Mohawk Valley

Located along the Mohawk River, the Mohawk Valley is the ancestral homeland of the Mohawk and the Oneida Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

The central location of the Mohawk River provided a valuable strategic
location for the Colonial Army during the American Revolution, with significant turning points in the war occurring at the Battle of Oriskany (1777) in Oneida County and the Battle of Johnstown (1781) in Fulton County.

Whether by way of the river, railroad, or the Erie Canal, effective and efficient transportation helped establish manufacturing cities throughout the counties. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the valley was a booming center of textile, leather, glove, furnace, and milling industries.

Although most of these industries had closed by the mid-twentieth century, the valley has seen renewed prosperity as industries evolve and technology advances. Today, the region is a key distribution hub with centers built around industrial machinery services and information and technology centers such as the Masonic Medical Research Institute in Utica and the Marcy Nanocenter at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

Top image: The Mohawk River flows near the city of Amsterdam in Montgomery County. At 149 miles long, it is the largest tributary of the Hudson River.