The Jordan Village Historian: Summer 2024 Schedule

Summer 2024

History Fun
Keep Checking Back for More Events

for Kids and Adults!

June's Walk and Talk:

June 8th- 1pm

June's History Talk:
June 12th- 7pm

June's Kids History Detectives Club

June 15th- 11am

June's Metal Detecting Dig:
June 22nd- 9am-2pm

Kids: Get Digging this Summer!

July's Walk and Talk:
A Canal Town Grows

A Grain of Salt: The Power of Four Letters

The Legacy of Salt

The Power of Four Letters

Salt...this four-letter word had more impact on the Syracuse area than any other. While some might argue "Erie" has four letters and was important, long before the canal came through, salt was the reason for leaving comfortable homes in the east to make money. Salt has always been a staple of life. Since ancient times, salt was used to enhance the flavor of food. Before refrigeration, it was a necessity to preserve food for the lean times over winter and spring. Salt was so valuable that it could be exchanged for goods as a currency in its own right, a barterable commodity. If you were “worth your weight in salt”, you were a valuable asset. Salt made Syracuse…and the region.

Onondaga Lake, the place of the Hiawatha and Peacemaker's tree was the founding place of the Haudenosaunee. It was a place teeming with life: in, above and around the lake. The Onondagas lived on the hills overlooking the lake. They fished its waterways, hunted its shores, and managed the land. It was and is sacred to the Onondagas and the Confederacy. A four-letter word was "home".

Tree of Life 

by Oren Lyons

The Salt Springs were known to the Haudenosaunee long before the Jesuits first arrived. The Jesuits recorded these springs, and it didn't take long for intrepid entrepreneurs to come to the region to exploit this resource. New York State realized the importance of this resource and managed the entire shoreline around Onondaga Lake, a way to increase profits from around the lake. Not only could money be made by making, selling, and taxing salt, but it could also make money from leasing the land. A word related, almost sacred to the colonists, is the four-letter word “cash”.

Salt Point was the original name of the settlement by the lake that became the Village of Salina. Salina is a corruption of the Latin word “sal” meaning salt. Later the Village of Salina merged with the Village of Syracuse, incorporating into the City of Syracuse in 1848. On the western shores of the lake, Geddes was named after James Geddes who opened a saltworks in what is now Solvay. Another four-letter word is “city”. Salt, literally and figuratively, was in the blood of the community.

Originally, salt water from the salt springs around was boiled down to extract the salt. Later, the Solar Salt method was used which harnessed the power of the sun and required far less resources to produce a greater quantity of salt. Eventually, water was pumped into the salt deposits south of Syracuse. The brine extracted was then gravity fed to solar salt fields around Onondaga Lake, including the Inner Harbor and Solvay Process. Here it would be pumped into flat beds and the sun would do the work of evaporating the water. Once it was dried it was moved to sheds, packed into barrels, and then shipped by canal boats or trains to market. It is inextricably tied to the prosperity of our region. The opportunity's four-letter word "work" was available for those seeking a better life.

Closely linked with work was another four-letter word in our area: “boom". With many ways to get goods to market, including the Erie Canal and Railroads, and immigrants coming in from all over the world looking for a better life, Syracuse was a great place to develop new ideas. Businesses came, things were made, schools were built, jobs were created, employment almost a certainly, innovation ran rampant...it was a good time to be "The Salt City".

But salt was a four-letter word, a bad one in many respects. First, it was the reason the Haudenosaunee were dispossessed from their lands. Greed left an ugly legacy. Second, brine salt from left the Tully Valley riddled with unstable underground caverns. Unintended consequences have lasting impacts into the future. Third, it heavily contributed to the pollution of the land that it came from. An irony of epic proportions. The reason they came was a reason for its demise, much like The Lorax. Salt was used in the Solvay Process. The sludge leftover from this process would go on to pollute Onondaga Lake and the land surrounding it. But also, the solar sheds themselves polluted the land. Brine and salt fell from the drying sheds over the years. All that salt into the soil rendered the land unfit for farming much like road salt use affects the land along the sides today. A four-letter word for this is “ruin”.

