Otsego County, New York

Otsego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 62,259.[1] The county seat is Cooperstown.[2] The name Otsego is from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock."[3]

Not to be confused with Oswego County, New York.
Otsego County
County
Original Otsego County Bank, in Cooperstown
Flag
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°38′N 75°02′W
Country United States
State New York
FoundedFebruary 16, 1791
SeatCooperstown
Largest cityOneonta
Area
 • Total1,016 sq mi (2,630 km2)
 • Land1,002 sq mi (2,600 km2)
 • Water14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total62,259
 • Density62/sq mi (24/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district19th
Websitewww.otsegocounty.com

History
See also: Montgomery County, New York
Map of Otsego County, at its formation
Map of Otsego County, New York, by Simeon De Witt c. 1792-1793
1829 map of Otsego County, New York

In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. The area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, as it included the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties.

Formation

Otsego County was one of three early counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being Herkimer and Tioga) after the American Revolutionary War. Otsego County was officially established on February 16, 1791, with Cooperstown as its county seat, although at the time the village of Cherry Valley was much larger. The original county consisted of three large townships:

Otsego and Cherry Valley together roughly covered the area of modern Otsego County, while Harpersfield covered the area south of the current county as far as the Delaware River.

The original appointments to Otsego County government positions, made by Governor George Clinton included:

  • Richard R. Smith, county sheriff, from Otsego township,
  • Jacob Morris, county clerk, from Otsego township,
  • William Cooper, chief judge, from Otsego township,
  • Jedediah Peck, associate justice from Otsego township,
  • Edward Griswold, associate justice from Cherry Valley
  • Platt Townsend, associate justice from Harpersfield,
  • Alexander Harper, commander of the county militia, from Harpersfield.

New towns

By 1793, four towns had been added to the county by division of the existing towns:

In 1795, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from Albany County to create Schoharie County.

In 1797, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from Ulster County to create Delaware County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,016 square miles (2,630 km2), of which 1,002 square miles (2,600 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.4%) is water.[4]

Otsego County is in central New York State, to the west of Albany, southeast of Utica, and northeast of Binghamton. The county is part of the Central New York Region and Mohawk Valley Region of New York State. The county is considered by some to belong to the Southern Tier region of New York State, and is the northernmost county of the Appalachian Region.

