Renaming Watertown NY to America City.
-Watertown NY By Hans Wilder
We got nothing to lose.
So I am just going to put it out there: The City of Watertown, New York, should seriously consider changing its name to America City.
Yes, America City.
Not New Watertown. Not Greater Watertown. And certainly not “The Black River Regional Innovation and Community Opportunity District,” which is the kind of name government consultants invent after six months, 17 meetings and $300,000 worth of catered sandwiches.
America City, New York.
I am not joking.
I am having some fun with the idea because I am a funny guy, and because municipal planning documents are considerably easier to digest when you occasionally check them for a pulse. But beneath the humor is a serious economic-development proposal.
A name like America City could give this region something it has never possessed: an instantly recognizable national identity.
It could help attract patriotic startups, American manufacturers, military contractors, technology companies, veterans organizations, conventions, entertainment facilities, amusement parks and tourists.
Before dismissing it, ask yourself a simple question:
What exactly do we have to lose?
Full Disclosure From the Watertown Post
This publication is called the Watertown Post.
I have spent years building that name, developing its audience and turning the website into a recognizable local news and opinion brand. If Watertown became America City, the Watertown Post might eventually disappear into the digital ether.
I would probably have to rename it the America City Post, which sounds like a newspaper Superman might read between assignments.
There would be new logos, website changes, social-media confusion and at least six months during which Google would wander around like it had misplaced its car keys.
But that is fine.
If changing the name of the city could attract investment, create jobs, fill hotels, support restaurants and give young people a reason to remain in Northern New York, protecting the name of my little online publication should not stand in the way.
I operate the Watertown Post because I care about this community, not because I believe the word “Watertown” was delivered to Moses on a third stone tablet.
Cities change. Businesses change. Publications change.
Sometimes a community must decide whether it wants to protect every detail of its present identity or build a much larger future.
Lake America Has Already Changed the Conversation
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 27, 2026, renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America for official federal use in the United States.
The order directs the secretary of the interior to work with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and take the appropriate actions to adopt Lake America across federal maps, documents and communications.
The order describes the lake as an important American economic resource that has supported exploration, settlement, commerce, defense, manufacturing, agriculture, energy and international shipping.
Whether people love the new name, hate it or need immediate treatment for maple-leaf separation anxiety, everybody is talking about it.
That matters.
Northern New York has spent decades trying to attract national attention. Now the White House has placed our lake, our history and, most importantly, our immediate neighborhood in the middle of a national conversation.
And this is where the America City proposal becomes much more than a clever name.
Sackets Harbor Is Actually Mentioned in the Executive Order
This is not a small footnote.
President Trump’s executive order specifically mentions Sackets Harbor.
The order recognizes the lake’s importance to American commerce and defense, including “shipbuilding and naval operations during the War of 1812 at Sackets Harbor and other New York posts.”
Read that again.
Sackets Harbor, right here in Jefferson County, is written directly into the presidential order renaming the lake.
That is extraordinary.
Sackets Harbor is legally its own village, but let us be honest about how we live around here. These days, it is practically a neighborhood of greater Watertown. It is about a short drive from Public Square. People live in one community, work in another, shop in Watertown, visit the harbor, use the same regional businesses and generally move back and forth without packing provisions for a transcontinental expedition.
Sackets Harbor is our historic waterfront.
Watertown is the regional city.
Fort Drum is our military anchor.
Lake America is our new national geographic identity.
Put those four elements together and you have something no marketing firm could manufacture:
America City, Fort Drum and historic Sackets Harbor on Lake America.
That is not fantasy branding. That is a genuine regional identity supported by American military history, present-day national defense and an official presidential action.
The federal government did not mention some anonymous waterfront hundreds of miles away. It mentioned Sackets Harbor, the place where the United States constructed warships, supported naval operations and defended the northern frontier during the War of 1812.
The White House handed Jefferson County a national marketing opportunity wrapped inside an executive order.
We would be crazy not to examine what we could do with it.
