Oswego, New York
|
|
Oswego is a city located in Oswego County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,954. Oswego is in western New York. It is the county seat of Oswego County.
The City of Oswego is partly within the Towns of Oswego and Scriba.
| Contents |
|
1 Geography |
History
The site was first visited in 1615 by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. The British established a trading post in the area in 1722 and fortified it with a log palisade later called Fort Oswego. In 1755 they added Fort Ontario on the northeast side of the river.
Permanent settlement began in the early 19th century, and a branch of the Erie Canal reached the area in 1829. The city was incorporated in 1848. When the city incorporated its area and population were removed from the figures reported for the towns.
The State University of New York at Oswego is located just outside the city.
Oswego is home to the port of Oswego and once was a major railroad hub for the New York Central, Lackawanna/Erie Lackawanna, and NY Ontarion and Western. Three stations remain: two passenger (DLW and NYC) and one freight (NYC).
Oswego was home to 1,000 Jewish refugees during World War Two.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²). 19.8 km² (7.7 mi²) of it is land and 9.2 km² (3.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 31.76% water.
Oswego is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Oswego River, about 35 miles north of Syracuse, New York.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 17,954 people, 7,338 households, and 3,977 families residing in the city. The population density is 905.0/km² (2,343.4/mi²). There are 8,080 housing units at an average density of 407.3 persons/km² (1,054.6 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.32% White, 1.04% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.07% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 2.80% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,338 households out of which 27.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% are married couples living together, 12.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 45.8% are non-families. 34.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 16.5% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $28,248, and the median income for a family is $41,613. Males have a median income of $33,220 versus $21,729 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,558. 23.0% of the population and 13.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 24.2% are under the age of 18 and 12.5% are 65 or older.
Political issues
The school board is the major political focus of the city. School board members Veronica Baker, Gordon Buske, Stanley Delia, Pauline McCarthy, and Fredrick Smith voted to remove Francis Hoefer from the board on June 29, 2004 for misconduct.
External links
- City of Oswego, New York (http://www.oswegony.org)
- History of Oswego, NY (http://history.rays-place.com/ny/oswego-ny.htm)
- Oswego City School District (http://www.oswego.org)
- SUNY Oswego (http://www.oswego.edu)