r A BRIEF n3 GEOG R A P H Y Cj' / ' / FKKfAKHU FOR ) H F TSK OI PUBLIC SCHOOLS C. W: BAR DEE N, ;-::1- tlio "!*ieli<>ol « 111 lot! J SYKAi USE, N. V.- Davis, BaRDEEN & Co.. I'Ur.LISIIFRS ISTK. CopyrlgUr, 1ST9. 15v C. W. BAKDiiEN. PREFACE. Though I have for some time had in view the preparation of a special geography some- thing like this, its issue just now is due to the perseverance of Commissioner Newman, who first persuaded me to promise to get it ready for the fall Institute, and then by very cour- teous bilt very persistent reminders saw to it that I kept my promise. My confidence in its accuracy is based on the fact that there is nothing original in it. I have consulted and cribbed from every authority I could lay hands on, doing so with less hesitation be- cause they had very freely done the same by Clark's history of Onondaga and by each other. The standard gazetteer of the State is of course French's. Though published twenty years ago, it is still of great value. For some unexplained reason the revision of French's edited, by Dr. Hough, and issued in 1874, has never been generally offered for sale. The IV PREFACE. copy I have was picked up in a second liand book store, and is the only copy I have ever seen. It omits much that was interesting in French's, however, and contains many glar- ing blunders, giving for instance 342 as the population of South Onondaga, and 2,761 as that of Mottville. Much the best sketch of the county is found in the Transactions of the New York State Agricultural Society for 1859, pp. 218 to 352, and was prepared by Hon. George Geddes. Of the last county history the less said the better, and yet I have got some facts out of it. The statistics are mostly from the State Census for 1875. For assistance and suggestion I am especially in- debted to E. P. Howe, formerly school com- missioner. I have also made free use of the First annual Statement issued by the Syra- cuse Board of Trade. The accompanying map has been transferred and corrected by Mr. Griffin from that pre- pared by H. D. L. Sweet and published in the county atlas. We have spared no ex- pense to make it reliable, convenient and at- tractive. Wall-maps of the county were pub- lished in 1853 (43 X 56), and i860 (64 x 67). PREFACE. . V Copies of either of them may still be purchased of Davis, Bardeen & Co., at prices varying from 5octs. to $5.00, according to the condi- tion they are in. There may be some question as to whether this work is very well done: I think there is. But there is no question as to the importance of home geography, and, I hope the ready sale of this preliminary edition will prepare the way for something better. Syracuse, Oct. 4, 1879. C. W. Bardeen. INDEX. I. POSITION 9 11. OUTLINE ■ 9 III. EXTENT '. lo IV. SURFACE lo V. RIVERS II VI. LAKES 12 VII. CLLMATE I4 VIII. NATURAL ADVANTAGES 15 Mineral 15 Agricultural 16 IX. TOWNS 19 Camillus 24 Cicero 20 Clay 19 Dewitt 25 Elbridge 24 Fabius • • 22 •Geddes * * 25 LaFayettee 26 Lysander ^9 Manlius 20 Marcellus 27 Onondaga 27 Otisco 26 VIU INDEX. Pompey 21 Salina 25 Skaneateles 23 Spaftbrd 23 Tully 22 VanBureii 24 Statistics 28 X, CITY AND VILLAGES 29 Syracuse 29 Villages 31 XL RAILROADS AND CANALS 32 Railroads 32 Erie Canal 33 Oswego Canal 34 XIL EDUCATION 35 Syracuse University 37 Academies 35 Syracuse 3^ District Schools 36 SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS 37 GEOGRAPHY OF ONONDAGA COUNTY. I. Position. Onondaga County is almost in the geographical centre of the State. It is nearly bisected by the parallel of 43° North Latitude, arid extends about 15' north and south of the same, Syracuse is there- fore not quite as far north of the equator as is the city of Marseilles, in France. In longitude, the county lies mostly be- tween the meridians 76° and 76° 30' west from Greenwich. Syracuse is 48' 11'' east4?f Wash- ington. Its land boundaries, separating it from Os- wego, Madison, Cortland and Cayuga Coun- ties, are all straight lines. Seneca River, Cross Lake, the Oswego and Oneida Rivers, Chit- tenango Creek, Big and Skaneateles Lakes also form part of its boundaries. II. Outline. Its general outline is that of a square, with its north-east and south- west corners clipped off. lO ONONDAGA COUNTY. III. Extent. Its extreme length is a little more than 33 miles ; its extreme width a little less than 30 miles. Its average length and width are 30 and 26 miles. It contains 812 square miles, or g\ of the entire area of the State. IV. Surface. Its surface is naturally di- vided into two nearly equal parts by an east and west line, the northern two-fifths being nearly level, and the southern three-fifths broken by ranges of hills gradually sloping to a height of about 1,000 feet on the southern border. These hills are divided into five distinct ridges, all having a general north and south direction, and separated by narrow and deep valteys. (i.) The most eastern of these ridges en- ters the town of Manlius from the east, and extends northward to the Erie Canal, the val- ley of Limestone Creek forming its western boundary. (2.) The second ridge lies be- tween the valleys of Limestone and Butternut Creeks. In Pompey this range attains an el- evation of 1,743 feet above tide. The lower or northern portion of this ridge is subdivided RIVERS. 