Syracuse , city (1990 pop. 163,860), seat of Onondaga co., central N.Y., on Onondaga Lake and the Erie Canal; settled c.1788, inc. as a city 1848. It is a port of entry, and its many manufactures include electrical and electronic equipment, automobile and aircraft parts, chinaware, shoes, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. Salt springs were discovered there in 1654. Saltmaking, the city's chief industry until after the Civil War, declined under competition. However, Syracuse's location on the Erie Canal (opened there in 1819) and on rail lines stimulated industry. The city is the seat of Syracuse Univ., Le Moyne College, and the State Univ. of New York Upstate Medical Univ. Cultural facilities include the Everson Museum of Art, a salt museum, and an Erie Canal museum. An annual state fair has been held there since 1841. Nearby is Hancock International Airport, the Onondaga Reservation, and New York's first modern casino, run by the Oneidas. Recreational lakes and streams are abundant in the area.

Syracuse: Introduction

Syracuse, once the capital of the powerful Iroquois Confederacy under Chief Hiawatha, is located in the heart of New York State. The city's strategic central location and well developed transportation network have earned it the nickname "Crossroads of New York State." An important industrial and commercial hub, Syracuse also boasts an excellent education network and cultural and recreational opportunities to rival any major city. Massive urban renewal programs begun in the 1960s have transformed the downtown area into a bustling commercial and residential center. Syracuse lies near Onondaga Lake in the famed Finger Lakes region; the Iroquois believed that the lakes were formed when the Great Spirit placed his hand on some of the most beautiful land ever created.