Much of the last 30 years has been formed by another four-letter word, “redo”. In 1994, areas for clean up were officially identified. Clean up in and around Onondaga Lake began in 2005. Slowly, but steadily the lake and its surrounding habitat has been purposefully cleaned up and restored. The eagles returned, marshlands restored, and trails laid that help people understand what a treasure this lake is. Perfect, no. But it a great start to caring for a lake that we as a community have been so careless about.

While it brought great wealth to the region, it also brought great problems, some of which we, over 200 years later are only beginning to understand. History is never cut and dry, usually it falls somewhere in the middle like the briny slurry that once was pumped to the solar sheds. The salt and the water must be understood together. You can separate them, but the one is the reason the other got there. Salt brought great wealth, but it also left a swath of destruction. Recognizing both helps us understand how we got here. Another four-letter word which carries us into the future is “hope”. We can do better than the past. And remember, to understand Syracuse’s history and future, you have to take what you have been told with a pinch of Salt.

Resources and Further Information:

https://www.onondaganation.org/history/

https://indigenousvalues.org/haudenosaunee-values/great-tree-peace-skaehetsi%CB%80kona/

https://www.syracuse.com/living/2021/03/1792-intrepid-family-travels-170-miles-to-harvest-areas-white-gold.html

https://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/101_135/119spring2001/119palmer.html

https://exploringupstate.com/story-syracuse-salt/

https://uncoveringnewyork.com/salt-museum-syracuse/

https://www.cnyhistory.org/2014/10/1353/

https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/salt-production-syracuse

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2022/12/8-milestone-moments-in-onondaga-lake-cleanup.html


And two videos, one short, one a bit longer:

And the documentary:

"The Salt City" produced by PBS

https://www.pbs.org/video/insight-insight-012717/

Places to visit:

Skä•noñh: https://www.skanonhcenter.org/
 

The Salt Museum: https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/onondaga-lake-park/salt-museum/

Onondaga Historical Association: https://www.cnyhistory.org/

Wrought in Iron: The Village Blacksmith

 Wrought in Iron: 

The Village Blacksmith

It's 1830, your mule has thrown his shoe.

Now what do you do?

You come into the next village and look for a village blacksmith

who can re-shoe your mule.

They are the unsung heroes of keeping the canal going.

There were many critical roles that kept the canal working.

Without the locktender, no one could go east or west on the canal.

Without the canal boat captain, goods would not be transported.

Without the drivers, the mules would not pull the boats.

With out the drydock carpenters, boats would not be built or fixed.

(Blacksmith at the Genesee Country Village and Museum)

But the unsung cog in the gears that kept the boats moving was the blacksmith.

(Blacksmith Shop, Genesee Country Village and Museum)

Not only did he fashion the metal bits for the boats and

create the hinges for the locks,

he also kept the mules on sure footing for the trip.

The first question you might ask 

is quickly followed by a second, more obvious one:

What is a blacksmith?

 

Is there a whitesmith?

A blacksmith worked iron into whatever was needed

"With fire and Anvil, the blacksmith forged 

the ironwork essential to any settlement.

He made everyday essentials such as handwrought nails; 

he repaired the tools of the shop and farm and hearth, 

including gridirons and shovels." (Craftsman in America, p19)

Essentially, if it was made of iron, 

the blacksmith made or repaired it for you.

The iron was shipped to the blacksmith from the ironmonger at the forge.

Smelting iron required a forge.

The forges required and lots of wood to melt the iron out of the rocks

 The forger required charcoal

Initially, the charcoal came from wood. 

This came at a cost, however 

"The fuel of all the furnaces was charcoal, 

and it was the cutting of wood to make it, 

far more than agriculture, 

denuded the Eastern seaboard 

of its forests." (Colonial Living, p113)

It could take upwards of four acres of land to get a forge going,

and more than that to keep it going. Woodlots were essential.

Luckily the newly cleared land for the canal had lots of downed trees 

and acres of forested land that surrounded it.

Why was this so important?

The blacksmith needed fuel, too.

The need cleared forests at a faster rate than farming alone.

once the land was cleared, you were good to farm.

But trees and wood were needed in a constant supply to keep the smith going.

A side note, was there a whitesmith?

Yes, a whitesmith was also known as a tinsmith.

They worked tin into everyday items that 

did not need to be made of iron.
Usually they worked with metals that did not require

heating the metal first to work it.

more about tinsmiths here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsmith

While whitesmiths rarely needed to heat their metal;

however, it is essential for blacksmiths to do so.

