocities such as the Cherry Valley Massacre
by loyalist irregulars led by Mohawk
Chief Joseph Brant
and John Butler
. The fort continued to shield America's northwest frontier from British campaigns until finally abandoned in 1781.
and the critical east/west American trade route through the frontier was formalized by construction of the Erie Canal
. On July 4, 1817 construction on the Erie Canal
began in Rome;
is one of the oldest, if not the oldest manufacturing
company in the United States. Revere Copper Products Incorporated was formed in Rome, NY between 1928 and 1929 as a series of mergers between several companies of which one of them being Revere Copper Company
located in Canton, Massachusetts
. The first president of Revere Copper Products, Inc George H. Allen was formerly the president of Michigan Copper and Brass Company also included in the merger. The early history of Revere Copper Products, Inc is detailed in the book Copper Heritage: The Story of Revere Copper and Brass, Inc. by Isaac F. Marcosson. At one time, 10 percent of all copper products used in the United States were manufactured in Rome.
Jesse Williams
founded America's first cheese
factory at Rome in 1851.
The City of Rome was incorporated in 1870.
. In 1991, the RADC was redesignated Rome Laboratory
. It remained active as the Griffiss AFB was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure
process in 1993. In 1997, Rome Laboratory was made part of the Air Force Research Laboratory
and renamed the Rome Research Site. The RADC has been responsible for some of the United States Air Force
's major technological accomplishments, especially in the area of radio communications.
The Eastern Air Defense Sector
(EADS) is also located in Rome, on the site of the former Griffiss Air Force Base.
The nationally recognized rock festival, Woodstock 1999
was held in Rome, with the city once again making use of the former Griffiss Air Force Base site. The 3-day festival was held the weekend of July 23–25, and drew a crowd of about 200,000 people. Cable network MTV covered the concert extensively, and live coverage of the entire weekend was available on pay-per-view. The festival featured a diverse assortment of acts including Metallica, Kid Rock, DMX, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Wyclef Jean; early reviews for many of the acts were positive; critics particularly praised performances by George Clinton, Jamiroquai, James Brown, Sheryl Crow, and Rage Against the Machine. A full list of appearances can be found at Woodstock 1999
.
In July 2005, New York City developers, Park Drive Estates, purchased the former Woodhaven Housing- formerly the base housing for Griffiss Air Force officers and enlisted military members, and are in the process of re-developing that land into a resort-style active adult community.
Rome is the second largest city by area in New York State, and the 132nd largest city in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 75.7 square miles (196.1 km²), of which, 74.9 square miles (194 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (0.99%) is water.
. The Rome Sand Plains is a 15000 acres (60.7 km²) inland pine barrens that consists of a diverse mosaic of high sand dunes and low peat bogs, mixed northern hardwood forests, meadows and wetlands. The Rome Sand Plains harbor rare and unusual species, including carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant and sundew, and animals like the red-shouldered hawk and fisher. It is one of only a handful of inland pine barrens
remaining in the United States. Several civic groups including the Nature Conservancy in conjunction with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
have successfully preserved portions of the Sand Plains and visitors are able to walk and bike this unique environment. Poor farming and overgrazing had reduced much of the area to desert patches by the 1930s when it first began to revert to forest cover, grazing cattle had eaten the hardwood saplings allowing pines to temporarily overtake them but as the forest stand ages it will return to hardwoods such as oak, cherry and maple.
of 2000, there were 34,950 people, 13,653 households, and 8,328 families residing in the city. The population density
was 466.4 people per square mile (180.1/km²). There were 16,272 housing units at an average density of 217.2 per square mile (83.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.85% White, 7.58% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races
, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.72% of the population.
Like other cities in the region, Rome has a large Italian-American presence, which is especially prevalent in the Little Italy
in the vicinity of East Dominick Street.
