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HISTORY |
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View The History of Cicero, NY
Photos and commentary in these sections courtesy of Thomas Mafrici, Cicero Town Historian, syracusenostalgia.com.
Special thanks to the former historian Lona Flynn for originally
accumulating most of these images.
Cicero
Past by Lona Flynn |
The original township of Cicero, named after
the great Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, included
both the towns of Cicero and Clay. It was part of
the great military tract that was surveyed in 1790
into 100 lots, each containing about 600 acres.
These lots were reserved or drawn by soldiers for
services in the Revolutionary War. The only soldier
to become an actual resident in the Town of Cicero
was Captain John Shepard. In 1827 the township
was divided with the Town of Cicero having 50 lots
– about 29,000 acres of land. |
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The
first settler in Cicero was John
Leach. His home, a log cabin, was located on the
site of the old Legion Hall. The village was called
Cody’s Corner until 1820. Isaac Cody ran a
tavern, which was located on the southwest corner
of Crabtree Lane and Route 11. Cody was the first
Postmaster and his wife operated the first store.
She used the barter system and brought goods from
New York City by wagon. The building of the Erie
Canal brought many settlers to this area. It was
also used extensively to ship salt. The salt industry
provided many people with jobs, either making barrels
or in furnishing lumber. The business declined in
the 1890s, while farming and the dairy industry
became important. Cheese factories were built including
one right in the village along with a flour mill,
stave and lumber mill, canning factory, wagon and
carriage factory.
The first school in the Town of Cicero was
in Brewerton, started in 1793 by Scotch Presbyterian
minister Deacon Ramsey from his home. The first
church in Cicero was Presbyterian and opened in
1819. School and church were held in the same building
with the minister as teacher until a school was
built in 1827. The first doctor was Dr. Orcutt.
He sold his practice in 1823 to Dr. Hezekiah Josyln
who carried his medical supplies on horseback covering
a 50 mile area. His daughter Malinda was born in
Cicero settled in Fayetteville and became every
active in women's rights. It was in her home
that she, with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton
wrote “History of Woman’s Suffrage.”
The present Route 11 was for many years a series
of Indian trails north and south through Cicero
from Pennsylvania to the Thousand Islands. Part
of it was called the Salt Road in 1812. In 1846
the first toll plan road in the United States was
built. It was 16.5 miles long and went from Central
Square to Syracuse right through Cicero. The stage
was the only means of transportation until replaced
by the trolley line built in 1909. The trolley to
South Bay brought prosperity to the area around
Oneida Lake, and the hotel business flourished. Regular
excursion boats met the trolley for trips around
the lake. Frenchman’s Island was a popular
vacation spot. The trolley was used until 1932.
The tracks were torn up and South Bay Road built
over the same route.
It would be impossible to cover all of the
important historical facts in this short article,
but the residents of Cicero can be proud of their
rich heritage. We welcome you to visit our local
museum, The Stone Arabia Schoolhouse (1854 era)
and the Log Frame House (1840 era) which is maintained
by the Cicero Historical Society. The school and
house are located at 6453 Route 31, Cicero, and
features local historical exhibits. Open July and
August, Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m. No admission
(donations appreciated) and Free Parking.
Historian: Tom
Mafrici
Phone: 699-3095
Fax: 699-3809 |
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