Senate Resolution No. 1194

BY: Senator MAY

COMMEMORATING the 175th Anniversary of the City of
Syracuse, New York

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate the distinguished histories of the communities which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the City of Syracuse, New York; and

WHEREAS, The modern City of Syracuse was incorporated in 1848, when
the Villages of Syracuse and Salina merged to form the current
municipality; and

WHEREAS, Syracuse sits on the ancestral lands of the Onondaga
People, Fire Keepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy which was founded
on the shores of Onondaga Lake by the Great Peacemaker, who brought the
Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples together, later
joined by the Tuscarora, to establish the Great Law of Peace; this
created the first representative democracy in the West and served as an
inspiration for our own democracy; and

WHEREAS, Syracuse was renamed after the ancient Greek City of
Syracuse in Sicily by visionary Joshua Forman in 1800; the completion of
the Erie Canal in 1825 was instrumental in making Syracuse a
transportation hub; and

WHEREAS, In the middle of the 19th century, Syracuse provided refuge
for many once enslaved people in their journey to freedom, including
high-profile cases such as Harriet Powell in 1839, and the liberation of
William Henry, who called himself Jerry, in an incident known as the
Jerry Rescue in 1851, prompting Daniel Webster to call Syracuse "a
laboratory of abolitionism"; and

WHEREAS, The First New York State Fair was held in Syracuse in 1841,
and Syracuse served as the site of the third National Women's Rights
Convention in 1852, continuing the work of the original Seneca Falls
Convention; and

WHEREAS, In 1855, Syracuse's newly built City Hall hosted a major
abolition convention; by 1865, it was a key location for the
abolitionist movement and a stop on the Underground Railroad, sometimes
being called its 'grand central hub' by observers; and

WHEREAS, Syracuse University was founded in 1870, and in 1894, the
first college-level school of forestry in the United States was
established there; and

WHEREAS, In the 19th Century, Syracuse earned its nickname "Salt
City" because of its prosperous salt industry; in 1908, the first
automobile show in the country was held, and six years later the
Rosamond Gifford Zoo opened at Burnet Park; and


WHEREAS, The Landmark Theatre was completed in 1928, and since that
time, has provided entertainment to Central New Yorkers for over 90
years; and

WHEREAS, In 1946, Le Moyne College was founded, making it the first
co-educational Jesuit college in the country; and

WHEREAS, The men's basketball team at Syracuse University became the
NCAA Division I Champions for the first time in 1959, and in 2003, the
Syracuse Crunch Hockey Team reached the Calder Cup Finals for the first
time in franchise history; and

WHEREAS, Continuing its growth, construction began on the $75
million Destiny USA mall in 2005, and in 2008, Syracuse was named the
"Green Power Community of the Year" by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; additionally, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and
Technology (MOST) opened in 2010, offering learning opportunities to
Syracuse residents; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, "Syracuse Surge" was announced with the goal to
promote growth in technology and innovation sectors over the next five
years to create over 5,000 new jobs; in 2020, the Syracuse Parks
Conservancy launched the "Urban Forest Master Plan," which is a project
to expand and improve the city's green spaces; and

WHEREAS, Most recently, Micron Technology Inc. announced its plans
to invest $3 billion into a Central New York memory chip fabrication
plant in Syracuse, bringing over 1,000 jobs to the region; furthermore,
the city of Syracuse launched several downtown revitalization programs
in 2022, in an effort to assist small businesses in recovering from the
COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Of historic origin, and remaining fruitful over the ebb and
flow of decades of growth and change, the City of Syracuse continues to
provide the quintessential quality of life for its residents; and

WHEREAS, The residents of the City of Syracuse have a bright outlook
for the future of their community, which remains a beautiful place in
which to live, work and raise a family; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Syracuse's rich history and enduring
contribution to the State of New York, this Legislative Body is proud to
pay tribute to this spirited city upon the occasion of its 175th
Anniversary; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the City of Syracuse, New York,
recognizing the significance of the role it continues to play in the
life of the community of the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the City of Syracuse, New York.