Ithaca, New York

The city of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca in Homer's Odyssey) sits on the southern shores of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York.

History

The original inhabitants of the Ithaca area were the Cayuga Indians, who formed part of the Iroquois confederation. They were driven from the area by the Sullivan Expedition, which opened the region to settlement by people of European origin, a process which began in 1789. In 1790, an official program began for distributing land in the area as a reward for service to the American soldiers of the Revolutionary War.

Related Topics:
Cayuga Indians - Iroquois confederation - Sullivan Expedition - 1789 - 1790

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In the 1820s and 1830, Ithacans held high hopes of becoming a major city, during a canal and railroad boom. These hopes collapsed in the depression of 1837, and the city has always remained small.

Related Topics:
1820s - 1830 - Canal - Railroad - 1837

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Cornell University was founded by Ezra Cornell in 1865. Ezra Cornell also established a public library for the city. Ithaca College was founded as the Ithaca Conservatory of Music in 1892.

Related Topics:
1865 - 1892

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During the early 20th century, Ithaca was an important center in the silent film industry. The most common type of film produced was the cliffhanger serial, and the films often featured the local natural scenery. Eventually the film industry centralized in Hollywood, which offered the possibility of year-round filming, and film production in Ithaca effectively ceased. Few of the silent films made in Ithaca are preserved today.

Related Topics:
Silent film - Serial - Hollywood

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