Freeman Hughs next came there in March, 1799, when there was no house in the town except the abandoned salt works, and was there three nights alone. Work was hard, too, and it cost about one hundred dollars per acre to clear the swamp lands. Logs, mixed with peat, lay about six feet deep, and some stumps were far below the surface. Mr. Hughs, however, stayed through, dying in Geddes August 29, 1856, aged seventy-five years. His son James was the first child born there.
Judge Geddes made the first map of the village in 1807, with twenty lots on each side of Genesee street. This was resurveyed and mapped in 1812, and enlarged in 1821. In 1822 a map was made much as the village appeared when annexed to Syracuse in 1887.
James Lamb came in 1803, building the first frame house that year, and keeping tavern till after the war. Simeon Phares came that year and began saltmaking. John Y. Phares, his son, was born August 22, 1810, the second child in Geddes. The Root family came early, and Nancy Root taught the first school in Geddes in 1803. She married David Vrooman, another early settler.
In 1819 a road was opened from the site of the present M. E. church to Onondaga Hill, but this was afterward abandoned. Curiously enough the village of Geddes was incorporated April 20, 1832, before the town was set off from Salina. All its records, up to 1850, were burned that year. It received a new charter in 1867, and was annexed to Syracuse in 1887. In 1868 it had less than a thousand inhabitants.
The first town election in Geddes was March 28, 1848, Elijah W. Curtis being chosen supervisor, Edward Vrooman clerk. After the civil war the village grew rapidly, and had nearly seven thousand people when annexed to Syracuse. John Dodge, Charles L. Skinner, Joseph Shepard, Sheldon and Charles Pardee were early merchants. The Terrys, Averys and Geres were also early people of prominence. Cyrus Thompson, founder of the Thompsonian system of medicine, came before 1830, and began making medicines. He bought a large building and used it as a sanitarium.
For a long time the "Apostolic Church" of Geddes was the only church in Geddes. It was an Episcopal church, organized in January, 1832, and bearing its name in large letters over the doors. Its position made it conspicuous.
The Smith & Powell stock farm, near Lakeland, is of high reputation, its specialty being Holstein cattle and Percheron horses. Near by are the permanent grounds of the New York State fair, and the holiday attractions of the White City. On the banks of Nine Mile Creek are the power houses of the Syracuse, Lakeside & Northern electric road, and beyond these the Lakeside and Long Branch resorts.
The Solvay Process Works in 1881-82 began to attract residents, and a village soon appeared. This was incorporated and at the first election, May 15, 1894, Frederick R. Hazard was chosen president. The company has been liberal, and there is now a wellgraded system of schools, with kindergartens, libraries and public halls are among the equipments of the place. A water supply is provided, and a post office was opened in 1889. The drive along the Orchard road is one fine feature of the vicinity.
Mr. Clark said that Harbor Brook had its name from the hiding of Sir John Johnson's boats there in the war of the Revolution, which is an early error, though a natural one, for the name of Onondaga had a large application at the time. His own account, however, of a similar circumstance on Chittenango creek, on a better foundation, shows his mistake. The real explanation seems this: the Geddes settlers found it easier to cross the lake than the marsh, and the brook formed an excellent harbor, each man having his own landing. Thus Thomas Orman, a salt boiler and partner of Simeon Phares in 1803, used to cross, and the place where he kept his canoe, some distance up the brook and near the present pump house, was called "Orman's Landing." There were other landings in this natural harbor, which may also have been used by the Indians. Joseph M. Willey once did a large business in making the small, round boxes in which table salt was formerly packed. A pottery was opened at an early day by William H. Farrar, to make "red ware" from the clay at Geddes. This material was afterward changed for New Jersey clay.
Robert Gere came in 1824, and afterward was a salt manufacturer and contractor on a large scale. He was engaged in various business interests in Syracuse, and others of his family have been likewise prominent. His farm was one of the best in the county and George Geddes's had a wide reputation.
Before its annexation to Syracuse Geddes had several iron works, as the Onondaga Iron Company, the Sterling Iron Ore Company, the Syracuse Iron Works, the Sanderson Brothers Steel Company, etc., to which may be added now the Holcomb Steel Works and others.
By the lowering of the lake considerable land along the shore was reclaimed, though usually overflowed in the spring. This is a bed of shell marl. Nine Mile creek reaches the lake on the west, sometimes called the south shore. A little south of this was Geddes swamp, correctly named till cleared and drained by Smith & Powell for their stock farm. It was quite extensive. Through this and near the shore runs the Lake Boulevard. Parallel with it is the Lackawanna railroad and the electric road to Baldwinsville. The refuse of the Solvay process Works is a striking feature of the south end of the lake. A little way down is the home of the Syracuse Yacht club, aquatic sports in summer and ice boats in the winter being features of the lake. The fleet of passenger steamers has vanished.
Lake View point is a large, low and flat expanse of land, reaching far out into the lake, and forming the delta of Nine Mile creek. Farther north, at Pleasant Beach, is the only place where the higher land reaches the shore. It was quite a resort at one time, having natural advantages, but has been for a long time abandoned. Some small resorts lie between this and the popular Lakeside park. On the west side of the outlet is the favorite Long Branch, well kept and pleasant, having the advantage of lake, creek and river for those who love the water, and pleasant roads and hearty welcome for all. There were Indian mounds there. The outlet has been straightened, but through it passed many a noted man of early days. Through it went the French colony, going and coming, and Frontenac's four hundred boats went over its waters on the alert for any ambushed foe. The vicinity was a favorite with the prehistoric aborigines of the land. Now it is the scene of the "only old original farmers' picnics," which are often on a grand scale. There one may meet small and great politicians, especially if an important election is pending; but there also the smallest party may have a quiet and pleasant time.
Gordon's Gazetteer, in 1836, spoke of the village of Geddes as being "very pleasantly situated at the head of the lake, upon its left bank, and upon the Erie canal, 2 miles west of Syracuse, and about this time it acquired additional importance from the discovery of a new salt spring here, which supplied the salt works. The village contained an Episcopal church, 2 stores, kept by Job Dickinson and ___ Bissell; 2 taverns kept by John W. Woodward and Luman Northway; Wm. W. Tripp kept a boat yard; Henry Lake was a saddler; Dr. Thayer and Dr. Cyrus Thompson, physicians; Elijah Curtis, lawyer; John T. Phares, shoemaker; and 50 dwellings. From the heights around it are fine views of the lake, Salina, Syracuse and the Onondaga hill and village."
In 1886, just before its union with Syracuse, Geddes village had four blacksmith shops, three boat liveries, one boiler manufactory, two shoe shops, bottling works, brewery, two brick yards, broom machine manufactory, one carpet weaver, two carriage shops, one casket manufacturer, china decorating company, clay pipe works, two clothiers, two coal yards, seven contractors and builders, two coopers, two dry goods stores, steel works, engine and boiler works, two florists, flour and feed store, fourteen groceries, two drug stores, iron foundry, agricultural implements works, four meat markets, two nurserymen, five physicians, two potteries, twenty-eight saloons, four tobacco dealers and a shirt factory. There was also a large blast furnace a little west of the village. Its population in 1880 was four thousand two hundred and eighty-three. This has greatly increased since it became part of the city.
13 November 1998