Central
New York State
CAYUGA & CORTLAND COUNTIES
ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET
The early days of
Cayuga and Cortland Counties in the State of New York, and their various
towns and townships, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and
factual data in this NEW 27 Page Booklet reprinted from the 1841 edition of Historical Collections
of the State of New York by John Warner Barber and Henry Howe, and
other hard-to-find sources.
The spiral-bound booklet, sold exclusively on eBay, is printed one-sided on 60# paper, with the print enlarged for
easier reading. A clear vinyl sheet has been added to protect the front cover.
The
communities mentioned include:
CAYUGA COUNTY: Auburn, Aurelius, Clarksville, Fosterdale,
Brutus, Weedsport, Centreville, Cato, Cato Corners, Conquest, Fleming, Genoa,
Northville, Ira, Ledyard, Levana, Locke, Port Byron, Throopsville, Montezuma
Village, Mentz, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sempronius, Sennet, Springport,
Sterling, Summer Hill, Venice, and Victory.
CORTLAND COUNTY: Cincinnatus, Cortlandville, McGrawsville,
Freetown, Freetown Corners, Homer, Marathon, Preble, Scott, Scott Centre,
Solon, Truxton, Virgil, and Willet.
Among the many fascinating topics in the booklet
are: the Beginnings of Auburn, the Auburn Theological Seminary, Day to
Day Life at the State Prison, the mile-long Cayuga Bridge, "longest in
America," Salt Production, Indian Lore, and Tombstone Epitaphs.
Surnames mentioned include: Merrick, Walker,
Hardenbergh, Crosset, Leonard, Warden, Perrine, Lewis, and Titus.
ILLUSTRATIONS depict
the Eastern part of Genesee St., Auburn; Auburn Theological Seminary; State
Prison at Auburn; Prisoners at the State Prison; Cayuga Bridge; Public
Buildings in Cortlandville; and Public Buildings in Homer.
Much of this area was sparcely developed in
1841, but excerpts from New York, a Guide to the Empire State, including
a four-page look at Auburn, fill in some of the gaps. This product of the
WPA Writer's Project, originally printed in 1940, gives a nostalgic glympse
of the area a century after the Barber-Howe book, including interesting
historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities.
Some of the names mentioned in this section
include: David Hannum, Francis Bicknell Carpenter, Andrew Dickson White,
Thomas Osborne, Logan, William Seward, Oren & Erastus Carvath, Elmer
Ambrose Sperry, Henry Wells, Isaac Singer, St. Rene Menard, William Reuben
George, Harriet Tubman, Emily Howland, and Red Jacket. There's also a small
map of the area from a 1948 booklet printed by the New York Telephone Company.
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