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    Town of Onondaga
    Town of Onondaga
    Town of Onondaga
    Ebook184 pages53 minutes

    Town of Onondaga

    By Mary J. Nowyj

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    About this ebook

    Located in central New York, the town of Onondaga was incorporated in 1798 and currently consists of eight hamlets within a 65-mile radius. Each hamlet has contributed specifically to the town s rich history and development over the years. Originally part of the Onondaga and Salt Springs Reservations, the region was not part of the Military Tract of Central New York after the Revolutionary War. Individuals arrived for its farmlands, mills, quarries, salt production, and vast topography. A particularly fruitful crop in South Onondaga and Navarino is the apple. The first Onondaga County Courthouse was established here, as was the first county home for the poor. Onondaga Community College (OCC), built on a hilltop, has become an identifiable and highly respectable educational landmark in the town.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateAug 11, 2014
    ISBN9781439646748
    Town of Onondaga
    Author

    Mary J. Nowyj

    Mary J. Nowyj has been a resident of Onondaga Hill for 37 years and has watched the main corridor of the area change from a sleepy little town to a bustling community. She taught communication skills at OCC for 25 years, has authored articles and books on inspirational reflections, and is the current town historian. In Town of Onondaga, she captures the diverse, rich history of the various hamlets and important areas of growth over 200 years of establishment.

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      Book preview

      Town of Onondaga - Mary J. Nowyj

      Society.

      INTRODUCTION

      The Onondaga Nation was established as the center of the Iroquois Confederacy in its early years. After the Revolutionary War, in 1790, a military tract system was set up to provide free land to veterans as payment for their services. All of Onondaga County was part of that tract, except the Salt Springs Reservation and the Onondaga Indian Reservation. Much of that land was bought and confiscated as new settlers came to the area. When Onondaga Hill became the first county seat, little was known about how the town would expand over the next 200 years.

      Ephraim Webster, Asa Danforth, and Comfort Tyler, the first white settlers, inhabited what was once called Onondaga Hollow in 1788. More families arrived and began to settle in the valley area. In 1797, the state legislature developed a way to fund a turnpike that would travel westward up the Great Mountain Indian trail. The advent of a suitable road system provided a way for families to move to higher ground and extend their borders.

      The Town of Onondaga was incorporated in 1798. Onondaga Hill was the site of the first county courthouse, built in 1803. The popularity of Onondaga, or the land of many hills, as the Native Americans named it, drew many military officials to build houses and businesses that would provide for families in the surrounding area and those traveling eastward and westward. The connecting corridor of the turnpike made travel easier for many visitors, one of whom was General Lafayette, in 1825.

      Established residents who were instrumental in developing the town also became concerned with larger ideas, such as building the Erie Canal and how to help the poor and indigent population in the county. In 1827, the Onondaga County Poorhouse was erected on Onondaga Hill to provide for those less fortunate. The home was enlarged over the years with many buildings, a farm area, a carpenter house, and a small hospital, as well as living arrangements for nurses and administrators. On another hill, to the east, a tuberculosis sanatorium was constructed to take care of those stricken with the disease. The county poorhouse was moved to that site eventually and was renamed the Van Duyn Home and Hospital.

      As the town continued to grow, some individuals were interested in outlying areas, and the town began to emerge with other hamlets that were, in their own right, very prosperous. Settlers came from the New England states and from Europe to share their skills in areas such as woolen mills, lumber businesses, a broom factory, the dairy business, farming, stone quarries, apple orchards, flour mills, furriers, and a an ammunitions plant. Each hamlet provided for their own population by building businesses, churches, and schools to establish their own identity.

      Although there are various other names for these smaller regions that developed over 200 years, the major hamlets are now known by the names described within this book. These hamlets have established fire departments and various other community and social programs.

      The hamlet of Cedarvale is located near the west town line. Known for its 13 curves, Cedarvale Road winds down Onondaga Hill, heading to a flatter area and the intersection with Amber Road. Still operating is the Cedarvale Maple Syrup Company, which provides maple product goods. There was once a brewery the Cedarvale Road intersection, which later became a church. A flour mill and a lumberyard were also in the area at one time. Today, a historical marker is situated at this intersection to help preserve Cedarvale’s history.

      Howlett Hill is located on the northwestern part of Onondaga Hill. It is named after Parley Howlett, the first settler of the area, who arrived from Vermont. Another name for the area was Casetown, after the Case families, who also settled in the area.

      Navarino is located in the southwestern part of the town near Route 20. Earlier names for this hamlet were Joshua, Cradleville, and East Navarino.

      Nedrow is located in the southeastern part of the town near Route 11 South. It is in the valley area and was once called Onondaga Hollow, Onondaga Castle, and Rockwell Springs.

      Onondaga Hill is considered the center of the town. This area was where the first county courthouse and county jail were established, and where an east-to-west travel route was created by a turnpike system. This area had previously served as the center of the Iroquois Confederacy.

      Sentinel Heights is located on the eastern town line. The hamlet was previously known as Indian Orchard, the Reservation, and East Hill.

      South Onondaga is in the southern part of the town area off of Route 80. Previous names for this area were Toad’s Holler and South Hollow.

      Southwood is near the eastern part of the town, on the town line near Jamesville. This area is also very hilly and features wonderful views.

      Split Rock and Taunton are near the northern town line. The two places were once jointly called Faytown. In Split Rock, a TNT plant explosion occurred on July 2, 1918. At the time of the explosion, Split Rock and Taunton had established mills, schools, taverns, and recreational fields.

      Each hamlet has served a valuable purpose in establishing a strong community for the town of Onondaga. Much change has taken place over the years in business and population growth, to the benefit of its residents. The preservation of the town’s past

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