Read the complete Lake America executive order from the White House.
Watertown Is a Fine Name, but It Is Not a Unique Brand
Watertown received its name because of the Black River and the waterpower that attracted mills and industry in the early 1800s. The name made perfect sense at the time.
But there are Watertowns all over the country.
There is Watertown, Massachusetts; Watertown, Wisconsin; Watertown, South Dakota; Watertown, Connecticut; and several others.
Our Watertown is not even the only Watertown in New York State.
Tell someone from another part of the country that you live in Watertown, and the usual response is:
“Which one?”
Tell them you live in America City, and there will be no second question, except perhaps:
“What in the world is going on up there?”
Good. Now we have their attention.
“Watertown” describes why mills were built here two centuries ago.
“America City” describes what we could become over the next two centuries.
Imagine the National Headlines
A powerful name makes every future announcement larger:
“Veterans Technology Company Selects America City.”
“American Manufacturing Expo Coming to America City.”
“Defense Contractor Opens Facility Near Fort Drum.”
“America City Announces Lake America Convention Center.”
“National War of 1812 Museum Planned Near Sackets Harbor.”
“America City Hosts Largest Independence Day Celebration in the Northeast.”
“Lake America Adventure Park Breaks Ground.”
“Military Drone Startup Establishes Headquarters in America City.”
Every one of those headlines immediately tells a story.
Businesses spend millions of dollars attempting to manufacture a memorable identity. Here, the address itself would become part of the company’s branding.
“Made in America City, New York” would look pretty good stamped on a product.
The Patriotic Startup Capital of America
Thousands of businesses are being created around American manufacturing, military technology, domestic energy, aerospace, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and veteran ownership.
Where should those businesses locate?
They can disappear into another suburban office park outside Dallas or occupy a faceless warehouse complex somewhere in Virginia.
Or they could establish themselves in America City.
America City could actively recruit:
- Veteran-owned companies
- Defense and aerospace contractors
- Drone and counter-drone developers
- Cybersecurity firms
- Artificial-intelligence startups
- American-made clothing and consumer brands
- Military equipment manufacturers
- Energy and microreactor companies
- Satellite and space-technology firms
- Emergency-management businesses
- National veterans organizations
- Historical and educational institutions
The city could create an America City Innovation District offering startup space, light manufacturing, research facilities, workforce training and partnerships involving Jefferson Community College, Fort Drum and regional businesses.
A new name will not manufacture products or employ workers by itself.
But it can get a business owner to open the brochure, visit the website and take the meeting.
That is where development starts.
Fort Drum Gives America City Real Substance
The proposal would be little more than a publicity stunt if Watertown had no real connection to the military, national security or American defense.
But Fort Drum is right next door.
Fort Drum is home to the 10th Mountain Division and is the largest single-site employer in Northern New York. Its fiscal year 2025 economic-impact statement reported more than $2.2 billion in direct regional economic activity supporting over 39,000 soldiers, family members and civilian employees.
Since the Army began collecting this information in 1988, Fort Drum has contributed more than $38 billion to the regional economy.
That is not a decorative connection to the military. That is the economic engine of the North Country.
Read Fort Drum’s fiscal year 2025 economic-impact release.
America City could become the civilian gateway to Fort Drum and the northern center of a new military and defense corridor.
A future convention and exhibition center could host:
- Defense-technology demonstrations
- Drone and counter-drone exhibitions
- Military contractors
- Veterans conventions
- Army history conferences
- National-security forums
- American manufacturing expos
- Emergency-response training
- Outdoor and winter-warfare exhibitions
- Military-family programs
- Recruiting and employment events
When companies visit Fort Drum to demonstrate equipment or meet with Army officials, America City should be the natural place for them to stay, eat, establish offices and conduct business.
Add historic Sackets Harbor and Lake America to that equation and the region possesses a military story stretching from the War of 1812 to the modern 10th Mountain Division.
That is an incredibly strong identity.
