State Facts

Delta Phi, the oldest continually operated fraternity, is located at Union College.  Sigma Phi was also started on this campus. 
 

Joseph Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857. 
 

New York was the first state to require license plates for cars. 
 

The first American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843. 
 

Jell-O, marshmallows, French’s Mustard, and gold teeth were all developed in Rochester. 
 

The “New York Post,” founded in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton, is the oldest running newspaper in the United States. 
 

Hartsdale has a pet cemetery that contains over 12,000 plots. 
 

The longest game in baseball history was played between Rochester and the Pawtucket Red Socks.  The game lasted a total of 33 innings. 
 

L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, lived in Chittenago.  The city now has a yellow brick road and many other Oz-themed businesses, including an annual Munchkin parade. 
 

Niagara Reservation became the first state park in the U.S. 
 

The world’s smallest church, only 3.5X6 feet, is located in Oneida. 
 

The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world to flow south to north. 
 

The first women's rights convention met at Seneca Falls in 1848.
 

New York has the most extensive public library facilities in the United States, including the New York Public Library, one of the nation's largest.
 

In 1971 the bloodiest prison rebellion in U.S. history resulted in the deaths of 43 people at the Attica State Correctional Facility.