New York

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

a state of the American Union. From its wealth and influence it was early known as the "Empire State." It extends from Lakes Erie and Ontario to the Atlantic, and lies between Pennsylvania and New England . Area, including inland waters , 49,170 square miles. In size New York is the twenty-sixth state of the Union; in population and wealth it is the first. It was the last of the thirteen colonies to ratify the federal Constitution. New York has furnished three presidents--Van Buren, Arthur, and Roosevelt. TOPOGRAPHY. The valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk form the lowest pathway from the Atlantic to the interior, and afford the easiest east and west grades for roads, canals, and railways to be found between Nova Scotia and Georgia. The Adirondacks in the northeastern part of the state form a rough, elevated region of lakes and of mountains, yet covered with pine, hemlock, and fir, a natural game preserve and pleasure resort. Mount Marcy, the highest peak, reaches an altitude of 5,344 feet. The Catskill Mountains in the southeast rise to a general elevation of 3,000 feet. The highest peak is 4,205 feet above sea level. A small watershed is tributary to the Ohio; otherwise the drainage is either into the Atlantic direct by way of the Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, etc., or else into the St. Lawrence system. Western New York, the original home of the Six Nations , contains a number of unusually fine lakes, as Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Canandaigua, Chautauqua, Oswego, Genesee and others. This is the region in which Cooper located the scene of his earlier Leatherstocking Tales. In addition to Niagara Falls, in which New York has a joint proprietorship with the Dominion of Canada, there are numerous waterpowers as at Genesee, Rochester, and Cohoes. Over a score of cataracts and rapids may be named having a large volume of water and from 50 to 500 feet of fall. MINERALS. The mineral wealth of the state consists chiefly of salt, gypsum, petroleum, talc, paint clays, Portland cement, gas, and building stone. Iron ore is mined. Coal is wanting. A small amount of gold is found in the Adirondack region. AGRICULTURE. The greater portion of the state is level and fertile. Over eleven-fifteenths of the total area is used for farming purposes. Until of late New York ranked first in the Union in agricultural products. It still holds fourth place in the column of totals, and still claims the first rank in buckwheat, potatoes, milk, butter, and cheese. In order of money value the chief crops are hay, oats, potatoes, corn, buckwheat, and barley. Wheat, once the principal crop, has been resigned in favor of the western prairies. Dairy products alone are valued at about $50,000,000 a year. New York is a great fruit state. Its apples are celebrated for quality the world over. FORESTS. Lumbering is still carried on in the Adirondack region, but on a comparatively small scale. The state has set aside a forest reserve of over a million acres, and is making an attempt to replant it with trees. Hemlock, tanbark, and spruce paper pulp are obtained from this region. A state department of forests, fish, and game is doing much to prevent the further destruction of forests, to protect game in the woods, and to restock the waters with fish. Oyster fisheries on the coast of Long Island, shad in the Hudson, and trout in the Adirondacks are still sources of profit. MANUFACTURING. In manufactures New York is the leading state of the Union. The last census reported 78,658 establishments employing 849,056 persons and paying $408,855,652 in wages annually. The lack of coal is made up by the abundance of waterpower. About sixty per cent of the output, including a large share of the readymade clothing, belongs to New York City and its immediate suburbs. Utica is noted for carpets, shoes, and cotton goods; Rochester for kodaks and optical goods; Troy for collars, shirts, and cuffs; Yonkers for hose and knit underwear; gloves and mittens center at Gloversville and Johnstown; paper in the Adirondack region. It would be difficult to name an American branch of manufacturing not represented. TRANSPORTATION. The state is well supplied with railways. The principal systems are known as the New York Central, the West Shore, the Erie, the Lehigh, and the Lackawanna. A section of the Mohawk and Hudson, extending from Albany to Schenectady, seventeen miles, was built in 1831. It was the first railway in the state. Counting street and elevated railways, the total cost of lines and rolling stock, including lug engines, cars, and other equipment, was placed by the last census at the enormous total of $1,732,960,017.48. HISTORICAL. New York harbor was entered by Verrazano in 1524. Champlain explored Lake George in 1609. In the same year Hudson sailed up the river that bears