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
180021,343—
181038,80281.8%
182044,85615.6%
183051,37214.5%
184049,628−3.4%
185048,638−2.0%
186050,1573.1%
187048,967−2.4%
188051,3975.0%
189050,861−1.0%
190048,939−3.8%
191047,216−3.5%
192046,200−2.2%
193046,7101.1%
194046,082−1.3%
195050,76310.2%
196051,9422.3%
197056,1818.2%
198059,0755.2%
199060,5172.4%
200061,6761.9%
201062,2590.9%
2018 (est.)59,749[5]−4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 61,676 people, 23,291 households, and 15,115 families residing in the county. The population density was 62 people per square mile (24/km2). There were 28,481 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.80% White, 1.75% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population. 15.0% were of Irish, 14.9% English, 14.9% German, 11.3% Italian and 9.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.4% spoke English and 2.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 23,291 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 14.40% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,444, and the median income for a family was $41,110. Males had a median income of $29,988 versus $22,609 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,806. About 8.80% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics
Presidential election results
Presidential elections results[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 51.9% 13,308 40.7% 10,451 7.4% 1,909
2012 47.5% 11,461 50.2% 12,117 2.3% 561
2008 46.0% 12,026 52.0% 13,570 2.0% 525
2004 50.1% 13,342 47.7% 12,723 2.2% 587
2000 48.2% 12,219 45.2% 11,460 6.6% 1,679
1996 36.4% 8,774 47.5% 11,470 16.1% 3,882
1992 38.1% 10,141 39.4% 10,471 22.5% 5,994
1988 53.5% 13,021 45.5% 11,069 1.0% 245
1984 63.3% 16,777 36.1% 9,582 0.6% 152
1980 49.4% 11,814 36.8% 8,795 13.8% 3,298
1976 59.8% 14,796 39.5% 9,787 0.7% 171
1972 68.6% 17,364 31.2% 7,898 0.2% 59
1968 59.7% 13,543 35.2% 7,981 5.2% 1,172
1964 36.2% 8,643 63.7% 15,190 0.1% 26
1960 68.7% 17,422 31.2% 7,899 0.1% 26
1956 77.5% 19,484 22.5% 5,644 0.0% 0
1952 76.8% 20,304 23.1% 6,115 0.1% 27
1948 66.6% 15,437 30.9% 7,174 2.5% 586
1944 66.2% 15,427 33.7% 7,849 0.2% 37
1940 68.0% 16,771 31.6% 7,798 0.3% 78
1936 67.4% 16,682 31.5% 7,807 1.1% 276
1932 64.1% 14,904 34.9% 8,114 1.1% 247
1928 74.3% 18,286 24.4% 6,006 1.3% 314
1924 65.7% 13,573 28.3% 5,841 6.1% 1,256
1920 63.9% 12,112 33.1% 6,275 3.0% 574
1916 48.2% 5,926 48.6% 5,975 3.3% 403
1912 40.7% 5,138 42.2% 5,338 17.1% 2,165
1908 53.4% 7,459 42.8% 5,975 3.9% 543
1904 55.4% 7,770 40.9% 5,725 3.7% 519
1900 54.8% 7,893 42.7% 6,142 2.5% 359
1896 56.4% 8,161 40.2% 5,820 3.4% 496
1892 49.5% 7,095 44.7% 6,408 5.8% 833
1888 51.0% 7,829 45.4% 6,972 3.7% 565
1884 43.8% 6,871 52.9% 8,307 3.3% 516

Otsego County is a true swing county and bellwether; it has chosen the winner of the presidency for the last three decades. In 2004, Otsego County voted 51–48 percent in favor of George W. Bush. In 2008 and 2012, Otsego County voted in favor of Barack Obama. Democrats are prevalent in the City of Oneonta and Village of Cooperstown, whereas the majority of voters in many of the surrounding towns are registered Republicans.

Otsego County is the only county in New York that names its legislative body the Board of Representatives. It consists of fourteen members elected from single-member districts. The Board Chair is David Bliss (R). The county also has an elected District Attorney, County Treasurer, County Clerk, and County Sheriff.

Media

Along with Herkimer County and the eastern portion of Oneida County, northern Otsego County is considered part of the Utica television market, while the Southern half of the county, including the city of Oneonta, is considered to be in the Binghamton television market.[12]

Economy

The Village of Cooperstown (home of James Fenimore Cooper, whose father William Cooper founded it) is located at the south end of Otsego Lake. It attracts many tourists to the Baseball Hall of Fame and the New York State Historical Association museums. Cultural attractions also include the Glimmerglass Opera, with a summer season that draws many repeat visitors for stays.

The primary contributor to the economy is healthcare: Bassett Medical Center, the headquarters of Bassett Healthcare Network and its more than 3,000 employees, is located here.

The City of Oneonta has two institutions of higher education: Hartwick College and the State University of New York at Oneonta; A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of the Bassett Network; major retail activity; and numerous small businesses. The county as a whole remains relatively rural, with dairy farming a contributing industry that has consolidated employment in recent years, although production has remained steady.

Communities
Map of Otsego County NY to accompany Bacon's History 1902

City

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Hamlets

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. Beauchamp, William Martin (1907). Aboriginal Place Names of New York (New York State Museum Bulletin, Volume 108). New York State Education Department. p. 174. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  12. "WKTV.com | WKTV bringing CBS affiliation to Utica". WKTV.com. 2015-10-26. Archived from the original on 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2015-10-27.

Further reading

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