Have you ever heard of the little town in upstate New York called Philadelphia? In this post, learn how this place got its name, and whether it’s name has anything to do with the other Philadelphia.
Of course, the first thing that you might think about when you hear the name “Philadelphia” is that famous town in Pennsylvania. You know, the place where you can see the Liberty Bell, the place where the constitution was signed, and even get an authentic cheesesteak sandwich – all in one day.
Well, the Philadelphia that we will talk about in this article is not that Philadelphia. It’s another, very different, town with the same name, which is one of at least six towns or cities in the United States called by that name.
Where is Philadelphia, New York?
Philadelphia is located in Jefferson County, about 17 miles north of Watertown, NY on US Hwy 11. This town is so far north that if you start in the middle of the downtown area, you can be in Canada in 25 minutes.
Even with the northern climate, Philadelphia New York is very beautiful in the summer. It’s also not far from some great rivers, lakes, even the Adirondack Mountains.
How did Philadelphia New York get its name?
Philadelphia, New York, was settled by a group that included Quakers who had been living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These first Quaker families to settle in what is now known as Philadelphia, NY, chose the name “Philadelphia”, presumably because it was the name of where they came from in Pennsylvania.
The early Quaker settlers arrived around 1804, but the town was not officially formed until 1821. Many of these early residents of the town were buried in the Quaker Cemetery, which still exists along the banks of the Indian River near the downtown area of Philadelphia NY.
Is Philadelphia Cream Cheese named after Philadelphia, New York?
According to most experts, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was not named after Philadelphia, New York, even though the cheese originated nearby. Instead, the story goes that the creator of the cheese named it Philadelphia Cream Cheese because that region of Pennsylvania was known for its quality dairy products.
The question about cream cheese comes up a lot once people realize that there is more than one Philadelphia, since the other (bigger!) city is much more well-known. Plus, since the cream cheese is actually made pretty close to the New York Philadelphia, it isn’t such a silly thing to wonder about.
Not everyone knows that upstate New York, especially North Country, has a very robust dairy industry. Much of the milk for the production of Philadelphia Cream Cheese at the Lowville, NY Kraft-Heinz factory comes from dairy farms in the region.
Conclusion
I hope that this post has helped you understand more about how the unique town of Philadelphia, NY got its name. It’s a pretty cool story.
If you have any questions about something that you read here, please ask below and I’ll see if I can answer it for you.
Thanks for stopping by and reading today!