his name. In 1613-14, the Dutch made their first settlements on Manhattan Island and at Albany. They called the province New Netherlands. Governors Minuit, Van Twiller, Kieft, and Stuyvesant ruled the province until, in 1664, it passed into the control of the English who changed the name to New York. During the French and Indian War New York was the scene of stirring events around Forts Oswego, William Henry, Frontenac, and Niagara. During the War of Independence the utmost efforts of the British were put forth to gain command of the Hudson Valley and cut New England off from the rest of the colonies. From the first, New York grew rapidly in population. There were over 6,000 some say 10,000, white settlers in 1664. Thirty years later there were 30,000. In 1800 there were half a million people in the state. The population in 1900 was returned at 7,268,012. Nearly one-third were foreign born. There were still 5,257 Indians, chiefly on reservations, 7,170 Chinese, and 99,232 negroes. The state census of 1905 returned 8,066,672. Seven cities, New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Troy, and Utica, have over 50,000 inhabitants each. Albany is the capital. The state sends thirty-seven representatives to Congress. New York was the twelfth of the thirteen states to adopt a written constitution after the Declaration of Independence. It has been revised repeatedly. Slavery was abolished in 1826. The New York code of law has been followed widely by the Western States. EDUCATION. The educational system of the state is very complete. The common schools are supplemented by nearly 400 public high schools and half as many private academies. There are twelve public normal schools. A system of state aid to secondary schools was long managed and examined by an educational board known as the University of the State of New York. Cornell, at Ithaca, and Columbia, in New York City, are the leading universities. Other institutions in the city are New York University and the College of the City of New York, St. Xavier, and De la Salle. Union College is situated at Schenectady; Hamilton at Clinton; Hobart at Geneva; Colgate at Hamilton; Vassar at Poughkeepsie. There are also collegiate institutions at Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester. New York has led the way also in charitable institutions. A state board of charities has jurisdiction over more than 500 institutions, local, private, and state. The oldest American penitentiary is at Sing Sing. The state led in the establishment of reformatories. STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources: Land area, square miles 47,620 Population 8,226,990 New York City (1909) 4,450,963 Buffalo 396,535 Rochester 196,793 Syracuse 125,378 Albany 100,730 Troy 77,242 Yonkers 72,200 Schenectady 73,037 Utica 69,458 Binghamton 45,855 Elmira 35,765 Auburn 34,272 Niagara Falls 32,012 Jamestown 28,495 Number counties 61 Members of state senate 51 Representatives 150 Salary of governor $10,000 United States representatives 37 Presidential electors 39 State revenue $51,000,000 Assessed valuation of property $9,228,000,000 Bonded indebtedness $26,230,000 Acres of improved land 15,600,000 Agricultural Products-- Corn, bushels 24,000,000 Wheat, bushels 7,800,000 Oats, bushels 40,000,000 Rye, bushels 2,500,000 Barley, bushels 3,000,000 Tobacco, pounds 7,258,000 Beet sugar, pounds 8,500,000 Butter, pounds 116,000,000 Cheese, pounds 130,000,000 Eggs, dozens 62,000,000 Wool, pounds 5,100,000 Grapes, pounds 2,750,000 Domestic Animals-- Horses 696,000 Mules 4,000 Milk cows 1,789,000 Other cattle 907,000 Sheep 1,131,000 Swine 669,000 Goats 1,316 Fowls 9,000,000 Miles of railway 8,336 Miles of canal 566 Exports $700,000,000 Manufactures, output $2,488,000,000 Clothing $340,000,000 Boots and shoes $34,000,000 Steel and iron $30,000,000 Hosiery and knit goods $46,000,000 Printing and publishing $140,000,000 Shirts, collars, and cuffs $30,000,000 Millinery $33,000,000 Sugar refined $116,000,000 Meat products $73,000,000 Manufacturing establishments 37,194 Capital invested $2,031,000,000 Officials 98,000 Salaries $111,000,000 Operatives 857,000 Wages $4,300,000,000 Raw material $1,348,000,000 Salt, barrels 9,642,000 Petroleum, barrels (refined) 1,176,000 Pig iron, value $33,000,000 Clay products $12,000,000 Quarry products $7,000,000 Teachers in public schools 41,197 Pupils enrolled 1,343,000 Percentage of male teachers 11.5 Average monthly salary of teachers $88.88 Average annual expenditure per pupil $51.50 See Adirondacks; Albany ; Brooklyn ; Burgoyne ; Burr ; Catskills; Central Park ; Clinton ; Cornell; Columbia University ; Cooper ; Collars And Cuffs; Erie Canal ; Fulton ; Genesee; Gloves; Greeley ; Hamilton ; Hudson ; New York City; Niagara ; Palisades; Patroon ; Rochester ; Seward ; Tammany; Van Buren ; Vanderbilt ; West Point ; Buffalo 2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: BR 2026-07-22)