1 I by the deep valley of the west tfranch of the Limestone Creek. (3.) The third range lies between the valleys of Butternut and Onon- daga Creeks. Its highest point, in LaFayette, is several hundred feet lower than the hills of Pompey. ' (4.) The fourth range lies between Onondaga and Nine Mile Creeks. The high- est point, in Otisco, is but a few feet lower than the highest point of Pompey. (5.) The fifth range lies between Nine Mile Creek and Skaneateles Lake and Outlet. Its highest point, Ripley Hill, in Spafford, is 1,971 feet above tide. The declivities of these hills are generally steep, but their summits are rolling. V. Rivers. Seneca River, a broad, deep stream draining nearly all the small lakes in central New York, enters the county from the west, passing through Cross Lake and within half a mile of Onondaga Lake, and after forming almost the entire southern and eastern boundary of Lysander, unites with the Oneida River at Three River Point to form the Oswego. All three of these rivers are navigable, and with Oneida Lake they 12 ONONDAGA COUNTY. form part of the chain of internal navigable waters of the State. By the Seneca River they are connected with Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, and by the Oswego Canal with Lake Ontario on the north and Erie Canal on the south. Chittenango Creek, on the eastern bound- ary, affords valuable water power at Bridge- port. Limestone, Butternut, Onondaga, Nine Mile andSkaneateles Creeks, running north through the five deep valleys of the county, flow over frequent perpendicular ledges and through narrow ravines, forming beautiful cascades. The first two unite and flow into Chittenango Creek ; the next two flow into Onondaga Lake ; the Skaneateles crosses into Cayuga County just before emptying into the Seneca River. While all these streams and their tributa- ries flow north, emptying into the St. Law- rence, several small streams in the southern part of the county form the head waters of * the Tioughnioga River, and flow through the Susquehanna River into Chesapeake Bay. VL Lakes. Oneida Lake has a surface of LAKES. 13 57,000 acres. Its surface is 369 feet above tide, and its depth about 60 feet. It flows through the Oneida River into the Oswego, and thus into Lake Ontario. Onondaga Lake is 361 feet above tide and 65 feet deep. It is six miles long and averages a mile and a quarter in width. It empties through Onondaga Outlet into Seneca River. Otisco Lake is 772 feet above, tide and shallow. It is 3^ miles long and a little more than half a mile wide. The hills about it rise abruptly ten or twelve hundred feet. It empties through Nine Mile Creek into Onondaga Lake. Skaneateles Lake is 860 feet above tide, and in the middle 320 feet deep. It is 16 miles long, and more than a mile wide, and is perhaps the most beautiful sheet of water in Central New York. The northern half is inclosed by banks that slope gently to the water, but the southern half lies between abrupt hills that rise to nearly two thousand feet above tide. Cross Lake is shallow, and so called be- cause the Seneca River runs through or ac7^oss 14 ONONDAGA COUNTY. it. It is five miles long and about a mile wide. Lake Sodom, in Manlius, of late a favorite pic-nic resort under the name of "Green Lake,"^ is 44 feet above Onondaga Lake, nearly cir- cular, one-fourth mile wide, and 156 feet deep. The surface of the water being 150 feet be- low the top of the banks that in circular form surround it, the entire excavation is 300 feet deep. A lower lake in the same valley, connected with it by a small brook, is quite like the up- per, except in form, and is 165 feet deep. Green Lake, near Jamesville, is situated in what seems to have been a bay in a rock- bound coast. It has a surface of about ten- acres of deep green water, 60 feet deep, and 200 feet below the top of the walls which en- circle it except on the east side. Immediately north of it is another excavation similar in form and 200 feet deep, but holding no water. VII. Climate. The average annual range of the thermometer in the county is 96°, while for the State generally it is 104°. The tem- perature of Onondaga County is therefore les& variable than in most of the State. Observa- tions taken for more than 60 years at Fair- mount, 520 feet above tide, marked 94° but NATURAL ADVANTAGES. 1 5 once, and on the coldest days seldom failed to rise above zero. Though Pompey was re- ported by Mr. Coffin to be in its average temperature the coldest place reported in the State, colder even than those in the northern counties, it was remarked that the thermom- eter does not sink so low there in winter, or frosts occur so early as in the State generally. The mean temperature of the State gener- ally is 46.49°; That of Onondaga Valley is 47.18°; and may be considered that of the northern or level portion of the county. That of Pompey is 42.84°, and may be considered that of the southern portion of the county. The length of the summer season in the State generally, reckoning from the first bloom of the apple trees to the first killing frost, is 174 days. In Onondaga County it is 174 to 180 days. Long Island has iS6% days and St. Lawrence County 152 days. VIII. Natural Advantages. The re- markable natural feature of Onondaga Coun- ty is its salt wells. These are in the deep valley about' Onondaga Lake, and are 150 to 400 feet deep. The water is pumped up and evaporated either by exposure to the sun pro- ducing solar salt, or by boiling in