There were 15,653 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples
living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,643, and the median income for a family was $42,928. Males had a median income of $31,635 versus $23,899 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,604. About 12.0% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Rome averages over 120 inches (3,048 mm) of snowfall each winter, mostly due to its proximity to Lake Ontario
and the lake-effect snow that it produces. The West Rome Riders, Inc. snowmobile club calls Rome its home base, maintaining 41 miles (66 km) of trails in and around Rome.
of the Federal Hockey League began play in November 2010. The team plays its home games in the recently renovated John F. Kennedy Civic Arena
.
's Empire Service
, with three daily trains in each direction across the state from Rochester/Buffalo to New York City.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Oneida County
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district
New York's 24th congressional district
The 24th Congressional District of New York includes all or parts of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins counties.This district is currently represented by Republican Richard L...
. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
at this strategic location, but it was not completed until 1763. In 1796, the city was founded around the fort and named Lynchville. Some time later, the city's name was changed to Rome, presumably after the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
city of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Rome was listed in the 1820 Federal census of Oneida County, but the exact date and reason for the change is unknown. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area
Utica-Rome metropolitan area
The Utica-Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in central New York, anchored by the cities of Utica and Rome...
. The city is in the south-central part of the county, in the heart of the Leatherstocking Region made famous by James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
's Leatherstocking Tales
Leatherstocking Tales
The Leatherstocking Tales is a series of novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper, each featuring the main hero Natty Bumppo, known by European settlers as "Leatherstocking," 'The Pathfinder", and "the trapper" and by the Native Americans as "Deerslayer," "La Longue Carabine" and...
. Rome is known as the City of American History.
Early History: The Oneida Carrying Place
For hundreds of years, the area occupied by the modern City of Rome, NY has enjoyed great strategic and commercial importance, sitting along an ancient east/west and northern trade route from the Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and the sea. The city is built astride the Oneida Carrying Place
Oneida Carry
-Overview:The Oneida Carry was an important link in the trade route between Albany, New York, Oneida Lake, and Lake Ontario during the 18th Century...
, known to the Six Nations
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
or Haudenosaunee people, as Deo-Wain-Sta, or The Great Carrying Place. These names refer to a portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
road or path between the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
to east and Wood Creek to the west, leading to Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. Located within the modern city limits, this short portage path was the only overland section of a trade route stretching over a thousand miles between Lake Ontario and the lower Hudson. Boats coming up the Mohawk River from the Hudson had to transfer their cargo and boats overland between 1.7 and six miles (depending on the season) to continue west to Lake Ontario.
The region was the scene of bloody fighting during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. The British had erected several small forts to guard the Oneida Carrying Place
Oneida Carry
-Overview:The Oneida Carry was an important link in the trade route between Albany, New York, Oneida Lake, and Lake Ontario during the 18th Century...
and the lucrative fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
against French incursions from Canada. However, a combined French, Canadian and Native American force overwhelmed and massacred a British force in the Battle of Fort Bull
Battle of Fort Bull
The Battle of Fort Bull was a French attack on the British-held Fort Bull on 27 March 1756, early in the French and Indian War.Lt. Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry led his command consisting of forces from the Troupes de la Marine, Canadian militia, and Indian allies on an attack against Fort...
. Later in 1758, after several abortive attempts to fortify the area, the British sent a very large force to secure the Oneida Carry and build a stronger rampart complex named Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
. The fort was abandoned at the conclusion of the war.
American Revolution: "The Fort that Never Surrendered"
At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, American Continental forces reoccupied, rebuilt and improved Fort StanwixFort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
. The installation played a pivotal role in the Saratoga Campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
of 1777, becoming renowned as "the fort that never surrendered". Patriot militia, regulars, and their Oneida Nation allies under the command of Col. Peter Gansevoort
Peter Gansevoort
Peter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville.-Early life:He was born...
, successfully repelled a prolonged siege in August 1777 by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian and Native American troops and warriors commanded by British Gen. Barry St. Leger
Barry St. Leger
Barrimore Matthew "Barry" St. Leger was a British colonel who led an invasion force during the American Revolutionary War.Barry St. Leger was baptised on May 1, 1733, in County Kildare, Ireland. He was the son of Sir John St...
