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Oneonta, New York

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For other uses, see Oneonta (disambiguation).
Oneonta
City
Official seal of Oneonta
Seal
Nickname: 
"City of the Hills"
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyOtsego
Incorporated (village)1842
Incorporated (city)1908
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorRichard P. Miller, Jr. (I)
 • Common Council
Members' List
Population
 (2010)
 • Total13,901
ZIP codes
13820
Area code607
FIPS code36-54881
WebsiteOfficial website

Oneonta (/ˌoʊniˈɒntə/ OH-nee-ON-tə) is a city in southern Otsego County, New York. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 13,901.[1] Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language. This refers to a prominent geological formation known as "Tablerocks" at the western end of the city.

The city is surrounded by the town of Oneonta, a separate municipal and political jurisdiction. Oneonta Municipal Airport (N66) is north of the city.

History

Main Street, about 1909

Prehistorically, Algonquin and Iroquois Native Americans inhabited the land around what is today the city of Oneonta. The Iroquois gained exclusive control during the early historic period.

The area's early pioneers arrived around 1775 and consisted mainly of Palatine Germans and Dutch settlers moving out of the Hudson Valley. The first settler in the area now known as the town of Oneonta is considered to be Henry Scramling (b. ~1743; d. 1808) He secured a grant of 1,000 acres in the Susquehanna Valley, moved from German Flats in the Mohawk Valley and settled in the Oneonta Plains near the mouth of the Otego Creek several years before the Revolutionary War, in about 1773. He left during the Revolution and returned after the conflict with his brothers, George and David, and his brothers-in-law, John and David Young. Their farms were not far from the mouth of the Otego Creek.[2] The army led by General James Clinton passed through the area in order to join the Sullivan Expedition in 1779.

The first hamlet appeared around 1800 and was later known as "Milfordville." In 1830, the town of Oneonta was formed from parts of two other towns in the county. Milfordville changed its name to Oneonta in 1832, and, in 1848, incorporated as a village within the town.

When the Delaware and Hudson Railroad reached Oneonta, the village began a growth spurt due to its role as a railroad center and its growing industries. Oneonta was once home to the largest locomotive roundhouse in the world.[3]

The village incorporated as a city in 1908.

Market Street, January 15, 2010

Geography

Oneonta is located at 42°27′21″N 75°3′44″W / 42.45583°N 75.06222°W / 42.45583; -75.06222 (42.456003, -75.062302).[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.3 km²). None of the area is covered with water.

The city is in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains, lying between Binghamton and Albany.

The Susquehanna River flows westward past the south part of the city.

Interstate 88 follows the course of the Susquehanna River past Oneonta. New York State Route 7, New York State Route 23 and New York State Route 28 pass through the city.

Architecture

The architecture of Oneonta is mostly plain townhouses, and low-rise commercial buildings. Oneonta has very few industrial complexes. Because of its location, Oneonta does not serve as a prime industrial city.

There are several historic buildings that were originally homes of prominent people. The Fairchild Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was formerly the home of George Winthrop Fairchild, one of the original partners with Thomas Watson. Fairchild and Watson were the founders of what eventually became IBM. Also, George I. Wilber House is a historic home located in the City. It was built in two phases, 1875 and about 1890. It is a three story wood frame structure on a stone foundation in the Late Victorian style. It features a three story, round corner tower, cross gabled roof, and a large, very decorative wrap-around porch with a porte-cochere. In 1997 it became home to the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[5]

Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are: Bresee Hall, Chapin Memorial Church, Ford Block, Fortin Site, Municipal Building, Oneonta Armory, Stonehouse Farm, Oneonta Theatre, Old Post Office, Oneonta Downtown Historic District, and Walnut Street Historic District.[5]

The tallest building in Oneonta is Nader Towers. Standing 9-stories high, the building is owned by the City of Oneonta Housing Authority and is operated as a senior citizen's housing dwelling.

Demographics

Oneonta, New York, as depicted on an 1884 panoramic map.

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,292 people, 4,253 households, and 1,913 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,032.6 people per square mile (1,171.7/km²). There were 4,574 housing units at an average density of 403.2 persons/km² (1,043.6 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 89.81% White, 4.87% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.68% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 3.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,253 households out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 10.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 55.0% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 13.6% under the age of 18, 43.1% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,671, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $25,338 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,640. 30.3% of the population and 13.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 20.8% are under the age of 18 and 12.6% are 65 or older.

City government

The City is overseen by Mayor Richard P. Miller, Jr., and a Common Council; Aldermen are Maureen Hennessy, Paul Robinson, Erik Miller, Michael Lynch, Jr., Madolyn Palmer, Veronica Diver, Lizabeth Shannon and Kevin Hodne. [2] The City's website[6] includes a broad range of information about the City and City government, including a calendar of all governmental meetings, copies of all Common Council minutes and the complete text of the City Code. Voters recently approved a new office of City Manager.

Education

Oneonta is home to the State University of New York at Oneonta (often abbreviated to SUNY Oneonta and SUCO) and Hartwick College. SUNY Oneonta began in Oneonta as a normal school and a teacher's college in 1889, and Hartwick College moved into the city in 1928. The approximately 5,800 students from SUNY Oneonta and the approximately 1,500 students at Hartwick make up a significant percentage of the population of Oneonta.

Oneonta City School District (OCSD) enrolls students from the communities of the City of Oneonta, the Town of Oneonta, the town of Davenport, the town of Laurens, and the town of Milford. OCSD has one high school, Oneonta High School, which has about 650 students, one middle school, Oneonta Middle School, which has about 300 students, and three elementary schools; Greater Plains, Riverside, and Valleyview which have a total enrollment of about 900.

A fourth elementary school, Center Street School, was closed in June 2012 due to declining enrollment and decreased funding from New York State.

Parks and recreation

The city of Oneonta operates two major municipal parks, Neahwa Park and Wilber Park.[7]

Damaschke Field, Home of the Oneonta Outlaws of the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) is located in Neawha Park.

Centennial

In 2008 the city of Oneonta celebrated its Centennial with monthly events throughout the year beginning with the New Year's Eve parade.[8]

Notable residents

The Arts in Oneonta

  • Upper Catskill Community Center of the Arts, or UCCCA, the Arts Council [3]
  • Martin-Mullen and Project Space Art Galleries, the Fine Arts Galleries at SUNY College at Oneonta [4]
  • The Yager Museum of Art and Culture [5]
  • Foothills Performing Art Center [6]
  • Catskill Choral Society [7]
  • Catskill Symphony Orchestra [8]
  • The Oneonta Theatre (http://oneontatheatre.com)
  • The Oneonta Theatre Stage Players[11]
  • First Night Oneonta presents arts & culture events on New Year's Eve, July 4 & Labor Day.

References

  1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ "Scramling Cemetery, West Oneonta, NY". Retrieved 2012-07-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ New York, Oneonta. "History of Oneonta". Oneonta.New York.US. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  6. ^ http://www.oneonta.ny.us/
  7. ^ Department of Recreation
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ http://www.oneontahighalumni.org/index.php?id=2
  10. ^ Ralph Berger. "Jim Konstanty". SABR Baseball Biography Project. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  11. ^ "Scramling Cemetery Census".
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