kettles, producing fine salt. l6 ONONDAGA COUNTY. Above the red shales of the salt wells are found the green or gypseous shales, forming a surface rock in an irregular belt across the county, mostly just south of the Erie Canal, with a branch extending up the valley of Onondaga Creek, widening out in Camillus and Elbridge to a breadth of nearly fifteen miles. The principal beds of gypsum are in Marcellus, DeWitt, Onondaga, Camil- lus and Elbridge. Water-lime appears above the gypseous shales, and is found in largest quantities at Brown's saw mill, a mile south of Manlius, in Onondaga Valley, and at Split Rock quarry. Butternut Creek, below James- ville exposes it in masses. This stone when burned and ground is used for cement. It readily hardens under water, and may be used in all places exposed to continual damp- ness. It was used in constructing the locks in the Erie Canal. The chief building stone of the county is the Onondaga Limestone, which is quarried extensively especially at Split Rock, and south of Onondaga Valley. In variety, strength and fertility, and in all the elements of perpetual productiveness, the soil of Onondaga County is not surpassed in NATURAL ADVANTAGES. l^ the State. It is extensively derived from the decomposition of the underlying rocks ; but the northern towns are nearly all covered with drift and their soil is generally a light sandy loam, alternating with heavy clay. The vast deposits of lime upon the hills go far toward enriching the soil of the valleys. In the central and northern portions the marshes are covered many feet thick with peat and muck formation, formed by the decaying veg- etation of centuries, and furnishing the ele- ments of almost boundless future fertility. By the census of 1875, Onondaga County had 373,516 acres of improved farming land, valued at $37,251,541, or nearly $100 an acre, and producing crops selling for $3,677,933, or nearly $10 per acre. The entire State had 15,875,552 acres valued at $1,221,472,277, or less than $77 an acre, and producing crops "selling for $121,187,467, qr about $7.63, per acre. The average yield per acre of the various crops for the whole State and for On- ondaga County is thus given in the census of 1875: l8 ONONDAGA COUNTY. Crop. Whole State. Onon. Co. Hay, tons, - 1.13 1-34 Barley, bushels, - 22.83 25.13 Buckwheat " - 15.14 16.05 Indian Corn, bush. 32.33 35-90 Oats, bushels - 28.59 - 32.46 Rye, " - - 11.82 13-94 Spring Wheat, bush. 12.19 - 14.53 Winter Wheat " 16.16 18.49 Hops, lbs., - 489.64 - 575-oi Potatoes, bushels 102.22 118.07 The amount of each crop raised per one hundred acres of improved land. is thus given : Crop. Whole State. Onon. Co. Barley, bushels, - 30.4 69.9 Indian Corn, bush. 127.8 - 2399 Oats, " 239.2 - 353-4 Rye, " 19.2 - - - Z-^ Spring Wheat, " 7.4 13.0 Winter " " 56.8 - 141-9 Potatoes, " 230.8 - 293.5 Hops, lbs., - - §7.2 - - 45-0 Wool, " - 41.6 - 61.0 Hay, tons, - - 34.27 - 35-42 TOWNS. 19 IX. Towns. Onondaga county contains 19 towns and one city. Lysander. This is the northeastern town of the county. Its surface is level and some- what swampy in the east and gently rolling in the west. The Seneca and Oswego Rivers form its south and east bounderies. In the southwest part is a slight fall in the Seneca River known as Jack's Reef, where much money has been expended for deepening the channel to drain the marshes near the outlet of Cayuga Lake. At Baldwinsville a fall of 7 feet gives excellent water power. The soil is equal to any in the county for farming pur- poses. The post-offices are Baldwinsville, Lamsons^ Little Utica, Lysander and Plainville. Ly- sander post-office is usually known as Betts' Corners. Jacksonville is a small village in the north-west. West Phoenix is a hamlet in the north-east part opposite the Village of Phoenix in Oswego County. Clay. This is a central town on the north- ern border. It is bounded on the east by the Seneca and on the north by the Oneida Riv- ers. Both streams are sluggish, and along 20 OIvTONDAGA COUNTY. the latter is an extensive swampy region cov- ered with peat beds which are to some extent worked for fuel. The soil is clay and light sandy loam, producing excellent fruit, pota- toes, onions and tobacco. The post-offices are Cigarville, Clay, Euclid, Plank Road, Woodard and Young. Clay post-office is commonly known as Belgium Village, and Plank Road post-office as Cen- treville. Three River Point i» situated at the junction of the Seneca, Oneida and Oswego Rivers. Caughdenoy is at the extreme north point in town. Cicero. This is the north-east town of the county, and lies upon Oneida Lake. Its sur- face is level or slightly undulating, and an extensive swamp in the south-eastern part oc- cupies four thousand acres, or nearly one- third of the entire surface of the town. An- other extensive swamp extends along the lake shore west of South Bay. The town is largely devoted to dairying. The post-offices are Brewerton and Cicero. Manliiis. This town lies on the eastern border and has a surface of great variety, con- taining some of the most beautiful and pic- turesque scenery in the county. Lake Sodom TOWNS. 