. The failed siege combined with the battle at nearby Oriskany
Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777, was one of the bloodiest battles in the North American theater of the American Revolutionary War and a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign...
as well as the battles of Bennington
Battle of Bennington
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake Bennington, Vermont...
, and Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
thwarted a coordinated British effort to take the northern colonies, and led to American alliances with France and the Netherlands.
After the British repulse at Fort Stanwix, bloody fighting erupted along the American northern frontier, resulting in terrible losses to American settlers but especially the people of the Six Nations
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
. Fort Stanwix became the primary staging point for American attacks against British loyalist units and their Haudenosaunee allies, including the Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
of 1779, a ruthless scorched earth campaign against Iroqouis villages allied with the British. This campaign was ordered by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in response to fierce frontier attacks and atrocities such as the Cherry Valley Massacre
Cherry Valley massacre
The Cherry Valley Massacre was an attack by British and Seneca forces on a fort and the village of Cherry Valley in eastern New York on the cold, snowy and rainy morning of November 11, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It has been described as one of the most horrific frontier...
by loyalist irregulars led by Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
Chief Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
and John Butler
John Butler (pioneer)
John Butler was a Loyalist who led an irregular militia unit known as Butler's Rangers on the northern frontier in the American Revolutionary War. He led Seneca and Cayuga forces in the Saratoga campaign. He later raised and commanded a regiment of rangers.-Background:John was born to Walter...
. The fort continued to shield America's northwest frontier from British campaigns until finally abandoned in 1781.
Commercial Growth: The Erie Canal
The Oneida CarryOneida Carry
-Overview:The Oneida Carry was an important link in the trade route between Albany, New York, Oneida Lake, and Lake Ontario during the 18th Century...
and the critical east/west American trade route through the frontier was formalized by construction of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. On July 4, 1817 construction on the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
began in Rome;
Manufacturing Legacy: The Copper City
Revere Copper Products, Inc.Revere Copper Company
The Revere Copper Company was North America's first rolled copper mill. It was started by Paul Revere in 1801 in Canton, Massachusetts and developed a commercially viable process for manufacturing copper sheets....
is one of the oldest, if not the oldest manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
company in the United States. Revere Copper Products Incorporated was formed in Rome, NY between 1928 and 1929 as a series of mergers between several companies of which one of them being Revere Copper Company
Revere Copper Company
The Revere Copper Company was North America's first rolled copper mill. It was started by Paul Revere in 1801 in Canton, Massachusetts and developed a commercially viable process for manufacturing copper sheets....
located in Canton, Massachusetts
Canton, Massachusetts
Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...
. The first president of Revere Copper Products, Inc George H. Allen was formerly the president of Michigan Copper and Brass Company also included in the merger. The early history of Revere Copper Products, Inc is detailed in the book Copper Heritage: The Story of Revere Copper and Brass, Inc. by Isaac F. Marcosson. At one time, 10 percent of all copper products used in the United States were manufactured in Rome.
Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams
Jesse or Jessie Williams may refer to:*Jesse Williams , American television actor*Jesse Williams , American high jumper*Jesse Williams , Welsh international footballer*Jesse Lynch Williams, author and dramatist...
founded America's first cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
factory at Rome in 1851.
The City of Rome was incorporated in 1870.
Cold War and Technology Role
Between 1951 and 1991, the Rome Air Development Center (RADC) was located at Griffiss AFBGriffiss Air Force Base
Griffiss Air Force Base, is a former United States Air Force base, located in Rome, New York, about NW of Utica. Missions at Griffiss AFB included fighter interceptors, electronic research, installation, and support activities, aerial refueling, and bombers...
. In 1991, the RADC was redesignated Rome Laboratory
Rome Laboratory
The Rome Laboratory, formerly known as the Rome Air Development Center, is one of eight research and development labs run by the US Air Force located at Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. One of four superlabs run by the Air Force, the Rome Lab is tasked with generic research, as opposed to having a...
