James Geddes
July 22, 1763 – Aug. 17, 1838

The Town of Geddes was formed from the Town of Salina in 1848. It is named after James Geddes, 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 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, which operates independently, and the hamlets of Westvale and Lakeland.

Geddes is the youngest town in Onondaga County.

( “Geddes, New York” Wikipedia. 21 February 2012.  Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 19 November 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geddes,_New_York.)

In 1848, Geddes was erected into a town by itself, including all that part of the town of Salina west of the lake not embraced in the city of Syracuse. The first election was held at the house of Stephen W. Smith, on the fourth Tuesday in March, 1848. Elijah W. Curtis was elected Supervisor; Edgar Vrooman, Town Clerk; George E. Tefft, Henry G. Stiles, and James H. Luther, Justices of the Peace. (Charles Carpenter, Justice for the village, had been previously elected.) Horace Ellis and George E. Teift were elected Assessors Christopher Kitts, Collector; Edwin R. Smith and Albina Woolson, Overseers of the Poor; Ogden H. Osborn and Ervin Hammond, Superintendents of Schools; Thomas Owen, Horace Bailey, Guy Terry, and Richard Barrett, Constables; William W. Tripp, Matthew Van Vleck, and Harvey Stewart, Inspectors of Election.

In 1849, Henry G. Stiles was elected Supervisor; William Punderson, Town Clerk. Justices-George E. Teift, (to fill a vacancy,) Simeon Spaulding, (regular term,) and Horace Ellis. Superintendent of Schools-Thomas S. Truair. Overseers of the Poor-Edwin R. Smith and Albina Woolson. For the complete official list of the town since 1849, the reader is referred to the town records in the hands of the present Town Clerk, Mr. E. R. Smith, of the village of Geddes. These records being kept in a separate place, escaped the fire which consumed the village records in 1850.

( “Geddes” History of Geddes, NY. 19 November 2012. http://history.rays-place.com/ny/onon-geddes-ny.htm)

Contact Susan Millet at the Historical Society at sghs13209@yahoo.com for further information.

 

 

For more information please visit the Town of Geddes Historical Society page.