2 1 and its companion already referred to, the water-fall on the East Branch of Limestone Creek, and Deep Spring, are all noted places of resort. In the west part are extensive quarries of water lime, quick lime and gypsum. The soil is a deep, fertile alluvial in the north, and a sandy and clayey loam in the south. The post-offices are Fayetteville, Kirkville, Manlius, Manlius Centre, Manlius Station and North Manlius, sometimes called Math- ews Mills. High Bridge is a small village with excellent water power. Eagle Village and Hartsville are hamlets. Po7npey. This town is located upon the great dividing ridge from which the waters flow north into the St. Lawrence and south into Chesapeake Bay. Its surface is princi- pally the high, rolling ridge which lies be- tween the East Branch of Limestone Creek and Butternut Creek. The summit, the grave- yard at Pompey Hill, is 906 feet higher than Butternut Creek, 1,143 ^^^^ above the Erie Canal, and 1,743 feet above tide. The gen- eral ridge is subdivided into three ridges by the valleys of the two west branches of Lime- stone Creek. These valleys are 200 to 300 feet below the* summit, and are bordered by 22 ONONDAGA COUNTY, Steep hillsides. Pratt's Falls are 137 feet high, and near by are other fine cascades. Carpenter's Pond covers 30 acres. The soil is a stony, clayey loam. .The post-offices are Delphi, Marionville, Oran, Pompey, Pompey Centre and Water- vale. Pompey post-office is commonly spok- en of as Pompey Hill. Budville is a hamlet. Fabius. This is the south-eastern town of the county, and is in shape a parallelogram. It has a general elevation of 1,000 to 1,200 feet above the Erie Canal at Syracuse. The ssr- face in the southern half is broken by a series of ridges extending in a northern and south- ern direction, and separated by narrow val- leys. The principal elevation is South Hill, at the foot of which lies Labrador Pond. The broken surface of this town makes it specially adapted to pasturage. In dairy products it ranks first in the county, and one of the first in the State. The post-offices are Apulia, Fabius and Summit Station. Tully. This is the central town of the southern border. Its surface is an upland, level in the centre, but hilly on, the east and west borders. In the southern central part TOWNS. are several small lakes, one of which empties into the St. Lawrence and the others into Chesapeake Bay. In the vicinity of these lakes is considerable swamp land, but the prevailing soil is a sandy and clayey loam. The town is a favorite summer resort, and in July and August many of its farm houses are filled with guests from Syracuse. The post-offices are Tully, TuUy Valley and Vesper. Spafford. This is the south-western town of the county, and its surface consists princi- pally of a high ridge between Otisco and Skaneateles Lakes. Ripley Hill is the high- est point in the county, being 1,971 feet above tide water. The soil is chiefly a sandy, grav- elly loam. The post-offices are Borodino, Spafford and South Spafford. Skaneateles. This town derives its name from the lake which bisects its lower portion. The surface is rolling or moderately hilly, and from the lake slopes beautifully upwards from two to five hundred feet. The outlet of the lake furnishes by its numerous falls an abund- ance of water power. The soil is principally clay-loam. 24 ONONDAGA COUNTY. The post-offices are Mandana, Mottville, Skaneateles and Skaneateles Falls, sometimes called Marysville. Elbridge. This is the most western town in the county. Seneca River and Cross Lake form a part of the northern boundary. On the banks of Skaneateles Outlet, near the cen- tre, are found in the earth the peculiar tunnel- shaped cavities characteristic of gypsum. The soil is rich, sandy and gravelly loam. The post-offices are Elbridge, Half-Way, Hart Lott and Jordan. Van Buren. This town lies south of the Seneca River. Its surface is gently undu- lating. The soil is a clayey, sandy and grav- elly loam. Along the river there is consid- erable swamp land. The post-offices are Jack's Reef, Memphis, Van Buren and Warner's. Jack's Reef is of- ten called Peru, and Memphis is known as Canton. Ionia is a hamlet. Camillus. This town is nearly bisected by Nine Mile Creek, on the south side of which are steep banks loo to 200 feet high. In the northern central part is a swamp covering several hundred acres. The surface of the town is generally rolling, the ridges extending TOWNS. 25 north and south. The soil is a rich, clayey and gravelly loam. The post-offices are Belle Isle, Camillus and Fairmount. Amboy is a small village. Geddes. This town lies on the west border of Onondaga Lake. Its surface is level in the north and rolling in the south. In the south-east part are several isolated, rounded drift hills. The soil is a clayey and sandy loam. The post-offices are Geddes and Stiles Sta- tion. Salina. This town lies on the east shore of Onondaga Lake. Its surface is level or gently undulating, with some swamps along the shores of Mud Creek. The people are largely engaged in the manufacture of salt. The only post-office is Liverpool. Mud Lock is at the point where the Oswego Canal first connects with Seneca River. Cold Spring is one-half mile down the river. DeWitt. This town has a surface of con- siderable variety, and in many places the scen- ery is unusually beautiful. The northern half is level and the southern broken and hilly. The declivities of the hills are deep and their summits from 500 to 700 feet above the val- 26 ONONDAGA COUNTY. leys. Butternut Creek, flowing- north, divides the highlands into two nearly equal ridges. The falls below JamesviJle