Oneida County Antique Maps

Located roughly in the center of the New York State, Oneida County was originally part of a much larger Albany County, as seen on early vintage maps of Oneida County following the establishment of English colonial counties in the area in 1683.  At the time, Albany County took up much of northern New York State, as well as part of what is now Vermont. Over the next century and then some, Albany County would be whittled down into several smaller counties, as evidenced by antique maps of Oneida County spanning this period.  Eventually, the area that is now Oneida County became Herkimer County. However, the residents of the region wanted to make their own laws, govern themselves, and forego the treacherous 20-mile trek to Herkimer every time business or legal needs arose.  On March 15, 1798, the State Legislature created Oneida County by taking thousands of acres from Herkimer County, as seen on historical maps of Oneida County at the time.

 The County drew its name from the native Oneida, who were part of the larger Iroquois tribe.  Legend has it that the name was decided on at a town meeting in White's Town, where an unnamed man who admired the tribe wished to name the county in their honor.  The name Oneida is roughly translated to mean "the people of the upright stone", pertaining to a large stone sacred to the tribe.

 Oneida County is uniquely situated in a region in which two major throughways exist, making it a strategic natural crossroads and likely contributing to the population growth and the formation of two major cities in the county.  One throughway was a unique, shallow fording place on the then largely impassable Mohawk River, while the second was a sort of land bridge called "The Great Carry" that facilitated passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Historic maps of Oneida County highlight both of these important passages prior to the geographical changes and population expansion that altered the region somewhat.  A settlement near the ford of the Mohawk River would become Utica and several forts built along The Great Carry would form the basis for modern day Rome, NY.

 Because of its location and natural resources, Oneida County eventually became a hub of industry, including manufacturing interests like flour, saw, and gristmills, as well as textiles manufacturing, ore mining, and blacksmithing.  Agriculture was also big business in the area, with a variety of crops like wheat and oats flourishing in the ideal climate conditions. Unfortunately, the heavy reliance on the water in the region for these industrial ventures couldn't last, and eventually many manufacturing interests were forced to relocate to other areas.  Today, Oneida County looks very different than it did on old maps, but the history of the area can be charted on maps spanning hundreds of years.