Pompey, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pompey, New York
Town
Pompey Center along US 20 westbound; the Pompey town hall is on the left
Location in Onondaga County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Onondaga
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	66.47 sq mi (172.17 km2)
• Land	66.38 sq mi (171.92 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2)
Elevation	1,457 ft (444 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,080
• Density	106.51/sq mi (41.122/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	13138, 13078, 13104
Area code(s)	315
FIPS code	36-59036
GNIS feature ID	0979383

Pompey is a small town located in the southeastern part of Onondaga County, in New York. In 2020, about 7,080 people lived there. The town got its name from Pompey, a famous Roman general. A local clerk who loved ancient history chose the name in the late 1700s.

History of Pompey

Early Inhabitants and Settlement

The land where Pompey is now was originally home to the Onondaga. They were one of the Five Nations of the powerful Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). After the American Revolutionary War, many Iroquois tribes had to give up their land. The British Crown gave land in Canada to the Onondaga who supported them during the war.

New York State then took over these lands. They sold much of it for new settlements. Some land was set aside for the Central New York Military Tract. Soldiers who fought in the Revolution received land grants here as payment. The first European-American settlers arrived around 1789. They were mostly "Yankees" from New England and other parts of New York.

Town Formation and Growth

The town of Pompey was officially formed in 1789. However, it wasn't fully organized until 1794. This was when Onondaga County was created. Over time, the original town of Pompey was divided into many other towns. These included Fabius, Tully, Preble, and Scott. Parts of Spafford, Otisco, LaFayette, Onondaga, Truxton, and Cuyler also came from Pompey.

Roads and Transportation

The small community of Pompey grew about 10.5 miles (17 km) south of a major Native American trail. This trail had been used for many generations. European-American settlers improved this trail. It became the Genesee Road in 1794 and then the Seneca Turnpike in 1800. This road connected villages like Cazenovia and Manlius.

Later, in 1934, a new road was built. This road is now part of U.S. Route 20 (US 20). It links Cazenovia and Skaneateles through Pompey and LaFayette.

The Pompey Stone

In 1820, a stone called the Pompey stone was found. Some people thought it proved that Europeans had been in North America very early. However, many years later, it was found to be a hoax. This means it was not a real ancient artifact.

Historic Buildings

Two important historical buildings in Pompey are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Oran District No. 22 Schoolhouse and the Drover's Tavern at Oran.

Geography

Location and Size

Pompey is located south of the city of Syracuse. The eastern border of the town touches Madison County.

The town covers a total area of about 66.5 square miles (172.2 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 66.4 square miles (171.9 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.25 square kilometers), is water.

Highways

Several important roads pass through Pompey:

• US 20 is a major highway that runs east to west through the town.
• New York State Route 91 (NY 91) is a north-south highway. It crosses US 20 in the small community of Pompey.
• New York State Route 92 (NY 92) goes through the northwestern part of Pompey.

Population and People

Population Changes Over Time

The population of Pompey has changed a lot over the years. Here's how it has grown and shrunk since 1820:

Who Lives in Pompey

In 2000, there were 6,159 people living in Pompey. About 97.56% of the people were White. There were also smaller numbers of African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 0.70% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had about 2.86 people. About 41.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. The median age in the town was 39 years old. This means half the people were younger than 39, and half were older.

Notable People from Pompey

Many interesting people have come from Pompey:

• William Barnes Sr. (1824–1913) – A lawyer and writer.
• Victory Birdseye (1782–1853) – A lawyer and a member of Congress.
• Jason W. Briggs (1821–1899) – An important leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement.
• William George Fargo (1818–1881) – He helped start Wells-Fargo and was once the mayor of Buffalo, New York.
• Frank Hiscock (1834–1914) – A member of the United States Congress.
• L. Harris Hiscock (1824–1867) – Frank Hiscock's brother, a New York State Assembly member.
• Leonard Jerome (1817–1891) – A stock broker and banker. He was the grandfather of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
• Sara Jane Clarke Lippincott (1823–1904) – A publisher and the first woman journalist for the New York Times.
• Charles Mason (1804–1882) – A chief justice in Iowa and U.S. commissioner of patents.
• Erastus Dow Palmer (1817–1904) – A famous sculptor.
• Charles B. Sedgwick (1815–1883) – A U.S. congressman.
• Horatio Seymour (1810–1886) – He was the governor of New York two times.
• Silas J. Seymour (1824–1899) – A member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
• James Shanahan (1920–1997) – A Brigadier General with a distinguished military career.
• Henry Warner Slocum (1827–1894) – A general during the Civil War and a U.S. Congressman.
• John Edison Sweet (1832–1916) – An engineer and professor at Cornell University and Syracuse University.
• Theodore Weld (1802–1895) – A leading abolitionist (someone who worked to end slavery).
• Charles Augustus Wheaton (1809–1882) – A major abolitionist and supporter of the Underground Railroad.

Education

School Districts Serving Pompey

The town of Pompey is covered by parts of four different public school districts:

• Fabius-Pompey Central School District
• Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District
• Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District
• Cazenovia Central School District

Communities and Locations in Pompey

Here are some of the smaller communities and important places within the town of Pompey:

• Atwell Corners – A spot on the eastern edge of the town.
• Berwyn – A location southwest of the Pompey hamlet.
• Buellville – A small community at the northern town line, along NY 92.
• Clough Corners – A community southeast of the Pompey hamlet.
• Delphi Falls – A community near the eastern border of the town.
• Hills Corners – A location near the eastern town line on US 20.
• Jamesville Reservoir – A reservoir in the northwestern part of Pompey.
• Jamesville Beach County Park – A county park south of Jamesville Reservoir.
• Jerome Corner – A community south of the Pompey hamlet, near the southern town line on NY 91.
• Oran – A community in the northeastern corner of the town on NY 92.
• Pompey – The main community in the western part of the town, where US 20 and NY 91 meet.
• Pompey Center – A community east of the Pompey hamlet on US 20. The Pompey Centre District No. 10 Schoolhouse is a historic building here.
• Pompey Hill – A famous high point (1,728 feet or 527 meters) in the town. From here, you can see seven different counties!
• Pompey Hollow – A valley near the eastern town line.
• Pratt's Falls County Park – A county park northeast of the Pompey hamlet.
• Salem Corner – A community northeast of the Pompey hamlet.
• Stebbins Gulf – A valley in the western part of Pompey.
• Swift Corner – A community south of the Pompey hamlet.
• The Tunnel – A valley in the western part of the town.
• Watervale – A community northeast of the Pompey hamlet.

Images for kids

• 

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

See also

In Spanish: Pompey (Nueva York) para niños