Sackets Harbor Connects the Past to the Future
Sackets Harbor should not be treated merely as a pretty village where people go for dinner and look at the water.
It was one of the most important American military and shipbuilding centers during the War of 1812. Its history is not separate from the America City proposal. It is one of the reasons the proposal has credibility.
America City could become the modern commercial and convention center.
Fort Drum would remain the active military center.
Sackets Harbor would serve as the historic waterfront and birthplace of the region’s naval-defense story.
Lake America would connect everything.
Visitors attending a defense conference in America City could tour Fort Drum exhibits, travel to Sackets Harbor Battlefield, explore War of 1812 history and spend time along Lake America.
That creates opportunities for hotels, restaurants, museums, charter boats, historic tours, festivals, performances and waterfront businesses.
Sackets Harbor being mentioned in the executive order gives this region something rare: an official connection between a new national name and a genuine local historical site.
Most communities would spend years begging to be mentioned in a national document.
We have already been mentioned.
Now we need to be smart enough to use it.
Amusement Parks, Entertainment and Tourism
America City could create an entirely new tourism category.
Imagine a major family attraction celebrating American history, invention, exploration and military service. It could contain Revolutionary War and War of 1812 experiences, flight simulators, Great Lakes exhibits, space attractions, interactive military displays and rides based on famous moments in American history.
Yes, there should be roller coasters. We are attempting to revive an economy, not sentence visitors to three hours of municipal budget presentations.
A Lake America Adventure Park could feature maritime history, boating, fishing, shipbuilding and Great Lakes exploration.
A major America City entertainment district could contain restaurants, live music, museums, indoor attractions, hotels and venues large enough to host national performers.
A convention center could serve Northern New York while attracting military, veterans, manufacturing and patriotic organizations from across the country.
America City could hold one of the largest Independence Day celebrations in the Northeast, with events extending from Public Square to historic Sackets Harbor.
Picture the interstate sign:
AMERICA CITY
GATEWAY TO LAKE AMERICA
HISTORIC SACKETS HARBOR
HOME OF THE 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION
Tell me you would not at least take the exit.
Some travelers would buy gasoline. Some would eat lunch. Some would stay overnight. Others would return with their families. A few might decide to invest or relocate.
Tourism begins with curiosity, and America City would create plenty of it.
Cities Have Changed Their Names Before
Renaming a city is not unprecedented.
Toronto was originally established as York in 1793. On March 6, 1834, York was incorporated as the City of Toronto. The more distinctive Toronto identity separated it from the many other places using the York name. The name alone did not transform Toronto into a major international city, but choosing a recognizable identity became part of its growth.
The City of Toronto Archives confirms the 1834 change.
Hot Springs, New Mexico, made an even more dramatic move. In 1950, residents voted to rename their community Truth or Consequences after the popular NBC radio program. It began as a publicity campaign, but the unusual name stuck and produced a community identity and annual celebration that continue today.
Sierra County’s tourism organization recounts the history.
Halfway, Oregon, temporarily adopted the name Half.com as part of an agreement with an internet company. It was a publicity stunt, but it generated national attention that the tiny community could never have purchased through ordinary advertising.
Wired reported on the Half.com campaign.
Entire communities have also been deliberately planned and marketed around new identities. Reston, Virginia; Columbia, Maryland; and The Woodlands, Texas, did not simply happen by accident.
Sometimes new cities are built to create economic opportunity.
We do not need to build a new city.
Our city is already here.
Watertown Already Has the Bones of America City
Look at Watertown from above.
The city spreads outward from Public Square almost like a flower blooming. Its major roads extend from the historic center like petals, connecting neighborhoods, commercial areas and the Black River.
It is a beautiful city layout, even if we occasionally work very hard at pretending otherwise.
We already have:
- A historic central square
- Beautiful architecture
- The Black River
- Factory Square
- Thompson Park
- Established neighborhoods
- Commercial and industrial properties
- Interstate 81
- A nearby airport
- Lake America
- The Thousand Islands
- Historic Sackets Harbor
- Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division
Other developers spend billions of dollars trying to manufacture a city with character and history.
