Tully, New York Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Tully, New York
Town
Location in Onondaga County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Onondaga
Area settled	1795
Town created	1803
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	26.28 sq mi (68.06 km²)
• Land	25.75 sq mi (66.70 km²)
• Water	0.53 sq mi (1.36 km²)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,676
• Density	101.83/sq mi (39.318/km²)
FIPS code	36-067-75638

Tully is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 2,676 people lived there. The town's name comes from Marcus Tullius Cicero, a famous speaker from ancient Rome. Tully is situated on the southern edge of Onondaga County, just south of the city of Syracuse.

History of Tully

Early Beginnings

Tully was once part of the Central New York Military Tract. This was an area of land set aside by the government. It was used to give land to soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Surveyors, who measured and mapped the land, were responsible for naming these new areas. One surveyor, who was a professor and loved classical studies, named places after Roman generals and Greek writers. That's how Tully got its name, from Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Native American Heritage

For many centuries before European settlers arrived, the Onondaga people lived in this area. They were one of the original Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee. During the American Revolutionary War, most of the Iroquois nations sided with the British. After the war, the Onondaga and other nations had to give up their land to the United States. Much of this land was then sold or given to new settlers and land buyers. Soon, many European Americans began moving into western New York.

Town Formation and Growth

The first European-American settler in Tully was Andy Tucker, who built a log cabin in 1795. The town of Tully was officially formed on April 4, 1803. It was created from a part of the Town of Fabius. Over the years, parts of Tully were used to form other towns. In 1806, some land went to create the Town of Otisco. When Cortland County was formed in 1808, Tully lost its southern sections to the towns of Preble and Scott. Later, in 1811, more land was taken from Tully to form the Town of Spafford.

Tourism and Development

In the late 1800s, Tully became a popular spot for tourists, especially in the summer. Tully Lake Park was developed, and the first small houses, called cottages, were built there in 1889. By the end of the century, about fifty cottages and villas were built around the lake. In 1892, a group called the Central New York Assembly created Assembly Park on the east side of Tully Lake. This park became a place for yearly educational meetings, similar to the famous Chautauqua, New York gatherings.

Modern Economy

In 1998, the grocery store chain Aldi opened a large distribution center in Tully. This center is located near NY-281 and Interstate 81, making it easy to transport goods.

Geography of Tully

Land and Water

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Tully covers about 26.3 square miles (68.06 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 25.9 square miles (66.70 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.4 square miles (1.36 square kilometers), is water.

The southern border of Tully is also the border of Cortland County.

Major Roads

Several important highways run through Tully. These include Interstate 81, U.S. Route 11, and New York State Route 11A, which all go north and south. New York State Route 80 is a highway that runs east and west.

Tully Lakes

Tully is famous for its beautiful chain of natural lakes. These include Tully Lake (also called Big Lake), Green Lake, Crooked Lake, Jerry's Lake, and Mirror Lake. Tully Lake is the largest and most well-known of these lakes. It is also the source of the west branch of the Tioughnioga River.

Population of Tully

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	1,123	—
1830	1,640	46.0%
1840	1,663	1.4%
1850	1,559	−6.3%
1860	1,690	8.4%
1870	1,560	−7.7%
1880	1,476	−5.4%
1890	1,380	−6.5%
1900	1,465	6.2%
1910	1,386	−5.4%
1920	1,358	−2.0%
1930	1,461	7.6%
1940	1,430	−2.1%
1950	1,554	8.7%
1960	1,633	5.1%
1970	1,901	16.4%
1980	2,409	26.7%
1990	2,378	−1.3%
2000	2,709	13.9%
2010	2,738	1.1%
2020	2,676	−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Census Information

Based on the census from 2000, there were 2,709 people living in Tully. These people lived in 1,030 households, and 744 of these were families. The population density was about 104.7 people per square mile. There were also 1,139 housing units, which are homes or apartments.

Diversity in Tully

In 2000, most of the people in Tully (97.23%) were White. A smaller number were Black (0.44%), Native American (0.22%), or Asian (0.59%). Some people (0.22%) were from other racial backgrounds, and 1.29% were from two or more races. About 1.11% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families

Out of the 1,030 households in Tully, 37.8% had children under 18 living with them. About 59.0% were married couples living together. In 9.3% of households, a female was the head of the house with no husband present. About 27.7% of households were not families.

About 22.2% of all households were made up of people living alone. Of these, 9.3% had someone aged 65 or older living by themselves. The average household had 2.59 people, and the average family had 3.04 people.

Age and Income

The population in Tully was spread out across different age groups. About 28.3% were under 18 years old. 5.9% were between 18 and 24, and 29.4% were between 25 and 44. People aged 45 to 64 made up 26.3% of the population, and 10.0% were 65 years or older. The average age in Tully was 37 years.

The average income for a household in Tully was $53,250. For families, the average income was $63,266. Men earned an average of $46,667, while women earned an average of $27,721. The per capita income (income per person) for the town was $25,223. About 3.9% of families and 6.7% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 10.6% of those under 18 and 5.6% of those aged 65 or older.

Schools in Tully

The history of schools in Tully goes back to 1801. That's when Miss Ruth Thorpe started a learning place in Timothy Walker's barn. The school district received its first official permission to form a high school in 1898. The Tully school district became a centralized system in 1930. The centralized school was located in the building that is now the elementary school, teaching both younger students and high schoolers. Today, Tully Junior Senior High School serves students in grades 7 through 12.

Notable People from Tully

Irving Gill – a famous architect.
Lopez Lomong – a US Olympian who carried the American flag in the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Arthur C. Sidman – a playwright and actor buried in Tully Cemetery.
Charles H. Walker – a Wisconsin judge and lawmaker.
Lyman Walker – a Wisconsin lawyer and lawmaker.
R. Walter Riehlman – a congressman buried in Tully Cemetery.

Communities in Tully

Village of Tully

Within the larger town of Tully, there is also a smaller, separate village called Tully.

Hamlets in Tully

Assembly Park – a small community located near the southern town line, on the east side of Tully Lake.
Crooked Lake – a lake found in the southern part of the town, northwest of Tully Lake.
Green Lake – a lake located southwest of Tully Center.
Tully Center – a community west of Tully village, near where Interstate 81 meets NY-80 and NY-11A.
Tully Farms – a location north of Tully Center, along NY-11A.
Tully Lake – a lake at the southern border of the town. It is where the west branch of the Tioughnioga River begins.
Tully Lake Park – a community on the western side of Tully Lake.
Vesper – a community in the western part of the town, located on NY Route 80.

Tully, New York facts for kids

Contents