Rome (pop. 32,127) is a historic city in the central part of New York. With Utica, Rome forms part of a metropolitan area of 292,264 people. Rome’s chief products are copper wire and other copper products. A United States Air Force research facility is in the city. Rome stands on the site of Fort Stanwix and is the home of the Fort Stanwix National Monument. The city was originally named Lynchville. But it was renamed Rome in 1819. Some people believe that the Stars and Stripes flew there for the first time in battle in 1777, during the Battle of Oriskany in the American Revolution. Groundbreaking for the construction of the Erie Canal took place in Rome on July 4, 1817. Today, the Erie Canal Village stands on the site of the groundbreaking. The village is a reconstruction of the area in the 1800’s. Rome was incorporated in 1870. It has a mayor-council form of government.
See also Oriskany, Battle of .
