The History of The Irish...Worldwide
'One Great Irish Spot': Syracuse's Tipp Hill - Where Green Goes on Top
After the Erie Canal was finished, many Irish people settled west of Syracuse on a hill overlooking the canal. This area became known as Tipperary Hill. When the city first installed traffic signal lights in 1925, they placed one at a major intersection in the main business district on Tipperary Hill, at the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. Local Irish youths, incensed that the “British" red appeared above the "Irish" green, threw stones at the signal and broke the red light. John "Huckle" Ryan, then alderman of the Tipperary Hill section, requested that the traffic signal be hung with the green above the red in deference to the Irish residents. This was done, but soon New York State stepped in, and city officials reversed the colors.
The red lights were again broken regularly. Members of a group called Tipperary Hill Protective Association addressed the town rulers. On March 17, 1928, Commissioner Bradley met with Tipp Hill residents, who told him that the light would continue to be vandalized. The city leaders relented, and green was again above the red light, where it remains. It is said to be the only traffic light in the U.S. where the green light is on top. At the site is a statue commemorating the StoneThrowers.
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Comment by Jim Curley on March 19, 2014 at 6:01am
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That pix's a hoot. Manually operated electric light signals, old flivers,trolley tracks
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 19, 2014 at 7:50am -
The Irish laborers helped to build the Erie Canal and gravitated to the hill on the Far Westside of Syracuse beginning in the mid 19th century. They settled in the south of the old village of Geddes, before it was annexed into the city, and lived on top of the hill overlooking what was later called "Automobile Row" where industries like Franklin Automobile Company and Onondaga Pottery abounded. The men would walk down from the hill on their way to work each day at the factories east of Tipperary Hill that lined Geddes, Fayette, Marcellus and Oswego streets on the city's Near Westside. To the north, Solvay Process Company provided many jobs to local residents in the manufacture of soda ash on the shores of Onondaga Lake.[4] Many Irish were also employed in the local salt mills on the North side of Geddes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_in_Syracuse,_New_York
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 23, 2014 at 10:35pm -
Spirit of Light or Spirit of Power by Clayton Frye (1932).
Where in Syracuse?
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The Niagara-Mohawk building on W. Erie Blvd., downtown Syracuse. Beautiful Art Deco.
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 24, 2014 at 9:12am -
Spot on Jim.
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Admin Comment by Fran Reddy on March 24, 2014 at 2:37pm -
Interesting story Jim!
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 25, 2014 at 1:16pm -
Pioneer Irish of Onondaga: (about 1776-1847) Read about them here
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 26, 2014 at 4:06pm -
The Old Oval athletic field, Syracuse University, ca. 1898-1907. (Syracuse University Archives) Is this the former site of the Carrier Dome?
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Founding Member Comment by Nollaig 2016 on March 26, 2014 at 4:35pm -
I wonder if Maria Fleming Davis, Mother of the famous Ernie Davis (The fieldturf at the dome is dedicated to him) might have Irish roots. The Fleming name came to Ireland from Flanders about 1171.
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