Oneida County was formed from Herkimer County on March 15, 1798 and many townships and villages were established over the next 30 years. The population in 1800 was 22,837, reached 71,326 in 1830, and peaked at 273,070 in the 1970s. The first non-Indigenous settlers in Oneida County were immigrants from England and the Netherlands, and migrants from New England. Significant populations from across Europe followed. Welsh immigrants settled in Steuben, Remsen, and Trenton in the late 1790s and early 1800s, and German immigrants arrived in Utica and Rome throughout the 19th century. Some Irish immigrants arrived earlier, but most came to Oneida County after the potato famine in 1845. Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Syrian, Lebanese, and Jewish populations increased greatly in the first half of the 20th century. Recent arrivals include refugees from Bosnia that settled in Utica in the 1990s and Burmese, Vietnamese, and individuals from the former Soviet Union.
Different groups settled in our various communities for a variety of reasons. Some were looking for religious freedom or fleeing conflict, while others were seeking economic opportunity and or simply a new start. Land was abundant in Oneida County in the early 19th century and jobs were readily available in industries such as Utica’s textile mills, or transportation (canals and railroads). Each immigrant group brought with them culture and traditions from their home countries. These unique cultures all mixed and contributed to the identity and development of Oneida County.
