Pompey, New York
Pompey, New York   Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°55′52″N 75°59′1″W / 42.93111, -75.98361
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Onondaga
Area
- Total	66.5 sq mi (172.2 km)
- Land	66.4 sq mi (172.0 km)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km)
Elevation	1,457 ft (444 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	6,159
- Density	92.7/sq mi (35.8/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	13138
Area code(s)	315
FIPS code	36-59036
GNIS feature ID	0979383

The town flourished as sawmills, grist mills and later many other kinds of mills were erected on Limestone and Butternut Creeks. Agriculture became the primary industry, and although many of the farms have disappeared over the past one hundred fifty years, there are a few left. Some early one-room schoolhouses, now private dwellings, still dot the countryside. The railroad which ran through the northeast corner of the town has come and gone. Of the many Area Churches which were established only four remain, each having its own unique history. Fire companies now protect the town so that the devastating fires of the past may never again occur. Developers have purchased and built upon tracts of land in this scenic town of rolling hills. Pratts Falls and the area around it have become a part of the county for all to enjoy, spring, summer, winter and fall.

Pompey was within the land of the Iroquois and later part of the former Central New York Military Tract, used to compensate soldier of the American Revolution. The town was first settled by outsiders around 1789.

The Town of Pompey was formed in 1789, but not completely organized until 1794, when Onondaga County was established. The original town was divided and sub-divided into many other towns in the region, including all of the Towns of Fabius (1798), Tully, Preble, and Scott (The latter two now in Cortland County), along with parts of the Towns of Spafford, Otisco (1806), LaFayette (1825), Onondaga (1794), Truxton and Cuyler (The latter two now in Cortland County).

The Hamlet of Pompey developed about 10.5 miles south of the main east-west Native American trial, which became the Genesee Road (1794) and then the Seneca Turnpike (1800), running through Cazenovia, Manlius and Onondaga Hollow (south of Syracuse). The segment of modern US 20, connecting Cazenovia andSkaneateles by way of Pompey and LaFayette, was not built until 1934.

Notable residents

• William Avery, of the hamlet of Oran, was an inventor and a manufacturer who lived in the 1800s. He built the first steamboat to travel on Lake Ontario.


• Sara Jane Clarke Lippincott was born in the Town of Pompey on 23September, 1823. A writer, her pen name was Grace Greenwood and published a children's magazine "Little Pilgrim." She was the first female journalist employed by the New York Times.


• Charles Mason was born in a log cabin in 1804 on a farm along Route 20, west of the hamlet of Pompey Centre. He graduated from West Point in 1829 at the top of his class. He served as the Chief Justice of Iowa from 1838 to 1842. Later he was United States Commissioner of Patents from 1853 to 1857.


• Erastus Dow Palmer was born in 1817 on a farm located on Palmer Road in the Town of Pompey. He is a famous American sculptor, who lived and worked for many years in Albany, NY.


• John Calvin Perry was a noted landscape and portrait painter, living his entire live (1837-1894) in the hamlet of Delphi Falls in the Town of Pompey.


• Norman Ford Potter enlisted in the Grand Army of the Republic at Pompey, NY, 28August1862, at the age of 36. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag at Lookout Mountain, TN, on 24November1863, while being severely wounded. He was buried in the Delphi Falls Church Cemetery.


• Civil War General Henry Warner Slocum was born in the hamlet of Delphi. A West Point, General Slocum was in charge of the XII Corps at the Gettysburg/Culp's Hill battle on 2July1863. Falling from favor, Gen. Slocum was sent West, but Gen. Sherman brought Gen. Slocum back to assist with his "March to the Sea." After the war, Slocum practiced law in Brooklyn, NY, and became a US Congressman from the area.


• Charles Stanton was a member of the famous Donner Party in 1846. He was born 11March1811 in the Town of Pompey. Going West late in the season the Donner Party got stuck in a mountain pass. Stanton went out and , while some of the party refused to go back once they reached safety, Stanton brought food back to the starving members of the Donner Party at Truckee Lake, now called Donner Lake. On 16December1846, 15 men including Stanton set on on horseshoes for further help. Charles did not survive the trip and died alone on the trail.


