LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Oswego
County, New York, in March of 2016

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and recog-
nize the distinguished histories of communities across this great Empire
State, and to celebrate the people and places that make these communi-
ties strong; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 200th Anniversary of Oswego County, New York, in March of
2016; and
WHEREAS, This momentous occasion will be celebrated with a myriad of
public Bicentennial events throughout 2016; and
WHEREAS, For the past 200 years, Oswego County has proudly stood as a
close-knit, safe and vibrant community, created in 1816, out of portions
of Onondaga and Oneida counties and building itself along the shores of
the Salmon River, Oswego River and Oneida Lake; and
WHEREAS, The Oswego County name is derived from a Mohawk language word
meaning "the outpouring", and referring to the mouth of the Oswego
River; and
WHEREAS, With a 2010 Census population of just over 122,000, Oswego
County is comprised of 22 towns, two cities, and 10 villages with a
total area of approximately 1,312 square miles; it was once governed by
a Board of Supervisors and is currently governed by a County Legisla-
ture; and
WHEREAS, Oswego County includes the eastern shore of Lake Ontario,
part of the Tug Hill Plateau, and the Salmon River Falls, a 110-foot
waterfall, which is a popular sightseeing destination in the northeast-
ern portion of the county, as well as two harbors, the Oswego Harbor at
the mouth of the Oswego River, and Port Ontario on the Salmon River, and
includes the first major port of call on the Great Lakes, the Port of
Oswego Authority dock, and the first freshwater port in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Oswego County has played a pivotal role in a number of
regional and national historic events as the battleground where signif-
icant conflicts during the War of 1812 occurred, the location of 35
Underground Railroad sites, and the only World War II Holocaust refugee
center in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Not only is Oswego County the location of numerous historical
events, it is also home to many notable individuals, including Mayor of
Cleveland, Ned Sherman, elected in 1878, one of the first African-Ameri-
can mayors in New York State, and a dozen Congressional Medal of Honor
Recipients, including Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman ever to
receive the Congressional Medal of Honor; and
WHEREAS, Its beautiful location, which includes the Oswego River and
Oswego Falls, served as the backdrop of James Fenimore Cooper's "The
Pathfinder"; and
WHEREAS, Remaining fruitful over the ebb and flow of decades of growth
and change, Oswego County continues its commitment to enhancing the
quality of life of its citizens, ensuring a positive business, institu-
tional and educational climate, and providing all essential services;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Oswego County in March of 2016, and
to recognize the significant role the county plays in the life of the
community of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Kevin Gardner, Chairman of the Oswego County Legislature.