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New York Counties
There are sixty-two counties in the State of New York. The first twelve counties in New York were created immediately after the British annexation of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, although two of these counties have since been abolished. The most recent county formation in New York was in 1912, when Bronx County was created from the portions of New York City that had been annexed from Westchester County.Oswego County, New York
Oswego County Education, Geography, and History
Oswego County is a county located in the state of New York. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 122,109. The county seat is
Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk language word meaning "the outpouring", referring to the mouth of the Oswego River.
Oswego County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Oswego County Name
from the Iroquois word meaning "the out-pouring," referring to the mouth of the Oswego
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Oswego County History
Oswego County was taken from Oneida and Onondaga counties in 1816; centrally distant from New York NW. 295, and from Albany 150 miles. Greatest length E. and W. 37 miles, greatest breadth N. and S. 30 milles. The surface is level upon the west, south, and southeast; in the interior rolling, and in the north rising into hills. The soil generally is of a medium quality, some of it highly fertile, better adapted to grass than grain. With the exception of the Oswego river, there are no large streams. "The towns west of the Oswego river constituted a part of the military tract. The towns east of the river constitute a part of "Scriba's patent." These lands were originally granted to Nicholas Roosevelt, of New York, who not complying with the terms of sale, they were sold to George Scriba, a native of Germany, and at that time a merchant in New York. The town of Richland, a large part of Volney, about one half of Scriba, and the town of Vienna, in the county of Oneida, upon a sale of part of Mr. Roosevelt's interest by process from chancery, were jointly purchased by Gen. Alexander Hamilton, John Lawrence, and John B. Church." The county has 20 towns. Pop.43,820. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, by John W. Barber and Henry Howe, New York; Published for the Authors by S. Tuttle, 194 Chatham-Square. Price Three Dollars. 1841.)
Oswego County is bounded by the Oneida and Oswego rivers, Lake Ontario and Oneida Lake. Native people used the rivers and lakes as highways for centuries and there were campsites with names such as Kah-ne-wo-nah (Iroquois) "Place of the Tall Pines"in Phoenix, Caugh-de-noy (Iroquois) "Eel Lying Down"in the hamlet of the same name, and Se-ugh-kay (Oneida) "Lake Pours Out"at the mouth of the Oneida River in Brewerton.
Geography: Land and Water
Oswego County is in northwestern New York State, just north of Syracuse and northwest of Utica, on the eastern
shore of Lake Ontario. Part of the Tug Hill Plateau is in the eastern part of the county and, at 1550', is the
highest point.
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,312 square miles (3,399 km2), of which, 953
square miles (2,469 km2) of it is land and 359 square miles (929 km2) of it (27.35%) is water.
There are two harbors in the county, Oswego Harbor at the mouth of the Oswego River and Port Ontario on the Salmon
River. The first major port of call on the Great Lakes is the Port of Oswego Authority dock
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Lewis County, New York - northeast
- Jefferson County, New York - northeast
- Oneida County, New York - east
- Madison County, New York - southeast
- Onondaga County, New York - south
- Cayuga County, New York - southwest
- Lake Ontario and Canada - northwest
Education
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