Central New York Quiz | New York

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1. This county is named after an American Revolutionary War general. Located at the east end of the Central New York region, what is this rather uniquely shaped county?

Answer: Herkimer

Reaching from the Mohawk River well into the Adirondack Park, Herkimer county is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died in 1777 from battle wounds for his part in the famous Battle of Oriskany. Herkimer County is home to the Remington Arms Company and to the Herkimer Diamond Mines (the "diamonds" are really unusual clear quartz crystals).

2. The largest city in Central New York is Syracuse, home to Syracuse University. The university has a quite successful sports program - what colorful name do the teams go by?

Answer: Orange

The Syracuse University Orange, the collective name for their sports teams (formerly Orangemen and Orangewomen), have produced many renowned players, including football's Jim Brown, Larry Csonka and Jim Morris, and basketball's Derrick Coleman and Carmelo Anthony. Syracuse is located at the junction of interstate highways I-90 (aka "The Thruway") and I-81.

It is situated at the southeast end of Onondaga Lake, within Onondaga County. It is also home to Hancock International Airport, the region's main commercial airport.

3. An Ivy League school with nearly 20,000 students, Cornell University is located in what town, sometimes considered in NY's "Southern Tier", situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake?

Answer: Ithaca

Named after the Greek island, Ithaca has a population of around 30,000. It is (or was) home to such notables as Carl Sagan (Cosmos), Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone) and Alex Haley (Roots). It is also the scene for several movies, including "The Manhattan Project" (1986) starring John Lithgow. Cornell University boasts a student population of 13000 undergraduates and 6000 graduates.

4. Griffiss Business and Technology Park, at the site of the now-closed Griffiss Air Force Base, was once home to squadrons of fighters, strategic (nuclear) bombers, and refueling planes. For whom was this Air Base named?

Answer: Downed airman

Mistaken for an enemy, Lt Col Townsend E. Griffiss was shot down by friendly fire over England in 1942. He was the first U.S. airman to be killed in the line of duty in the European Theater of World War II. Griffiss AFB was closed down as an active air base during the Clinton Administration as part of a large military cost reduction, the so-called BRAC Realignment.

Remaining on site is Rome Labs (formerly Rome Air Development Center), one of four super labs for the Air Force. Several private companies have facilities on the former base. The base is also home to the Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), a component of NORAD. They were highly involved in monitoring the turn of events which occurred on September 11, 2001. The property is home to one of the few runways in the world capable of handling B52s - some 200 feet (60m) wide, 11820 feet (3600m) long. It was the site of the notorious 1999 Woodstock festival.

5. Oneida County is located in the eastern part of Central New York. What city, incorporated in 1832, is its county seat?

Answer: Utica

Known as "Sin City" at one time (perhaps due to its mob influence), Utica is experiencing some rather tough times, like most rust belt cities. The population is dwindling as industry moves out, but bolstered (mainly) by immigration. The immediate area is well known for its food, including the rather unique Chicken Riggies (rigatoni with chicken, peppers, onions in a spicy, creamy sauce), Greens (escarole with various other ingredients such as potatoes, sausage, hot peppers), and Half-Moon Cookies.

6. This city on Lake Ontario is sometimes known as "The Port City of Central New York". It is home to a SUNY campus. What city is this?

Answer: Oswego

The city of Oswego is also the county seat of Oswego County. The State University of New York at Oswego is located just northwest of the city proper on Lake Ontario. NBC's Al Roker graduated from SUNY Oswego, and Jerry Seinfeld attended there for two years. Oswego Speedway is a nationally-known automobile racing facility. Harborfest is a popular, 4-day event held in mid-summer every year.

7. In the Syracuse area is one of the US's more polluted lakes, one qualifying as a "Superfund" site. What lake is this?

Answer: Onondaga Lake

Onondaga Lake is in good company - along with the Buffalo area sites of Love Canal and Pfohl Brothers Landfill, and another Central New York site, Griffiss Air Force Base, it's one of four "Superfund" sites in New York. Most people will not swim in the lake, and eating fish from it is not generally recommended. On the good side, the park surrounding the lake is a pleasant place to picnic, rollerblade, hike, etc. and is home to "Lights on the Lake", an annual, wintertime drive-through lightshow event with a Christmas theme, sponsored by local companies.

8. Many Native American tribes across the US are involved in various legal procedures, in attempts to better their economic and social positions. Which tribe has the most effect on the Central New York Region?

Answer: Oneida

The Oneida Indian Nation is in a fight over the status of what the Nation claims is ancestral land and over the collection of taxes. The various native American peoples in the US have rather unique positions - considered "sovereign nations" by the US Government - and they are understandably using this status to their advantage, often to the detriment of the businesses and residents of local towns.

In 1993, the Oneidas opened the quite successful Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY, just off exit 33 on the NYS Thruway. It's interesting that the state of New York finds it difficult to force the Oneidas to pay taxes, yet somehow does have the control over whether the Nation can run a gambling establishment. Note that the state does allow the Oneidas to run a casino, but non-Indian NY residents cannot - another bone of contention. The state also seems to have the right to continue to deny (so far) the Oneidas a liquor license.

9. In the early 1800s, then NY Governor DeWitt Clinton, when approached with the idea for the Erie Canal by entrepreneur Jesse Hawley, was considerably interested. With what derogatory name was the canal referred in its early days?

Answer: Clinton's Ditch

Hawley was an entrepreneur who went bankrupt trying to ship upstate grain to New York City. He knew there had to be a better way, and that way was a canal along upstate NY's Mohawk river. He managed to convince Governor Clinton, who in turn convinced the state legislature to hand over $7million in 1817 to build the canal.

The canal was a resounding success, needing expansion almost immediately. It was improved several times over the years, culminating with the so-called "Barge Canal". Today, the canal system carries very little commercial traffic - activity mainly comprises fishing and personal pleasure craft use.

10. The film and book "The Wizard of Oz" was written by L. Frank Baum who was born in Chittenango, NY. What did the town do as a tribute to the author?

Answer: A brick sidewalk was installed and painted yellow

The classic story "The (Wonderful) Wizard of Oz" was written by Baum and originally published in 1900. In 1939 it was made into an extremely popular, highly acclaimed film version. The sidewalk along NY Route 5 in the village of Chittenango, NY was made of bricks which were painted yellow.

Originally installed in 1982, this is was replaced in 2007 due to wear and tear. It is now concrete path, patterned and colored yellow to resemble brickwork.

Source: Author mike32768

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Central New York Trivia Quiz

Downstate, NYC, the Albany area, Buffalo, Rochester - they all get a lot of attention. We CNYers love our area - maybe you can learn a bit about our region with this quiz.

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