Troy, New York--Home of Uncle Sam

Most Americans think of "Uncle Sam" as a nickname for the U.S. government. Residents of Troy, New York, think of Uncle Sam as a person -- namely, Samuel Wilson, who worked as a meat-packer in Troy during the War of 1812. Many believe that Wilson's nickname, "Uncle Sam," was the original inspiration for the character that now symbolizes the United States.

	Troy was Sam Wilson's home, and the Troy of today shows it. One can hardly walk around Troy without seeing signs that proudly state, "Home of Uncle Sam." One of the more stately monuments to Wilson is a statue at the corner of River St. and 3rd St. in downtown Troy. In 1989, this statue was featured on a postage stamp. Oddly, the stamp was issued not by the U.S., but by the island of St. Vincent, as part of a series of stamps that feature cartoon characters visiting American monuments. Copyright 1989 the Walt Disney Company.
	Throughout Troy, you see many reminders that Troy was the home of Uncle Sam Wilson; the city logo mentions the fact, and the logo appears everywhere from police cars to recycling bins. Even the swipe cards for the parking garage -- the Uncle Sam Atrium Parking Garage, to be specific -- remind us where Sam called home.

Uncle Sam crops up in all sorts of places throughout the Troy and the surrounding area, as you'll see in the other pages of this web site.

	See personal appearances by Uncle Sam himself -- and even Miss Uncle Sam! -- on the Parades and Pageants page.			Local artists create chalk sidewalk art, much of it featuring Uncle Sam, in Troy's Riverfront Arts Fest.
	Visit Uncle Sam's grave in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy.			Sam Wilson might have frowned on some of the Uncle Sam caricatures that adorn the signs and store-fronts of Troy's businesses...

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