scubish.com: Scuba diving Rome - New York - USA

Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 34,950 at the 2000 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. The city is named after Rome, Italy. It is sometimes nicknamed "The Copper City" on account of the brass and copper works founded by Paul Revere in 1801.

The City of Rome is in the south-central part of the county. The Rome Sand Plains is a 15,000-acre inland pine barrens within the city, that consists of a mosaic of high sand dunes and low peat bogs, mixed northern hardwood forests, meadows and wetlands. It is one of only a handful of inland pine barrens remaining in the United States.

History

In the heart of the Leatherstocking Region made famous by James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, Rome is known as the City of American History.

Native Americans called the area Deo-Wain-Sta, or The Great Carrying Place, referring to the portage between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek. The portage was also known as the Oneida Carrying Place. Boats coming up the Mohawk River had to transfer their cargo (and boats) 1.7 miles overland to continue west to Lake Ontario. This important east/west trade route was later formalized by construction of the Erie Canal.

In 1758, Fort Stanwix was built to guard this strategic area.

On July 4, 1817 construction on the Erie Canal began in Rome; in 1851, Jesse Williams founded America's first cheese factory.

The City of Rome was incorporated in 1870 on the site of Fort Stanwix.

Between 1951 and 1991, the Rome Air Development Center (RADC) was located at Griffiss AFB. In 1991, the RADC was redesignated Rome Laboratory. It remained active as the Griffiss AFB was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process in 1993. In 1997, Rome Laboratory was made part of the Air Force Research Laboratory and renamed the Rome Research Site. The RADC has been responsible for some of the United States Air Force's major technological accomplishments, especially in the area of radio communications.

The Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) is also located in Rome, on the site of the former Griffiss Air Force Base.

Woodstock 1999 was held in Rome with the city once again making use of the former Griffiss Air Force Base site.

In July, 2005 New York City developers, Park Drive Estates, purchased the former Woodhaven Housing- formerly the base housing for Griffiss Air Force officers and enlisted men, and are in the process of re-developing that land into a resort-style active adult community.

Geography

Rome is located at (43.219469, -75.463330).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 196.0 km² (75.7 mi²). 194.1 km² (74.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (0.99%) is water.

Rome's total land area (75 square miles) makes it the second largest city (geographically) in the state of New York, second to New York City.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,950 people, 13,653 households, and 8,328 families...