. It remained active as the Griffiss AFB was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
process in 1993. In 1997, Rome Laboratory was made part of the Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
and renamed the Rome Research Site. The RADC has been responsible for some of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's major technological accomplishments, especially in the area of radio communications.
The Eastern Air Defense Sector
Eastern Air Defense Sector
The Eastern Air Defense Sector is a United States Air Force unit and a component of the New York Air National Guard. It is stationed at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York.-Overview:...
(EADS) is also located in Rome, on the site of the former Griffiss Air Force Base.
The nationally recognized rock festival, Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999, also called Woodstock 99, performed July 22–25, 1999, was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. Like the previous Woodstock festivals it was performed in upstate New York, this time in Rome, New York, around 200...
was held in Rome, with the city once again making use of the former Griffiss Air Force Base site. The 3-day festival was held the weekend of July 23–25, and drew a crowd of about 200,000 people. Cable network MTV covered the concert extensively, and live coverage of the entire weekend was available on pay-per-view. The festival featured a diverse assortment of acts including Metallica, Kid Rock, DMX, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Wyclef Jean; early reviews for many of the acts were positive; critics particularly praised performances by George Clinton, Jamiroquai, James Brown, Sheryl Crow, and Rage Against the Machine. A full list of appearances can be found at Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999, also called Woodstock 99, performed July 22–25, 1999, was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. Like the previous Woodstock festivals it was performed in upstate New York, this time in Rome, New York, around 200...
.
In July 2005, New York City developers, Park Drive Estates, purchased the former Woodhaven Housing- formerly the base housing for Griffiss Air Force officers and enlisted military members, and are in the process of re-developing that land into a resort-style active adult community.
Geography
Rome is located at 43°13′10"N 75°27′48"W (43.219469, -75.463330).Rome is the second largest city by area in New York State, and the 132nd largest city in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 75.7 square miles (196.1 km²), of which, 74.9 square miles (194 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (0.99%) is water.
A Unique Environment: The Rome Sand Plains
Located within the city is a rare environmental area: the Rome Sand PlainsRome Sand Plains
Rome Sand Plains is a pine barrens consisting of a mosaic of sand dunes extending about above low peat bogs that lie between the dunes. The barrens are covered with mixed northern hardwood forests, meadows, and wetlands. The sand plains are about west of the city center of Rome, New York, which...
. The Rome Sand Plains is a 15000 acres (60.7 km²) inland pine barrens that consists of a diverse mosaic of high sand dunes and low peat bogs, mixed northern hardwood forests, meadows and wetlands. The Rome Sand Plains harbor rare and unusual species, including carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant and sundew, and animals like the red-shouldered hawk and fisher. It is one of only a handful of inland pine barrens
Pine barrens
Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pinelands occur throughout the northeastern U.S. from New Jersey to Maine as well as the Midwest and Canada....
remaining in the United States. Several civic groups including the Nature Conservancy in conjunction with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
have successfully preserved portions of the Sand Plains and visitors are able to walk and bike this unique environment. Poor farming and overgrazing had reduced much of the area to desert patches by the 1930s when it first began to revert to forest cover, grazing cattle had eaten the hardwood saplings allowing pines to temporarily overtake them but as the forest stand ages it will return to hardwoods such as oak, cherry and maple.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 34,950 people, 13,653 households, and 8,328 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 466.4 people per square mile (180.1/km²). There were 16,272 housing units at an average density of 217.2 per square mile (83.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.85% White, 7.58% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.72% of the population.
Like other cities in the region, Rome has a large Italian-American presence, which is especially prevalent in the Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
in the vicinity of East Dominick Street.
There were 15,653 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,643, and the median income for a family was $42,928. Males had a median income of $31,635 versus $23,899 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,604. About 12.0% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Rome averages over 120 inches (3,048 mm) of snowfall each winter, mostly due to its proximity to Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
and the lake-effect snow that it produces. The West Rome Riders, Inc. snowmobile club calls Rome its home base, maintaining 41 miles (66 km) of trails in and around Rome.