are interesting as a curiosity. The water falls thirty feet perpen- dicularly, and immense beds of gypsum and water lime surround. The soil is a sand and clay loam in the northern part, and a sandy and gravelly loam in the south. The post-offices are Collamer, DeWitt, De- Witt Centre, East Syracuse and Jamesville. DeWitt post-office is commonly known as Or- ville. LaFayeite. The surface of this town is hilly and broken. Butternut Creek flows through the eastern border, and Onondaga Creek through the western. The high ridge between these streams has deep declivities, and its summit is 600 feet high Conkling Brook, in the south-eastern part, decends 500 feet in a single mile. The soil is generally a sandy and gravely loam. The post-offices are Cardiff, Colling wood and LaFayette. Otisco. This town lies principally on the high ridge between Onondaga Creek and Otisco Lake. The declivities of the hills are generally steep and the summits rolling, and TOWNS. 27 elevated 800 to 1,000 feet above the valleys, or 1,600 to 1,700 feet above tide. Bear Moun- tain is the principal elevation. The soil is generally a sandy or gravelly loam, mixed with clay, and well adapted to grazing. The post-offices are Amber, Otisco, and Otisco Valley. Marcellus. The surface of Marcellus is a rolling upland, broken by the deep valley of Nine Mile Creek. The declivities which bor- der on the creek are steep, and 200 to 500 feet high. Upon it are several falls furnish- ing a large amount of water power. Lime and plaster both abound. The soil is gener- ally a deep black loam, intermixed to some extent with clay. The post-offices are Marcellus, Marcellus Falls, Marietta and Thorn Hill. Clintonville is a hamlet. Onondaga. This is the central town of the county, and the largest. The surface is mostly a rolling and hilly upland, separated into two ridges by the valley of Onondaga Creek. The east ridge is rocky and broken, and the west is generally smooth and rolling. A wide in- tervale extends along the creek, and is bor- dered by steep hill sides, the summits of which 25 ONONDAGA COUNTY. are 200 to 400 feet high. A valley forming a natural pass between Onondaga and Nine Mile creek extends south-west through the town. Split rock affords Onondaga limestone in great variety, as also do the quarries in the south-eastern part of the town. Lime and water lime are both largely manufactured. The soil in the valleys is a sandy and grav- elly loam, and on the uplands a gravelly and clayey loam. The post-offices are Cedarvale, Howlet Hill,. Navarino, Onondaga, Onondaga Castle, On- ondaga Valley^ and South Onondaga. The village of Danforth is rapidly growing. South of this village is Brighton. Statistics. In the following table the number of acres is taken from the Agricultural Report for 1859, and the population from the Census for 1875 • Towns. Acres. Population. Lysander, 37,399 4,990 Clay, 30,217 3,018 Cicero, 29,289 ■ 2y8oo Manlius, 29,187 6,340 Pompey, 40,706 Z.ZZ^ Fabius, 26,779 1,962 Tully, 16,265, 1,473 CITIES AND VILLAGES. 29 Towns. Acres. PopulatioTL Spafford, 20,073 1,486 Skaneateles, 24,915 5,035 Elbridge, 21,420 4,211 Van Buren, 21,405 3,174 Camillus, 19,985 2,604 Geddes, ^,259 5,703 Salina, 5,779 2,955 DeWitt, 21,938 3,129 LaFayette, 23,986 2,192 Otisco, 18,606 1,532 Marcellus, 18,878 2,498 Onondaga, 40,848 6,193 X. City and Villages. Syracuse. Th^ ■only city in Onondaga County is Syracuse, commonly known as the Central City. Though it is now the seventh in si^e of the twenty- four cities of the State, the ground upon which it stands was sold in 1804 for $250, in 1813 for ^9,000 and in 1823 for $30,000, at which time the population was about 250. In 1847 the population had increased to 17,000, and a city charter was granted. This growth was largely due to the Erie Canal, opened in 1820, which assisted in draining the marshy land, and furnished a sure market for farm produce. The railroads which have since 30 ONONDAGA COUNTY. centred here have made the city one of the great distributing centres of the State. Its population in 1875 was 48,255; it has 13 miles of paved and macadamized streets, and 14 miles of sewers. The water-works can furnish thirteen million gallons a day, and the supply of pure water from high ground can be increased indefinitely. The b'usiness of the city comprises 280 branches, carried on by 2,500 individuals or firms. The grocery trade amounts to nearly ten million dollars a year, the dry goods to four millions, and the boots and shoes and clothing to two millions each. The entire amount of capital stock invested is about twenty-three millions, and the annual sales are twice as much. The manufactures of Syracuse, already great, are sure of rapid increase. No other city in the country is the centre of so productive a farming region. Its situation at the junction of the Erie and Oswego canals, and its com- peting railroads, ensure the lowest freights. Coal is sold cheaper than anywhere else in the State. Rents are low, taxation is com- paratively light, and abundant capital is al- RAILROADS AND CANALS. 