ONONDAGA COUNTY- 



Probably no county in the State had originally a greater number of aboriginal 

 monuments within its boundaries, than the county of Onondaga. It has, however, 

 been so long settled, and so generally brought under cultivation, that nearly all 

 vestiges of its ancient remains have disappeared. The sites of many are, hovs^- 

 ever, still remembered ; but even these will soon be forgotten. It is a fortunate 

 circumstance that the antiquities of this county were the first to attract the attention 

 of observers, and our accounts relating to them are more complete than concern- 

 ing those of the other parts of the State. Still we have to regret that we have 

 not a single plan from actual survey, — a deficiency which no mere description can 

 supply. Our principal source of information respecting their numbers, localities, 

 and character, is the memoir of De Witt Clinton, already several times alluded 

 to. Mr. Schoolcraft and Mr. J. V. H. Clark, of Manlius, have presented additional 

 information ; and from these authorities we derive most of the facts which follow. 



Ancient works occurred in the towns of Fabius, De Witt, Lafayette, Camillus, 

 Onondaga, Manlius, Elbridge, and Pompey ; but of many of them we know nothing 

 beyond the simple fact of their former existence. It should be mentioned that 

 some of the townships here named have been erected within the last few years, 

 and since the date of Mr. Clinton's Memoir. 



Those in Elbridge, according to Mr. Clinton, occurred near the village of that 

 name, about four miles from Seneca River, upon lands then (1817) occupied by 

 Judge Munro. They were two in number. " One was on a very high hill, and 

 covered three acres. It had a gateway opening towards the east ; and upon the 

 west was another, communicating with a spring about ten rods from the fort. It 

 was elliptical in shape : the ditch deep, and the eastern wall eight feet high. The 

 stump of a black oak-tree, certainly one hundred years old, stood upon the em- 

 bankment. The second work was about half a mile distant, upon lower grounds. 

 It was constructed hke the first, but was only half as large. * * * * Xhe 

 early settlers observed, in this vicinity, the shells of testaceous animals accumulated, 

 in several places, in considerable masses, together with numerous fragments of 

 pottery. Judge Munro found, in digging the cellar of his house, several pieces of 

 burned clay ; and, in various places, large spots of deep black mould, demonstrat- 

 ing the former existence of buildings or erections of some kind. At one place he 

 observed what appeared to be a well, viz., a hole ten feet deep, and the earth much 

 caved in. Upon digging to the depth of three and a half feet, he came to a quan- 

 tity of flints, below which he found a great number of human bones." This dispo- 



