Finger Lakes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Finger Lakes are glacially formed lakes in upstate New York, mainly linear in shape, each lake oriented on a north-south axis. The longest, Cayuga Lake, is 40 miles (64 km) from end to end, but never more than 3.5 miles (5,600 m) wide and not atypical in shape, reminding early map-makers of the fingers of a hand. Considering their narrow width, both Cayuga and Seneca Lakes have a remarkable trait; they rival much larger Lake Ontario for depth, each more than 400 feet (122 m) deep.
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[edit] Lakes
The 11 Finger Lakes from east to west:
- Otisco Lake
- Skaneateles Lake
- Owasco Lake
- Cayuga Lake
- Seneca Lake
- Keuka Lake
- Canandaigua Lake
- Honeoye Lake
- Canadice Lake
- Hemlock Lake
- Conesus Lake
Oneida Lake, to the northeast of Syracuse, New York, is sometimes included as the "thumb," although it is shallow and somewhat different in character from the rest. Onondaga Lake, though located just north of the Finger Lakes region, is not considered one of the Finger Lakes. Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, and Otisco are considered the minor Finger Lakes. Other, smaller lakes, including Silver, Waneta, and Lamoka Lakes, dot this region.
[edit] Region
Roughly the western half of the Finger Lakes region comprised the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of 1790, the largest land purchase in the world to that date. The Finger Lakes region, together with the Genesee Country of Western New York, has been referred to as the Burned-Over District, where, in the 19th century, the Second Great Awakening was a revival of Christianity, and some new religions were also formed.
The Finger Lakes region is an important agricultural belt of New York. The state land grant institution is Cornell University. Its alma mater begins "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", because it is on the hills overlooking the city of Ithaca and the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Cornell also maintains the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and horticultural gene bank at Geneva on the north end of Seneca Lake.
The rolling land between the lakes is occupied with dairy farms, many of them owned by Amish and Mennonite families. These farms raise corn, hay, wheat, oats, barley, and soybeans. Cabbages, sweetcorn, and potatoes are major vegetable crops. Maple syrup and honey are also local products.
Most of the area was originally forested with oak, hickory,maple, chestnut, ash, hemlock, and beech trees, but the Iroquois maintained, by annual burning, the land between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes as prairie, with herds of bison, normally thought of as a western animal. Today the Finger Lakes area is still known for fishing and hunting. Winter sports are also popular, with skiing, snowmobling and ice fishing available.
The southern ends of the lakes are characterized by steeper hills and glacial hanging valleys which are tributaries that drop steeply to the lake, often with waterfalls. Taughannock Falls State Park, Fillmore Glen, and Watkins Glen are especially scenic examples that have been made into parks. The Village of Watkins Glen is a producer of table salt and the site of an auto racing course.
[edit] History
Hammondsport was the home of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, and the favorable air currents make the area a popular spot for glider pilots. Elmira, just to the south, was the home of Mark Twain in his later life, and the site of an infamous Civil War prison. Corning is most noted as the home of Corning Glass Works. Hornell, just southwest of the Finger Lakes was a major railroad center. Locomotives were repaired there until recently.
On the northern end of the Finger Lakes is also Seneca Falls, the birthplace of the Women's suffrage movement, Waterloo, the birthplace of Memorial Day, and Palmyra, the birthplace of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. An annual outdoor drama, The Hill Cumorah Pageant, produced by the Mormons draws thousands of visitors each year.
[edit] Wine
The Finger Lakes is New York's largest wine producing region. Numerous wineries and vineyards are located in the region, prinicipally centered around Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Keuka Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Retaining residual summer warmth in the winter, and winter's cold in the spring, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during grape formation, and early frost before the harvest. With the passage of the Farm Wineray Act in 1978, countless numbers of wineries have opened their doors to visitors from all over the world.
[edit] Educational institutes
The area is also known for education, with the largest institution being Cornell University in Ithaca. There are also the State Universities of New York at Geneseo and Cortland, Ithaca College in Ithaca, Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, Wells College in Aurora, Keuka College, New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, and several community colleges.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