31 ready accumulated to furnish means for new enterprises. With such advantages as a market, as a jobbing- centre and as a*manufacturing city, the growth of Syracuse, rapid in the past, is likely to be more rapid in the future. Villages. Arranged according to their pop" ulation as given in the census of 1870, the villages of more than 200 inhabitants are ranked as follows: Geddes, 3.629 Elbridge, 4^3 Baldwinsville, 2,130 Marcellus, 428 Liverpctol, 1.555 Jamesville, 402 Skaneateles, 1,409 Fabius, 378 Fayettevilie, 1,402 Plank Road, 289 Jordan, 1,263 Mottville, 276 Manlius, 879 Lysander, '268 Camillus, 598 South Onondaga , 242 Onondaga Valley, 571 Memphis, 223 Brewerton, 518 Cicero, 212 Since then the villages of Danforth and East Syracuse have grown into prominence, and should probably by estimated now at 900 and 1,000, respectively 32 ONONDAGA COUNTY. XI. Railroads and Canals. Railroads. Syracuse lies half-way between Albany and Buffalo, and two-thirds of the way between New York and Buffalo, on the New York Central R. R., the distance to Albany being 148 miles, to New York 303 miles, and to Buffalo 149 miles. It is also connected with Rochester by the Auburn branch of the New York Central, often called " Old Road," dis- tance 102 miles, the later and nearer route through Lyons being known as the " Direct Road," distance 8r miles. It is connected with Binghamton and New York on the south, and with Oswego on the north, by branches of the Delaware* Lacka- wanna & Western R. R. The distance to Binghamton is 80 miles ; to New York by this route, 290 miles; to Oswego, 35 miles. With Watertown and Ogdensburg it is connected by the Syracuse Northern R. R., now operated by the D. L. & W. Distance to Richland, where connection is made with the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg R. R., 45 miles; to Watertown, 94 miles; to Og- densburg, 140 miles. The Syracuse, Chenango & New York R. R., runs to Earlville, 44 miles, and there con- RAILROADS AND CANALS. SS nects with the New York and Oswego Midland for Norwich, 59 miles, and New York, 275 miles. Canals. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825. It is 350 miles long, 70 feet wide at top, 521^ feet wide at the bottom, and 7 feet deep, and cost about forty-six million dollars. The canal leaves Lake Erie at Buffalo, follows the Niagara River to Black Rock, enters Tonawanda Creek and follows it 12 miles, crosses through a rock cutting to Lockport, and descends 59 feet in five locks. At Roch- ester, it crosses the Genesee River on a stone aqueduct, sweeps across the Irondequoit valley along the top of a range of hills; then rises by two locks, descends into the valley of Onondaga Creek by one lock, and then rises by three locks into the long level be- tween Syracuse and Utica. Then it creeps along the Mohawk River, to the Hudson, crossing the river twice on stone aqueducts. It follows down the west side of the Hudson to Albany, and is there discharged into a spacious basin. In going west, it rises through locks 612.9 feet and descends 43.5 feet, the whole number of locks being7i. AtSyracuse, it is just 400 feet above tide. 34 ONONDAGA COUNTY. The distances from Syracuse west are as follows : Geddes 2 miles, Bellisle 6, Camillus 9, Canton 14, Peru 16, Jordan 19, Weedsport 24, Port Byron 28, Clyde 44, Lyons 51, Pal- myra 66, Rochester 93, Lockport 155, Tona- wanda 174,, Buffalo 186. Going east the distances are Lodi i, Man- lius 8, Green Lake 11^, Chittenango 15, Can- astota 21, Rome 41, Utica, 56, Little Falls 79, Schenectady 136, Cohoes 157, Albany 166. The Oswego Canal was completed in 1828. It is 38 miles long, including 19 miles of slack water on the Oswego and Seneca Rivers, with tow-path on the east bank The Oneida Riv- er Improvement extends the whole length of that stream, and the Seneca River Improve- ment from Mud Lock to Baldwinsville by slack water navigation, and thence by a canal three-fourths of a mile long, with one lift and one guard lock, and by slack water on the Seneca River, to Jack's Reef. The canal with these improvements cost about ^3,640,000. Its width and depth are the same as that of the Erie Canal. It has 18 locks. The distances are as follows: Salina 2 miles, Liverpool 5, Three River Point 15, Phoenix 17, Fulton 27, Oswego 38. EDUCATION. 35 XII. Education. Syracuse University was founded in 1870, and is the successor of Gen- esee College, Lima. It is under control of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has prop- erty valued at $500,000. The main building is a handsome structure on University Hill. The Medical College is on Orange St. Academies. The schools of the county un- der visitation of the Regents are the follow- ing : Supported by tuition. Val. of property. Regents scholars. Munro Collegiate In- 56 6 45 stitute, Elbridge, S35.059- Pompey Academy, 5,849- Supported by tax. Baldwinsville Free Academy, 21,585. Jordan Free Acad- emy, 6,941, Liverpool Union School, Manlius Union School, Skaneateles Union School, 11,068, 29 Syracuse High School, 128,250. 