Have you ever heard of the town named Poland, New York? In this post, you will learn how this town got its name, and what it was called before its modern designation.
Poland is a quaint town located in the Adirondack region of New York. A 20-minute drive from downtown Utica, it has a population of just over 500 people and sits on the shores of West Canada Creek.
The first time I heard of Poland, I was driving from the Watertown area to Lake George. Since many of my ancestors were Polish, I immediately wondered if this cute little town was named after the country of Poland.
Is Poland NY named after the country?
Yes, Poland, New York is named after the country of Poland. According to most sources, this is the only place in the United States that is named Poland after the country of Poland and not so named because of a person.
For example, there is a town in Ohio named Poland, but it is named after a person whose name was George Poland. Sure, it has the name of Poland, but the name has nothing to do with the country.
So, Poland, NY has an interesting name that was chosen for a unique reason.
When was Poland NY founded?
The village of Poland, New York was founded in 1890. This fact is interesting to know because the country of Poland, with the current name and borders that we know it by today, was not formed until the 1900s.
This fact can cause a bit of confusion, since many people might wonder how the town of Poland could be named after a country that didn’t technically exist yet. As it turns out, the country of Poland had existed for many years at a previous time in history.
For several hundred years, a Kingdom of Poland existed that had borders similar to what we know as Poland today. By the 1500’s, English speakers were referring to this part of the world using the word “Poland”.
This might sound like an ancient history lesson, but it’s really relevant to understanding why Poland has the name that it does.
There is a little town called Russia, NY that is located near Poland. When the town of Poland was founded in the 1890s, it was located southwest of the town of Russia.
Back in the 19th century, Poland was immediately adjacent to Russia. The countries of Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine did not exist as independent countries at that time, which is why Poland and Russia shared a border.
Since this new little town was so close to Russia in New York, the story goes that they decided to name it Poland.
What was Poland NY called before?
Poland was not the first name for this town in Herkimer County. There were at least three different names for the town given by European-American settlers: Danielsville, Maple Valley, and Russia Flats.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans to North America, Poland, or the surrounding area, may have been known by a different name. The people of the Oneida Nation and the Mohwak peoples lived in the region, as Poland appears to be located on the edge of both of those tribes’ traditional territories.
Who chose the name of Poland for the town in Herkimer County?
According to the town of Poland, the postmaster of the town’s post office was who decided that the town’s name should be changed from Danielsville because the name was too similar to another town in New York called Dansville. The exact nature of the decision making process that led to the name Poland is unknown, but it is likely that there were many townspeople who were consulted for the name change.
Conclusion
I hope that this article answered all of your questions about how Poland, NY in Herkimer County got its really cool name. If you ever get the chance to drive through the Adirondacks, there are some beautiful natural places near the town of Poland that are absolutely worth visiting.
If you have any questions about Poland, NY (or even Poland the country, ha!) I will try to answer them for you. Join in the discussion below.
Thanks for reading!