The name
Onondaga derives from the name of the Native American
tribe indigenous to this area, one of the original
Five Nations of the
Haudenosaunee. They call themselves (
autonym)
''Onoda'gega, sometimes spelled Onontakeka.
The word means "People of the Hills". Sometimes the term is Onondagaono'' ("The People of the Hills"). The federally recognized Onondaga Nation has a
reservation within the county, on which they have self-government. When counties were established in
New York in 1683, the present Onondaga County was part of
Albany County. This enormous county included the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of
Vermont and, in theory, extended westward to the
Pacific Ocean. It was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of
Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of
Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces,
Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately west of the present city of
Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the
Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the
Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for
William Tryon, colonial governor of New York. borders Onondaga County to the northeast. It is the largest lake wholly within the state of New York. This picture was taken from the town of Cicero, a northern suburban town in the northeast part of Onondaga County. In the years prior to 1776, most of the
Loyalists in
Tryon County fled to
Canada. The Onondaga were among four Iroquois tribes that allied with the British against the American colonists, as they hoped to end their encroachment. Instead, they were forced to cede most of their land in New York to the United States after the war. Many Onondaga went with
Joseph Brant and other nations to
Canada, where they received land grants in compensation and formed the
Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. In 1784, after a peace treaty ended the
American Revolutionary War, the
name of Tryon County was changed to
Montgomery County. It honored General
Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of
Quebec, and replaced the name of the hated British governor. In 1789, Montgomery County was reduced by the splitting off of
Ontario County from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present
Allegany,
Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua,
Erie,
Genesee,
Livingston,
Monroe,
Niagara,
Orleans,
Steuben,
Wyoming,
Yates, and part of
Schuyler and
Wayne Counties. In 1791, Herkimer County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being
Otsego, and
Tioga County). This was much larger than the present county, however, and was reduced by a number of subsequent splits. In 1794, Onondaga County was split off from Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Onondaga County, including the present
Cayuga,
Cortland, and part of
Oswego Counties. In 1799,
Cayuga County was split off from Onondaga. In 1808,
Cortland County was split off from Onondaga. In 1816, parts of Oneida and Onondaga Counties were taken to form the new
Oswego County. At the time Onondaga County was organized, it was divided into eleven towns: Homer, Pompey, Manlius, Lysander, Marcellus, Ulysses, Milton, Scipio, Ovid, Aurelius and Romulus.
Central New York developed rapidly after the
New Military Tract provided land in lieu of payment to Revolutionary War veterans. Migration was largely from the east, mostly from New England states. The
Genesee Road, which became the
Seneca Turnpike in 1800, provided access. Generally settlers preferred higher land, since they associated lowlands with disease. Over time, as early clearing and farming eroded hillside soil, valley lands were more fertile and highly prized for agriculture as well as for water power, which was the origin of many communities. An early settler of 1823 was
James Hutchinson Woodworth, a native of Washington County, NY. He helped clear land for his family's farm in this region before he moved to
Chicago where he became Mayor. The completion of the
Erie Canal across New York state in 1825 accelerated trade, development and migration. The city of
Syracuse, New York developed relatively late, due to its marshy situation. It was incorporated as a village in 1825 and as a city in 1847; by contrast, the
Village of Manlius, along the
Cherry Valley and
Seneca Turnpikes, was incorporated in 1813. The population of these rural towns was greatest in the late nineteenth century, when more people cultivated land and farms were relatively small, supporting large households. Since that time, agriculture has declined in the county. Some Onondaga County towns like
Spafford were largely depopulated and many villages became veritable ghost towns. Onondaga County highlands now are more heavily reforested, with public parks and preserves providing recreation. Two
Finger Lakes in the county, Skaneateles and Otisco, also attract visitors. The village of
Skaneateles on scenic
Route 20 has become a major tourist destination. At the turn of the twenty-first century, population declined in the City of Syracuse while suburban communities generally grew, particularly with tract developments north of the city. Elsewhere, scattered commuter houses appeared, generally on fairly large parcels. The rapid development of the village of Skaneateles and shores of Skaneateles Lake led to increased demand for property and property values. ==Geography==