Sports
The city of Rome became home to a professional sports franchise, when the Rome FrenzyRome Frenzy
The Rome Frenzy was a minor professional hockey team in the Federal Hockey League based in Rome, New York. It was one of 6 teams in the FHL's inaugural 2010-11 season, with home games played at the John F...
of the Federal Hockey League began play in November 2010. The team plays its home games in the recently renovated John F. Kennedy Civic Arena
John F. Kennedy Civic Arena
The John F. Kennedy Civic Arena is an indoor ice skating and ice hockey arena located in Rome, New York. The arena was home to the Copper City Chiefs of the North East Hockey League during the league's failed 2007-2008 season. The arena was going to be the home to the Eastern Professional Hockey...
.
Government
The city government consists of a mayor and a common council. The mayor is elected at large. The common council consists of 8 members who are elected from one of 8 wards. Each ward elects one member.Notable residents
- Francis BellamyFrancis BellamyFrancis Julius Bellamy was an author, editor, and Baptist minister born in Mount Morris, New York. He attended Rome Free Academy in Rome, New York, the University of Rochester and the Rochester Theological Seminary . He was an American Baptist minister and Christian Socialist who wrote the...
, author of the Pledge of AllegiancePledge of AllegianceThe Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Christian Socialist Francis Bellamy in 1892 and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge in 1942... - Joseph H. BoardmanJoseph H. BoardmanJoseph H. Boardman is the president of Amtrak and formerly Administrator of the United States Federal Railroad Administration.He was nominated by President George W. Bush on March 17, 2005 and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 28, 2005. He was the eleventh Federal Railroad...
, CEO of Amtrak 2008–Present - Walter R. BrooksWalter R. BrooksWalter Rollin Brooks was an American writer best remembered for his short stories and children's books, particularly those about Freddy the Pig and other anthropomorphic animal inhabitants of the "Bean farm" in upstate New York.Born in Rome, New York, Brooks attended college at the University of...
, author of the Freddy the PigFreddy the PigFreddy the Pig is the central figure in a series of 26 books written between 1927 and 1958 by American author Walter R. Brooks, and illustrated by Kurt Wiese. Consisting of 25 novels and one poetry collection, they focus on the adventures of a group of animals living on a farm in rural upstate New...
children's book series - Plaxico BurressPlaxico BurressPlaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
, former NFL wide receiver for the NY Giants. Incarcerated at the Oneida Correctional Facility located in Rome. - Archi CianfroccoArchi CianfroccoAngelo Dominic "Archi" Cianfrocco is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball, mostly at first and third base, from 1992-1998....
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Jerry CookJerry CookJerry Cook is a NASCAR championship race car driver. He began racing at the age of 13 and won the track championship at Utica-Rome Speedway in 1969.-Driving career:...
, NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver, six-time NASCAR Modified Champion, one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is a list of NASCAR drivers.In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." It was inspired in part by the NBA's decision to select the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History on its 50th...
, currently NASCAR Competition Administrator - Richie EvansRichie EvansRichard Ernest Evans , was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports"...
, NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver, nine-time NASCAR Modified Champion, one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest DriversNASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is a list of NASCAR drivers.In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." It was inspired in part by the NBA's decision to select the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History on its 50th...
, 2012 NASCAR Hall Of FameNASCAR Hall of FameThe NASCAR Hall of Fame honors drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, and other major contributors to competition within the sanctioning body. NASCAR committed itself to building a Hall of Fame and on March 6, 2006, the city of Charlotte,...
Inductee - Henry A. FosterHenry A. FosterHenry Allen Foster was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was a United States Senator from 1844 to 1845.-Life:His family moved to Cazenovia, New York when he was a boy...
, U.S. Representative and Senator from New York, Judge of the New York Supreme Court - Alex HaleyAlex HaleyAlexander Murray Palmer Haley was an African-American writer. He is best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the coauthor of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.-Early life:...