295 36 ONONDAGA COUNTY. Liverpool and Manlius union schools, be- ing recently received under visitation of the Regents do not appear in the last Regents Report. The public schools of Syracuse are under direction of a board of education consisting of one commissioner from each of the eight wards of the city. Of the 17,217 children between the ages of 5 and 21, 9,471 were registered during the past year, and 7,000 were in average attendance. The total cur- rent expenses for the year amounted to ^100, 000, of which ^78.528.11 was paid for teach- ers' salaries. The towns of the county contain 277 dis- tiicts, employing 359 teachers, for an average of 34 weeks. Of the 21,246 children of school age, 9,118 were in average daily attendance during the year 1877. Of the 281 school houses in the towns of the county valued at $310,860, 209 are of wood, 43 of brick, and 29 of stone. For expenses of the schools, $46,170.52 was received from the State, $3, 543.05 from " gospel and school lands," and $59,671.15 from taxation. The towns of the county are divided into three commissioner districts. The first, Com- SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS, 37 missioner Robert Van Keuren, Jordan, con- tains the towns of Camillus, Clay, Elbridge, Lysander, Salina and Van Buren. In the second district, Commissioner W. W. New- man, South Onondaga, are Geddes, Marcellus,. Onondaga, Otisco, Skaneateles, Spafford and TuUy. In the third district. Commissioner R. VV. McKinley, CoUamer, are Cicero, De Witt, LaFayette, Manlius, Pompey and Fabius. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 1. Give number of wards in Syracuse. 2. What is a street.? 3. Mention some principal streets in Syracuse. 4. How many school houses in the city.'* 5. How many churches in the city ? 6. What is a public building ? 7. Name some of the public buildings in the city. 8. Of what use is the Penitentiary.? 9. Of what use is the Armory ? 10. Of what use is the Court House ? 11. Of what material is the Court House built ? 12. For what is the City Hall used ? 13. What is a chief officer in a city called ? 38 ONONDAGA COUNTY. 14. Who is Mayor? 15. How many Alderman are there? If). On how many different railroads could you leave the city ? 17. What railroads pass through the city ? 18. What railroads terminate here ? 19. How many canals in the city ? 20. What canal terminates here? 21. What canal passes through? 22. What kind of boats are used on the canal ? 23. Where do the Erie and Oswego canals connect ? 24. In what manner does the N. Y. C. R. R. cross the canal? 25. How does the Erie canal cross the creek ? 26. Of what use are locks ? 27. How is salt manufactured? 28. Is Syracuse level or hilly? 29. In what town would you first step after leaving the northern limits of the city ? 30. In what town would you first step after leaving the eastern limits of the city ? 31. In what town would you first step after leaving the southern limits of the city ? SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 39 32. In what town would you first step after leaving the western limits of the city? ^^. In what county is Syracuse? 34. How many towns in the county ? 35. Give their names. 36. Through what towns does the Syracuse Northern R. R. pass ? 37. Give boundaries of Onondaga County. 38. Draw a map of Onondaga County. 1. Draw a map of each town, spell its name and bound it, beginning with the city of Syracuse. 2. State the direction of each from the city of Syracuse, and of each from every other. 3. Bound the County and draw a map. 4. In what direction would you travel from Oswego County to reach Onondaga County ? 5. In what direction from Madison County ? 6. In what direction from Cortland County? 7. In what direction from Cayuga County? 8. How many towns in Onondaga County? 9. Which town is largest? 40 ONONDAGA COUNTY. 10. Which town is smallest ? 11. What is a lake ? 12. Name the lakes of Onondaga County, describe each and spell its name. 13. What is a River ? 14. Name the rivers of Onondaga County, describe each and spell its name. 15. Name the creeks, describe each and spell its name. 16. What is a creek ? 17. What is an outlet .'^ 18. Tell the outlet of Skaneateles Lake. 19. " " Cross Lake. 20. '' " Otisco Lake, 21. " " Onondaga Lake. 22. " '' Oneida Lake. 23. Of what is Seneca River the outlet ? 24. " • Oneida River the -outlet ? 25. " Skaneateles Outlet the out- let.^ 26. Of what is Onondaga Outlet the outlet.^ 27. " Nine Mile Creek the outlet .? 28. In what direction does the water of the Nine Mile Creek flow, and where does it empty ? 29. Of Seneca River.? 30. Of Oneida River ? SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 41 31. Of Onondaga Creek? 32. Of Limestone Creek? 33- Of Butternut Creek? 34- Of Chittenango Creek ? 35- Of Onondaga Lake ? 36. Of Oneida Lake ? 37- Of Cross Lake? 38. Of Skaneateles Lake? 39- Of Otisco Lake ? 40. What stream connects Otisco and On- ondaga Lakes ? 41- What stream connects Skaneateles and Cross Lakes ? 42- VVhat does Seneca River connect ? 43- What lake west of Lysander? 44. What river between Lysander and Van Buren ? 45- What river between Lysander and Clay? 46. What river north of Clay? 47- What creek forms the north-west boundary of Manlius ? 4«. Why is Cross Lake so called ? 49- Is Syracuse a town ? 50. In what manufactures are the people of Syracuse largely engaged ^ 42 ONONDAGA COUNTY. 50. Why was this location chosen for a city ? 52. What lake between Salina and Geddes? 53. What State Institution in the town of Geddes ? 54. What lake and river form a portion of the north boundary of Elbridge ? 55. What towns border on Seneca River? 56. What towns border on Oneida River? 57. What towns border on Chittenango Creek ? 58. Where is Otisco Lake ? 59. Through what towns does the New York Central Railroad pass ? 60. Give its termini, 61. Through what towns does the Syracuse and Oswego Railroad pass ? 62. Through what towns does the Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad pass ? 63. Through what towns does the Erie Canal pass ? 