We already possess one.
America City would not be a fake municipality assembled around an outlet mall, six parking lots and a restaurant called Ye Olde Patriot Grill.
It would be a real American city with more than two centuries of history.
The Population Numbers Demand Bigger Thinking
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Watertown had 24,685 residents in the 2020 census. Its estimated population declined to 23,517 by July 2025, approximately 4.7 percent below the 2020 estimate base.
See the Census Bureau’s Watertown figures.
That decline is one reason bold ideas deserve consideration.
We can keep doing the same things, holding the same meetings and acting surprised when another census estimate moves in the wrong direction.
Or we can attempt something large enough to change the trajectory.
If a private developer proposed building an entirely new community called America City next to Fort Drum, Lake America and historic Sackets Harbor, people would call it visionary.
We already have the community.
All we lack is the vision and the name.
A Name Alone Will Not Save the City
Let us be honest.
Changing the name will not magically rescue the economy.
We cannot install new signs on Monday and expect Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Six Flags to arrive Tuesday morning carrying blueprints and ceremonial shovels.
America City would need a serious strategy behind it:
- A national campaign recruiting defense, technology and manufacturing companies
- A military and veteran business incubator
- Formal partnerships with regional schools and workforce programs
- Faster and clearer permitting for responsible development
- Redevelopment of Factory Square and other underused properties
- A convention, exhibition and entertainment complex
- Better transportation connections to Syracuse and Fort Drum
- Incentives for hotels, attractions and downtown housing
- A major annual America City festival
- Tourism promotion connecting Watertown with Sackets Harbor and Lake America
- Stronger public access to the Black River
- Cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods and attractive public spaces
- Protection of historic buildings and local character
The name would not be the entire economic-development program.
It would be the flag planted above the program.
What Would It Cost?
A serious proposal must acknowledge the complications.
Renaming the city would require legal review and formal government action. Because Watertown is an incorporated New York city, attorneys would need to determine what changes would be required to its charter and whether approval would involve local legislation, state action, a public referendum or some combination.
There would also be transition costs involving:
- Government signs and vehicles
- Maps and public records
- Business documents
- Websites and computer systems
- Postal and emergency-service databases
- Marketing materials
- Historic and archival records
Residents and businesses would need a generous transition period.
The Watertown name should also be preserved in historical institutions and places. Nobody is proposing that we load more than two centuries of history into a dumpster and haul it to Adams.
We could establish a Watertown Historic District, preserve the name in museums and recognize the original city throughout Public Square.
Changing the future does not require erasing the past.
Let the People Decide
This should not be decided by five people during a Tuesday-night meeting while everyone else is home watching television.
The city should conduct a serious feasibility study examining the legal requirements, transition costs, economic opportunities and public reaction.
Residents, business owners, historians, Fort Drum families, developers, tourism professionals and our neighbors in Sackets Harbor should all be part of the conversation.
If the proposal survives that examination, put it before the people through the appropriate legal process.
If residents reject it, Watertown remains Watertown.
If they approve it, we could create one of the most recognizable small cities in the United States:
America City, New York.
Home of the 10th Mountain Division.
Gateway to Lake America.
Neighbor to historic Sackets Harbor, specifically recognized in the presidential executive order.
Northern center for American defense, innovation, manufacturing, military history and tourism.
It sounds ambitious because it is ambitious.
For too long, communities like ours have been encouraged to think small, manage decline and wait patiently for somebody in Albany or Washington to notice that we exist.
Well, Washington just noticed us.
Sackets Harbor is written into the Lake America executive order.
Fort Drum is already one of the largest economic engines in New York State.
Watertown is already the commercial center of the region.
Lake America has already given the area a national identity.
The pieces are sitting directly in front of us.
Maybe we should stop waiting for somebody else to assemble them.
The Watertown Post might even have to change its name.
I can live with that.
America City has a pretty good ring to it.
And once again, we got nothing to lose.
About the Author
