Oriskany, New York
Encyclopedia
Oriskany is a village
in Oneida County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Iroquois
word for "nettles."
The Village of Oriskany is in the Town of Whitestown
, southeast of the City of Rome
. NY-69
passes through the village, which is south of the Erie Canal
.
, during the American Revolution
, was fought west of the modern village. At the time of the battle, the Oneida
village of "Oriska" was located near the battlefield. The location is marked by the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site
.
The village was founded in 1811. The Erie Canal passed through the village until it was re-routed during major re-routing and reconstruction later in the 19th Century.
While historical records are scarce, the naming of the village has become somewhat of an urban legend. As the legend goes there was a mix up at the post office - a missing comma. Instead of "Oriska, NY" the envelope was labeled as "Oriska NY" and shortly after "Oriskany, NY" was born.
battle fought there. The USS Oriskany
served the United States Navy
from 1950 to 1976. On May 17, 2006, the ship was laid to rest as an artificial reef
in the Gulf of Mexico
near Pensacola, Florida
. Trinkaus Park, located in Oriskany, has several monuments erected in memory of the USS Oriskany. Among the monuments in the park are items from the ship itself including a bell, an anchor, and a plane.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
The village is near the confluence of the Mohawk River
and Oriskany Creek
.
of 2000, there were 1,459 people, 553 households, and 379 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,758.0 people per square mile (678.7/km²). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 694.0 per square mile (267.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.83% White, 0.41% African American, 0.62% Asian, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 553 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,365, and the median income for a family was $45,066. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $22,976 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,087. About 6.6% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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...
. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Iroquois
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...
word for "nettles."
The Village of Oriskany is in the Town of Whitestown
Whitestown, New York
Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, USA. The population was 18,635 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler.The Town of Whitestown is immediately west of Utica, New York...
, southeast of the City of Rome
Rome, New York
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...
. NY-69
New York State Route 69
New York State Route 69 is a state highway extending for across the central portion of the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus of the route is at NY 104 in the Oswego County village of Mexico. The eastern terminus is at NY 5A in the Oneida County village of Yorkville, just...
passes through the village, which is south 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...
.
History
The 1777 Battle of OriskanyBattle 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...
, during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, was fought west of the modern village. At the time of the battle, the Oneida
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
village of "Oriska" was located near the battlefield. The location is marked by the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site
Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site
Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site is a historic site in Oneida County, New York, USA that marks the Battle of Oriskany, fought in 1777 during the American Revolution, one of the bloodiest engagements of the war....
.
The village was founded in 1811. The Erie Canal passed through the village until it was re-routed during major re-routing and reconstruction later in the 19th Century.
While historical records are scarce, the naming of the village has become somewhat of an urban legend. As the legend goes there was a mix up at the post office - a missing comma. Instead of "Oriska, NY" the envelope was labeled as "Oriska NY" and shortly after "Oriskany, NY" was born.
USS Oriskany
Oriskany had an aircraft carrier named after an American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
battle fought there. The USS Oriskany
USS Oriskany (CV-34)
USS Oriskany – nicknamed Mighty O, The O-boat, and Toasted O – was one of 24 s completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Oriskany.The history of...
served the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1950 to 1976. On May 17, 2006, the ship was laid to rest as an artificial reef
Artificial reef
An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing....
in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
near Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. Trinkaus Park, located in Oriskany, has several monuments erected in memory of the USS Oriskany. Among the monuments in the park are items from the ship itself including a bell, an anchor, and a plane.
Geography
Oriskany is located at 43°9.4′N 75°19.9′W (43.1575,-75.3319).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 village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
The village is near the confluence of 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...
and Oriskany Creek
Oriskany Creek
Oriskany Creek is a river in New York, USA. It rises in Madison County and flows northeastward, primarily through Oneida County. Oriskany Creek is a tributary of the Mohawk River and therefore part of the Hudson River watershed....
.
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 1,459 people, 553 households, and 379 families residing in the village. 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 1,758.0 people per square mile (678.7/km²). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 694.0 per square mile (267.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.83% White, 0.41% African American, 0.62% Asian, 0.07% 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 0.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.
There were 553 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% 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, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,365, and the median income for a family was $45,066. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $22,976 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 village was $17,087. About 6.6% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.