64. Through what towns does the Oswego Canal pass ? 65. What lake north-east of Cicero? 66. What is an inlet ? 67. What inlet has Cross Lake ? 68. What inlet lias Onondaga Lake ? SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 43 69. What inlet has Oneida Lake ? 70. What is the "Indian Reservation ?" 7 I. Why so called ? 72. Tell all you know about the Indians and Reservation. 73. From what did Onondaga County de- rive its name ? 74. Name the most northern towns of the County. 75. Name the most eastern towns of the County. 76. Name the most southern towns of the County ? 77. Name the most western towns of the County. 78. Are the lakes of Onondaga County navigable ? 79. What two Rivers unite and form the Oswego River ? 80. Wh^t two streams unite and form an inlet to Chittenango Creek? 81. Has Otisco Lake an inlet ? Describe it. 82. What is an island ? 83. What island is in Oneida Lake ? 84. Is a canal formed like a river ? 85. If you wish to travel north from Syra- cuse by railroad, which would you take ? 44 ONONDAGA COUNTY. 86. If you wished to travel south, which would you take ? 87. If you wish to travel east, which would you take ? 88. If you wish to travel west, which would you take ? 89. By what names are the railroads pass- ing west from Syracuse called ? 90. What gulf or bay indents the north- east shore of Cicero ? 91. Give a general description of the sur- face of the County. 92. Mention some of the hills of the County. 93. Describe the soil of the County. 94. In what are the people mostly en- gaged ? 95. Mention the different fruits of the County. 96. Mention the different vegetables of the County. 97. Mention the different grains of the County. 98. Mention the different manufactures of the County. 99. Mention the different useful minerals of the County. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 45 100. Tell the population of the County, loi. Tell the number of square miles in the County. 102. Where is the County seat ? 103. Mention the County buildings and describe each. 104. Mention the County officers, viz : — Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff, County Treasurer, Coroners, County Clerk, District Attorney, County Judge and Surrogate. 105. State the duties and term of office of each. 106. Locate Liverpool. 107. Locate Baldwinsville. 108. Locate Skaneateles. 109. Locate Fayetteville. no. Locate Manlius village. 111. Locate Geddes village. 112. Locate Camillus village. 113. Locate Marcellus village. 114 Locate Pompey Hill. 115. Locate Fabius village. IT 6. Locate Apulia. 117. Locate Jordan. 118. Locate Elbridge village. 119. Locate Onondaga Hill. 120. Locate Onondaga Valley. 46 ONONDAGA COUNTY. 12 1. Locate Brewerton. 122. Locate Jamesville. 123. Sketch off-hand by single lines the principal roads or streets in your school dis- trict, and indicate by dots or otherwise the residences most remote from the school-house, on each road or street. 124. What public building in your district ? For whose benefit ? What four school-dis- trict ofircers in your school district ? When and by whom elected.'' For what time.'' What are the powers and duties of each ? 125. Is there any public town building in your town, or in any other town in the county .'' 126. What town officers in each town.'' When and by whom elected ? For what time.'^ What are the powers, duties and pay of each ? 127. What three County buildings in Syra- cuse ? For what purpose .'' 128. Name five County officers — their pow- ers, duties, compensation. 129. What N. Y. State building and insti- tution in the town of Geddes ? What N. Y. Canal building in Syracuse .'' 130. What U. S. officer in every village and city ? SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS. 47 131. What are the meaning of the following Indian names: Onondaga; (On-on-da'-ga ; On-on= Hill-hill; daga=3between.) Skane- ateles, Oneida, Otisco, Seneca, Oswego ?' 132. What can you tell of the eminent Romans for whom the following towns were named : Fabius, Pompey, Manliiis, Cicero, TiiHy, Marcellus, Camillus, Lysander ? 133. What do you know of the soldier for whom LaFayette is named ? 134. What can you tell of the following prominent Americans, Clay, Van Buren, Ged- des, DeWitt, Elbridge, Spafford ? 135. What does Salina mean ? 136. What nine towns have all or nearly all straight lines around them ? 137. What ten towns have more or less ir- regular boundaries ? Why ? 138. What ten exterior towns border on some other county, or counties? 139. What eight interior towns form the second or interior ring? 140. From what one town must two or more towns be crossed in going to the county line in any direction ? 141. Through what waters does the brook, 4o ONONDAGA COUNTY. creek or river nearest your school house reach the ocean ? [42 How far would you have to go from your school house to find water on its way to Chesapeake Bay? 143. In what four towns is the water-shed of the county? 144. In which town does it extend farthest north ? 145. Through what waters and through what States does the water of Carpenter's Pond reach the ocean ? 146. Is the water of Onondaga Lake salt or fresh ? C 2 19 89'^ ^. >_ ^^ A^ *'^ £i^^ - v*^^ :♦ >.^ ^^^ ,^^ ^O^ *.-o v.^'^^ '^<^- ^^'\. ^^> 1ECKMAN INDERY INC. ^ AUG 89 N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962 -,^^^^i:^ii^> ■ ■ -^ iS^ilii^i^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 221 365 5