ONONDAGA COUNTY 



This county is located in the center of the state, ju'st south of 

 the eastern end of Lake Ontario. It has an area of 499,840 

 acres. From north to south it has an average extent of 32 miles ; 

 from east to west it extends approximately 28 miles. Its popula- 

 tion is distributed as follows : 



Syracuse (city) 



Camillus 



Cicero 



Clay 



DeWitt 



Elbridge 



Fabius 



Geddes 



Lafayette 



Lysander 



Manlius 



Population by Cities and Townships 



(Census of 1915) 

 145, 293 Marcellus 



3,031 

 2,689 

 2,661 

 8,806 

 3,039 

 1,570 

 6,739 

 1.447 

 4.630 

 6,301 



Onondaga . 



Otisco 



Pompey . . . 

 Salina 

 Skaneateles 

 Spafford . . . 



Tully 



Van Bnren 



Total . 



2,927 

 6, 267 

 1,058 

 2,344 

 3,958 

 4,619 

 1,082 

 1,574 

 3,370 



213.992 



Syracuse is the county seat. This city now has a population of 171,700. 



HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 



This county was formed from Herkimer in 179*4. It was 

 named from the Onondaga tribe of Indians, whose principal 

 residence was within its border. To this nation was intrusted 

 the care of the grand council fire, and on their territory the 

 great councils of the Iroquois were held to decide oo peace, war, 

 and other matters of general policy. The first record of a visit 

 of a white person to this territory was that of Samuel de Cham- 

 plain, in 1615, a French explorer, who traversed the trail be- 

 tween Brewerton and Chittenango Creek. 



At an early period the French saw the necessity of obtaining 

 the friendship of the Five Nations, who were the most power- 

 ful of all the Indian tribes. To this end Jesuit missions were 

 established, one of the principal stations being at the seat of the 

 Onondagas. The famous Onondaga salt springs were discovered 



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