Syracuse [key], 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.
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