, author of Roots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American FamilyRoots: The Saga of an American Family is a novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his descendants in the U.S.... - John B. JervisJohn B. JervisJohn Bloomfield Jervis was an American civil engineer. He was America's leading consulting engineer of the antebellum era . Jervis was a pioneer in the development of canals and railroads for the expanding United States...
, leading U.S. civil engineer of the early 19th century, designer of the Croton AqueductCroton AqueductThe Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...
, the High BridgeHigh Bridge (New York City)The High Bridge is a steel arch bridge, with a height of almost 140 feet over the Harlem River, connecting the New York City boroughs of The Bronx and Manhattan...
of New York City and the 4-2-04-2-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
railroad locomotive - Charles H. LarrabeeCharles H. LarrabeeCharles Hathaway Larrabee was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.Born in Rome, New York, Larrabee moved with his father to Ohio.He attended Granville College.He studied engineering and law....
, U.S. Representative from WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... - Robert D. Manfred, Jr., Executive Vice President for Labor Relations & Human Resources, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
- Sheila McInerney, WTA tennis tour player; Head Coach, Women's Tennis, Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
- Thomas J. McInerney, Chairman and CEO, ING Americas; member, Executive Board, ING GroupING GroupThe ING Group is a global financial institution offering retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. ING is the Dutch member of the Inter-Alpha Group of Banks, a cooperative consortium of 11 prominent European banks...
- Tom MyslinskiTom MyslinskiThomas Joseph Myslinski, Jr. is a professional American football strength and conditioning coach. He was strength and conditioning coach for the Cleveland Browns until the end of the 2009 season. He is also a former National Football League offensive lineman...
, NFL player - Frank Page, cartoonist, Bob the SquirrelBob the SquirrelBob the Squirrel is a comic strip by Frank Page. Its name refers to the main character, a squirrel named Bob, who represents the strip's creator's consciousness. Because of this premise, Frank Page actually appears in the comic strip as one of the central characters.The squirrel represents the...
comic strip - Pat RileyPat RileyPatrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
, former NBA head coach; President, Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... - Tim RussTim RussTimothy Darrell "Tim" Russ is an American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician. He is known for his roles on Star Trek: Voyager, as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Samantha Who?, as Frank, and on the Nickelodeon live-action teen sitcom iCarly, as Principal Franklin, a recurring...
, actor, Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while... - Tim SestitoTim SestitoTim Sestito is an American professional Ice Hockey player currently with the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League while under contract to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
, minor league hockey player - Tom Sestito, minor league hockey player
- Richard D. SimonsRichard D. SimonsRichard Duncan Simons is an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Acting Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1992 to 1993-Life:...
, Associate Justice, New York State Court of Appeals, 1983–1997 - Bonnie ThundersBonnie ThundersNicole Williams , known as Bonnie Thunders, is a roller derby skater.Williams grew up in Rome, New York, where she attended the Rome Free Academy, before studying conservation biology with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, linked to Syracuse University...
, roller derby skater - Anthony WashingtonAnthony WashingtonAnthony Washington is a former American discus thrower, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country. At the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Washington won the gold medal in discus throw.His personal bests are 71.14 m in discus and 59.58 m in hammer throw...
, Discus World Champion (1999), four-time Discus National Champion, three-time Olympian: 1992, 1996, 2000 - Benjamin WrightBenjamin WrightBenjamin Wright was an American civil engineer who served as Chief Engineer of both the Erie Canal and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In 1969 he was declared the "Father of American Civil Engineering" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.Wright was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut to Ebenezer...
, Chief Engineer of the Erie CanalErie CanalThe Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
Transportation
Rome is served by AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Empire Service
Empire Service
Empire Service could refer to* Empire Service — a train service in New York State* BBC Empire Service — a radio service, the forerunner to the BBC World Service. - a cargo ship....
, with three daily trains in each direction across the state from Rochester/Buffalo to New York City.
- Rome Railroad StationRome Railroad StationThe Rome Amtrak station is a train station served by Amtrak in Rome, New York. It is located on 6599 Martin Street between the NY 26-49-69 bridge and Mill Road south of the Erie Canal....