Woodlots were needed to keep the blacksmith's forge

fueled to heat and shape the iron.

Every town, especially a canal town, needed a blacksmith or two.

There were tools to be made for tradesmen,

equipment to be made and fixed for farmers,

nails fashioned for builders,
the chains that boat captains needed to moor,
  

and animals like horses, mules, and oxen 

that needed shoes from a farrier.

Jordan was no different.
Not only did were dedicated blacksmiths needed, 

but many of the manufacturers such a coopers, wagon makers,

and wheelwrights needed blacksmithing skills

to finish their goods.

Here is a list of just some of the manufacturers in Jordan in 1874

A blacksmith's work scope was more than farriering.

But farriers were necessary as each shoe 

had to be custom made for each animal.

And every animal needed shoes 

created specifically for each hoof.

It would be as if cars today needed a 

different tire on each wheel hub today.
And if your mule threw a shoe on the towpath,

you'd need a farrier to continue on your journey.

Below are two shoes found within the Village of Jordan.

The larger shoe is a plow horse's shoe. 

This one was found in Skaneateles Creek 

by where the old Otis Farm once stood.

The shoe in the middle is a mule shoe.

It was found buried in the towpath

along the Enlarged Erie just west of N Hamilton St.

Mules were used on the canal because they 

were small enough to fit on a packet boat,

they ate half the feed of a horse,

and knew when to stop for the day...

...about 15 miles on the Erie Canal.

While all blacksmiths could shoe a horse or mule,

most did so much more.

Blacksmiths that specialized in shoeing were often employed

by livery stables as a one-stop shop for horse and mule maintenance.

There were several dedicated blacksmith shops in Jordan.

in 1874, there were at least three in the village center.

(Sweet Map, 1874)

One would eventually become Jenner's Blacksmith Shop.

It was located next to Skaneateles Creek along the corner of S Main St and Elbridge (misspelled Eldridge on this map).

This drawing shows the Jenner Blacksmith Shop

(drawing by Albert Arnold)

Here is a picture of the building c1896

Christopher Jenner is the one with his hand on his son's shoulder.

His son was Donald Jenner, Sr.
Note the wheels outside ready to repaired by the shop.

Inside a blacksmith's shop,

they made and repaired everything and anything made of iron.

Have a wheel that needs to be made?
or a hoop or six for a barrel?

The blacksmith was your man.

Need a handle for a door...or a dozen for a hotel?

The blacksmith could make them to order.

But as time went on, the mule and driver gave way to the car, 

and

blacksmiths were no longer need to shoe horses.

Blacksmiths had to adapt, 

but at least the new-fangled cars were made from metal...

...something they knew!

Many converted to repairing cars, tractors

 and farming equipment.

This is a blacksmith shop in Cambridge, VT.

(Library of Congress)

"The earliest autos were built with familiar features like iron-rimmed wooden wheels,

and had simple engines that were amenable to

---in fact often required---

on-the-spot, jury-rigged repair work." (Brownstone, p149)

And while they no longer had to fashion shoes for individual hooves,

they now could "shod" a car with for identical tires...a luxury.

Jenner's Blacksmith Shop became a service station. 

This photograph from 1943 shows Jenner's Blacksmith Shop now as 

Brown's Service Station.

(Sprague Collection)

Eventually, time caught up with a building which 

was built for a profession that was no longer as vital as it once was. 

The building fell into ruin and the foundation was falling apart.

It was demolished in May of 1996. 

The land was turned into Kenneth Bush, Sr Park. 

(A Stroll in Jordan, New York, p30)

So next time you see a horseshoe,

Take a moment and ponder the tangible 

connection today to the craftsman

who helped keep things moving from horses to cars, 

created items from handles to spikes,

and repaired everything from farm equipment

to cooking cauldrons.

The village was literally held together 

with the nails he made

until industrialization made it cheaper to produce

machine made nails...

...and made him, in turn, a piece of the past he helped to create.

Resources:
Anderson, Clay, et al. The Craftsman in America. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic             Society, 1975.
Brownstone, Douglass. A Field Guide to America's History. New York: Facts on File, Inc.,                     1984.

