Welcome to Augusta

The Town of Augusta is located in the Southwest corner of Oneida County and covers about 27 square miles. Much of the town, centers around and drains into the Sconondoa Creek, which then in turn, flows northward into the Oneida River drainage basin.

The Town contains two hamlets Augusta and Knoxboro and one village, Oriskany Falls. Both hamlets flourished until the First World War. Knoxboro as the site of a lock company, a creamery and pea canning company. Hops used in the brewing of beer, was the major crop until 1911 when a mold developed in the hops crop , necessitating sulphur treatments for the soil, making hops growing quite expensive. Hops soon phased out as a local agricultural crop. While local industries have long since phased out in the hamlets, the town economy is presently based on relatively specialize prosperous dairy farms, which have evolved over the years.

The Village of Oriskany Falls is located in a steep narrow valley defined by three hills. The village developed in the valley and on the adjoining hillside near the site of the water falls of the Oriskany Creek and the swift running water which was the source of power in the Colonial Days. The village houses two industrial plants, the quarry and the mill. The mill was constructed in 1894 originally as a knitting mill, last housing Coviden, a medical supply maker. It was announced that they would be closing in late 2011. Subsequently, in December 2016 the mill was destroyed by a fire.

The quarry is currently owned by Hanson, this site is most suitable for this type of operation because of 100 foot strata of limestone lying on a horizontal lane that underlies most of the town. Since 1960 the plant operation has expanded significantly. An asphalt plant was added and in 1965 a $1.5 million rebuilding of the processing plant was done.

If you would like to get more history on the Town of Augusta, please contact the Limestone Ridge Historical Society located in the Village of Oriskany Falls at 315 821-8103.