Oneida Carry - 19th Century and Beyond

19th Century and Beyond

After the war the Oneida Carry continued to be of economic importance. Established in 1792 the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company constructed a canal between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek. With this canal boats no longer had to be removed from the River and carried over the portage. These canals would have continued use until 1817 when the Erie Canal began construction within the new City of Rome.

The carry also saw a continuation of its military importance throughout the 1800s and up to the 21st Century. Built in 1813 and used until 1873, the Rome Arsenal was a three-acre fortification complex which included barracks, arsenal, magazine, workshops, and other buildings, built to support American forces waging the War of 1812, Mexican–American War, and the American Civil War. This post actually replaced an early armory, constructed and utilized in the late 1790s which was located on the site of, the then demolished, Fort Stanwix.

Starting on 3 April 1941, the War Department began looking for an area to construct an Air Depot in central New York and thus the Oneida Carry would once again become an important part of the Nations Defense. Opened in February 1942 Griffiss Air Force Base would become home to the Rome Labs, the 416th Air Expeditionary Group and Strategic Air Command. Currently the now closed Air Force Base is the home for the Northeast Air Defense Sector facilities which provides detection and air defense for the entire eastern half of the United States.

Lastly with a population of approximately 32,850 people during the 2000 census, and enough land mass (75.7 square miles) to be the second largest city in the State of New York, the City of Rome encompasses most of what was once the Oneida Carry.