Town of Spafford Clerk Archival Records Listing

The settlement of the town of Spafford and the legal formation of the county of Onondaga were very nearly contemporaneous. Both occurred in 1794, the latter in the spring, the former during the autumn. Previously the territory under consideration was often the scene of Indian gatherings and hunting expeditions. Game was abundant in the heavy forests, which canopied the fertile soil. The beautiful lakes of Skaneateles on the west and Otisco on the east swarmed with fish and whose banks furnished many favored deer-licks. Its varying landscape of hill and dale acquired renown among the tribes of the Onondagas, the Cayugas, and the Senecas, and subsequently among emigrants from Eastern New York and New England. This town enjoys the distinction of having more lakefront than any other town in the county, and its scenery was and still is beautiful and picturesque. The highest elevation, which is also the highest point in the county, is Ripley Hill, in the southern part, which is 1,982 feet above tidewater and 1,122 feet above the water of Skaneateles Lake.