• Homer, John and William Sweet were the best known of the Sweet brothers of Pompey Hill. Homer Sweet was a poet and surveyor. His "New Atlas of Onondaga County, NY, in 1874" is still used by local historians and researchers. John Sweet was an engineer, a professor at Cornell University and a Dean at Syracuse University. William Avery Sweet refined some of the steel manufacturing tecniques of the day and in 1890 he manufactured $740,000 worth of steel at his company in Syracuse.


• US Marine Corps Brigidier General Gail Reals lived in the Town of Pompey as a young girl. In 1985 she was promoted to General Officer grade, the first woman to hold this rank in the Marine Corps. After retirement, Gen. Reals earned a college degree at George Mason University. NY Governor George Pataki in 1998 declared her a "Woman of Achievement."


• Leonard Jerome, father of Jennie Jerome, the mother of Winston Churchill, was born in Pompey.


• William George Fargo, Founder of Wells-Fargo and mayor of Buffalo, was born in the hamlet of Watervale in the Town of Pompey.He became President of American Express.


• Brigadier General James G. Shanahan, awarded Combat Infantryman Badge with two combat stars, the Distinguished Service Medal, three Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars for Valor, four Bronze Stars for Merit, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Air Medal with eight clusters, the Vietnamese National Order of Valor and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses.


• Allen Radway, American stage actor, was born in Pompey, NY.

Geography

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  According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 66.5 square miles (172.2 km²), of which, 66.4 square miles (172.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.09%) is water.

  The east town line is the county line of Madison County.

  US 20 is an east-west highway through the town. NY 91, a north-south highway, intersects US-20 in Pompey village. NY 91 cuts across the northeast corner of Pompey.

  
  

  

  The rolling hills of Pompey are located just southeast of Syracuse, NY.

  Demographics

  As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 6,159 people, 2,154 households, and 1,761 families residing in the town. The population density was 92.7 people per square mile (35.8/km²). There were 2,272 housing units at an average density of 34.2/sq mi (13.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.56% White, 0.37% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

  There were 2,154 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.17.

  In the town the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

  The median income for a household in the town was $59,190, and the median income for a family was $64,442. Males had a median income of $42,212 versus $32,357 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,970. About 2.5% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.



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  Communities and locations in Pompey

  • Atwell Corners -- A location on the east town line near Hills Corners.
  
  
  • Berwyn -- A location southwest of Pompey village and west of Swift Corner.
  
  
  • Buellville -- A hamlet at the north town line on NY-92.
  
  
  • Clough Corners -- A hamlet southeast of Pompey village.
  
  
  • Delphi Falls -- A village near the east town line.
  
  
  • Hills Corners -- A location near the east town line on US-20, east of Pompey Center.
  
  
  • Jamesville Reservoir -- A reservoir in the northeast corner of Pompey.
  
  
  • Jamesville Beach County Park -- A county park south of Jamesville Reservoir.
  
  
  • Jerome Corner -- A hamlet south of Pompey village, near the south town line on NY-91.
  
  
  • Oran -- A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town on NY-92, southeast of Beullville.
  
  
  • Pompey -- The hamlet of Pompey is in the western part of the town at US-20 and NY-91.
  
  
  • Pompey Center -- A hamlet east of Pompey village on US-20.
  
  
  • Pompey Hill -- An famous elevation (1728') in the town that allows a view of seven counties.
  
  
  • Pompey Hollow -- A valley near the east town line.
  
  
  • Pratts Falls County Park -- A county park northeast of Pompey village. `
  
  
  • Salem Corner -- A hamlet northeast of Pompey village.
  
  
  • Stebbins Gulf -- A valley in the west part of Pompey, north of The Tunnel.
  
  
  • Swift Corner -- A hamlet south of Pompey village and west of Jerome Corner.
  
  
  • The Tunnel -- A valley in the western part of the town.
  
  
  • Watervale -- A hamlet northeast of Pompey village and west of Salem Corner.
  
  


• Television and Radio

History / Geneology

• Cemeteries in or near Pompey


• Pompey Historical Society


• Pompey and Change


• Further History