Editing Geddes, New York (section)

== History ==
[[Image:Geddes 1875 1624-w-genesee.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Village of Geddes, 1624 West Genesee Street - old town square about 1875 - by Robert N. Dennis]]

The town was formed from the [[Salina, New York|Town of Salina]] in 1848. It is named after [[James Geddes (engineer)|James Geddes]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n134 135]}}</ref> a prominent early settler who settled at the head of Onondaga Lake in 1794 and developed the salt industry.

There also was an Old Geddes Village which included part of the west side of [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] and [[Tipperary Hill]], the village square being located near St. Mark's Circle.  The village of Geddes (incorporated in 1832 and 1837) was annexed to the City of Syracuse on May 20, 1886, with a population of nearly 7,000. Today the town of Geddes still includes the Village of [[Solvay, New York|Solvay]], which operates independently, and the hamlets of [[Westvale, New York|Westvale]] and [[Lakeland, New York|Lakeland]].

Geddes is the youngest town in [[Onondaga County]].

===Background===
Geddes was formed from [[Salina, New York|Salina]] on March 18, 1848. It lies upon the western bank of [[Onondaga Lake]] with level surface in the north and rolling hills in the south. In the southwest of the town, are several isolated, rounded drift hills (or knolls).

The [[Seneca River (New York)|Seneca River]] forms the north border and [[Onondaga Creek]] formed part of the eastern boundary. Nine Mile Creek flows east through the center of town.<ref name="gazetter">{{cite book|url=http://www.ingenweb.org/intippecanoe/Bio_AdamsEarl.html |title=Gazetteer of the State of New York |access-date=September 5, 2010 |first=J. H. |last=French |publisher=R. Pearsall Smith, 1859}}</ref>

The soil is [[clay]] and [[sandy loam]]. In 1859, the town contained two churches, both [[Protestant]], an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]] and [[Methodist Episcopal]]ian.

===Early industry===
By 1859, several salt wells were located near the southwest extremity of the lake. The S.B.& N.Y.R.R. coal depot was situated on the [[Erie Canal]]. In the southeast section of town, there were extensive stone quarries.<ref name="gazetter"/>

There was also a brewery and distillery, and a large number of salt works within the town limits. The population was 950.<ref name="gazetter"/>

[[Image:Geddes 1879 ironworks.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Onondaga Iron Works and Sterling Iron Ore Company in Geddes, New York - Syracuse City Directory, 1879]]

In 1841, W. H. Farrar, who had recently arrived from [[Vermont]], started a small pottery business in the town of Geddes, New York called Farrar Pottery.<ref name="iroquois"/> During 1868, Farrer sold the business to what later became the Empire Crockery Manufacturing Company.<ref name="iroquois"/>

On July 20, 1871, several local businessmen purchased the struggling local pottery, capitalized the company for $50,000, and expanded its lines to produce ceramic material for table and toilet use. At that time, the name changed to Onondaga Pottery Company (O.P.Co.). The company name was officially changed to [[Syracuse China]] in 1966. They specialized in the manufacture of fine china and commercial ware.<ref name="iroquois">{{cite web|url=http://syracusethenandnow.org/History/SyracuseChinaHistory.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106144727/http://syracusethenandnow.org/History/SyracuseChinaHistory.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 6, 2007 |title=The History of Syracuse China |access-date=August 15, 2010|publisher=Syracuse Then and Now, 2010}}</ref>

[[Image:Syracuse-china 1910-0912 onondaga.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Syracuse China manufactured by Onondaga Pottery in Syracuse, New York - Syracuse Journal, September 12, 1910]]

During 1874, Ashton Salt Mill was operating in the town of Geddes, on the western edge of the city and Saginaw Salt Works was located southwest of the city in the [[Onondaga, New York|town of Onondaga]]. That same year, several other salt producers were operating within the city limits including; G. A. Porter & Company, Haskin's Salt Mill and J. W. Barker & Company.<ref name="map">{{cite web|url=http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=1127&path=New+York.Onondaga,+1874.43&sid=&gskw=&cr=1 |title=Partner Information U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 Record |access-date=August 30, 2010 |publisher=Ancestry.com, 2010}}</ref>

In 1878, Geddes was the home of Western Coarse Salt Company, Turk's Island Coarse Salt Company, Geddes Coarse Salt Company, Union Coarse Salt Company, Cape Cod Coarse Salt Company, W. & D. Kirkpatrick of No. 7 Wieting Block, Draper & Porter, W. B. Boyd, Mrs. S. O. Ely and J. F. Paige.<ref name="salty">{{cite web|url=http://history.rays-place.com/ny/onon-geddes-ny.htm |title=History of the Town of Geddes|access-date=August 30, 2010 |publisher=D. Mason & Co., Syracuse, New York - 1878}}</ref> The Onondaga Coarse Salt Association were manufacturers of coarse or solar salt including; dairy, table, common, fine and fertilizing salts. Thomas K. Gale was president, W. H. H. Gere was vice-president and Lewis A. Hawley was recording secretary.<ref name="iron">{{cite book|title=Syracuse City Directory |location=Syracuse, New York |year=1893}}</ref>

By 1879, there were several manufacturers in the town including Onondaga Iron Works and Sterling Iron Ore Company both operated by J. J. Belden, president. W. H. H. Gere and A. J. Belden were secretary and treasurer of the companies.<ref name="boyds1879">{{cite book|title=Boyd's Syracuse City Directory 1879|publisher=Ancestry.com, 2010}}</ref>

===Institutions===
[[Image:Syracuse 1906 idiot-asylum.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Syracuse Idiot Asylum on Wilbur Avenue in [[Syracuse, New York]] in 1906]]

The [[Syracuse State School|New York State Asylum for Idiots]] was located in the eastern section of town, near the original border with [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] on Geddes Street.<ref name="gazetter"/> The facility was located on Wilbur Avenue on the southeast border of [[Tipperary Hill]]. The site selected was about a mile southwest of Syracuse, in the town of Geddes, and was "one of the finest that could have been found in the [[State of New York]]." The building was constructed of brick, "plain but substantial, and admirably fitted for the purpose for which it is designed."<ref name="cost">{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1855/05/19/87575288.pdf |title=The State Idiot Asylum |access-date=October 16, 2010 |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |location=New York, New York |year=1854 }}</ref>

The institution was located upon the eastern slope of the range of hills in the western part of the city and about {{frac|1|1|2}} miles south of the head of [[Onondaga Lake]]. The asylum grounds covered an area of about sixty-five acres, immediately adjacent to [[Burnet Park]], the most of which was high land, overlooking the city and lake. The principal group of buildings, which were clustered around the original structure, facing the western extremity of Seymour Street, accommodated about 450 individuals.<ref name="seymour">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oIkXAQAAIAAJ&q=syracuse+idiot+asylum&pg=PA100 |title=Annual report of the State Board of Health of New York, Volume 7  |access-date=October 17, 2010 |publisher=New York State Board of Health, Troy Press |location=[[Troy, New York]] |year=1888 }}</ref>