Horner, John. A Stroll in Jordan, New York. Auburn, NY: The Jacob's Press, 2004

Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Living. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1957.

More Than Just A Nail

More Than Just A Nail

Movies and novels have left us with imagining 

that the fortuitous find of an ancient map will lead to 

treasures, riches and fame.

Even if you can't cross the seas, even movies like The Goonies 

conjured a hope that some lost-forgotten map 

tucked inside a long-forgotten box 

in an obscure attic would lead to the finding of long-forgotten treasure.

But as the fabled Indian Jones quipped to his fictitious class,

"...and X never marks the spot."

In reality, archeologists and historians 

do a lot more mundane, carefully carried out research 

to find the clues hidden in the past under foot.

These come from researching books and maps.

They come from digging and recoding trenches.

They come from carefully cleaning up finds and interpreting them.

Sometimes there are amazing, unexpected finds.

Often, however, the finds are more often 

of a mundane nature.

But do not confuse mundane with boring.

On the contrary, it is not the great mosaic floor that gives as

much history as the fragments 

of bone, 

pottery,

food,

 and tools.

These, when put together paint the canvas of how  

ordinary people lived and worked.

Nails are something that often frustrate metal detectorists.

Even if the detector is on the right setting,

occasionally a strong signal,

will encourage a deep dig

that, in the end,

result in

"nothing but a nail"

(and perhaps a little frustration).

However, it is more than just a nail...

It represents the surveyor who mapped where a mine should be.

It represents the company that owned the mine.

It a tangible relic of the miners' work.

It is the connection to the forge that smelt out the iron from the rock.

It is the iron monger with a wagon that delivered the raw iron.

It is the woodcutter who felled the trees to make the fuel to heat the cold metal.

It represents the blacksmith working the bellows to heat the coals.

It is the apprentice learning to hammer a nail straight.

It is the new man in town who wants to build a house.

It is the lives of the family who lives, loved, and died in a house 

held snuggly together with love and nails.

It is the house that sat abandoned with only memories to fill the rooms.

It is the snowstorm that caused it to fall under is own weight.

It is the farmer who plowed it all under so curious children

wouldn't fall into the voids.

It is the time that passed.

It is the curious child with a metal detector 

who went out searching the very first time.

It is the excitement of a  "BEEEEEEEEEP" that there's 

something down there.

It is the intrigue of digging to see just what it could be.

It is the joy of a first find: a nail!

It is the curiosity:

Where did it come from?

Who lived here?

Who made it?

and a thousand other questions yet to be answered.

No two square nails are perfectly identical:

Different sizes for different purposes.

And then fasteners changed.

Machines could make them.

Bolts with threads could hold materials together.

It is the record of changing times.

It is more than 
"just a nail"...

it IS history...

that you can hold 

in your hands...

...and that is a true treasure!

In Memoriam: Where We Say Goodbye- The Conclusion

 In Memoriam: Where We Say Goodbye

in Onondaga County

Thank you for journeying with me this summer as we explored the stories found within the places we say goodbye to our loved ones in Onondaga County. Each marker within represents a life of someone who lived among us. Their lives mattered not only because they helped shape the fabric of our community, but because they were loved. Someone smiled when they were born, loved them while they lived, cried when they died, and carried on their stories within their hearts when they left the graveside. Together we explored...

1. Delphi Falls Cemetery

2. Onondaga Valley Cemetery

3. Franklin Burial Ground

4. First Ward Burial Ground

5. St Patrick's Cemetery, Jordan

6. Oakwood Cemetery

7. St Mary's Cemetery, Minoa

8. Rose Hill Cemetery

9. Shepard's Settlement Cemetery

10. LaFayette Cemetery

11. St Agnes Cemetery

12. Jordan Village Cemetery

13. War 1812 Cemetery

14. Amber Cemetery

15. Riverview Cemetery, Baldwinsville

16. St Mary Cemetery, Dewitt

17. Walnut Grove Cemetery

18. Redman Cemetery

19. Christ Church/ Manlius Village Cemetery

20. Pompey Hill Cemetery

21. Pine Plains Cemetery

22. Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse

23. Myrtle Grove Cemetery

24. Elbridge Rural Cemetery

25. Liverpool Village Cemetery

26. Onondaga County Veterans Cemetery