Town of Pompey History

The Township of Pompey, named for the outstanding Roman General and statesman, was established by the Commissioners of the Land Office in New York City on July 3, 1790. In 1794 Onondaga County was formed and Pompey was one of the original eleven Towns. During these early years, New York State awarded military grants to NYS soldiers. The Town of Pompey granted 100 lots of approximately 600 acres apiece.

This tract was set up to give land to those who fought for new York State in the Revolutionary War in lieu of cash for their service. Only one man of the hundred men entitled to the free land decided to settle here on his 600 acre plot – Conrad Bush.

Most of the early settlers came from Massachusetts and Connecticut, bringing with them their protestant religions and their traditions of town meetings. Records show meetings held as early as 1794. The first Town supervisor was Moses Dewitt. They came here because of the advantages of the fast flowing streams which provided a good supply of sites for mills of every description, especially saw and grist mills.

Early records show that thirty-five to forty families settling here between 1791 and 1800. By 1845, a census reported 4,112 residents in Pompey. Young Irishmen found their way to Pompey when the construction of the Erie Canal ended, making a lasting contribution to the town’s agriculture. The community grew and was prospering. New farm homes were built; some with architecture that to this day reflects the rich culture and affluence of the era.

Roads and schools and churches were erected in the Hamlets. The Pompey Academy in Pompey Hill was chartered in 1811 In the early years it stood almost alone as an institution of higher learning and many of its graduates went on to prominence and accomplishment. Prior to 1870 Pompey had furnished to our State Legislature, thirteen members, six representatives in our National Congress, one United States Senator, two Governors, five Mayors of cities, three Supreme Court Judges, one Major-General of the Union Army and commander on Sherman’s “March to the Sea”. William G. Fargo, of the future Wells and Fargo was born and lived for 22 years in the hamlet of Watervale.

Anyone familiar with the history of Onondaga County knows the name of Pompey’s native son, Homer D.L. Sweet. It was he who produced an atlas of the county in 1874 that is still the standard for accuracy of survey and information. In addition to being a surveyor and cartographer, Homer Sweet was well known as a poet and journalist. During 1868, he produced a series of articles for the Syracuse "Standard" called “Pen Sketches of Onondaga County”. Each town in the county was dealt with under the headings of history, natural scenery, archeology, agriculture, geology and population. Here are his accounts of the five hamlets of the Town of Pompey from the “Standard” of March 4 and 5, 1868 – in his own words.

“Delphi -this pretty village in the south-east corner of the town has wonderfully improved within the last ten years, in all that tends to the progress of society. The streets are fine and the sidewalks first rate. The ladies of this place, whose energies are only exceeded by their beauty, have, with commendable zeal, raised money enough to purchase plank, and have laid sidewalks over the entire village. This example might be followed with a great degree of credit by nine tenths of the villages in the county.

Delphi Falls Baptist Church

The streets, as a general thing are well shaded, the yards fine and the dwellings nicely painted, having a look of neatness and cheerfulness in all its surroundings.

There are three churches, a school with two teachers, a hotel, two general dry goods stores, a drug and grocery store, a tin shop and grocery, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, a shoe shop, a harness shop, two milliner's shops, two clergymen, a physician and about twenty dwellings.”

“Oran – This is the little hamlet in the northeast corner of the town that has been growing less and less for forty years until at the present time there is only a church, a school, a hotel, a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop and wagon shop, that are worthy of mention and about twenty dwellings.

The street is wide, without shade trees or walks, but the dwellings and yards are in pretty fair condition.”

(Oran’s claim to fame came when the Chenango Branch of the West Shore Railroad Co. was completed to Oran in 1872. Now connected to Syracuse, farmers could get their products, dairy particularly, to Syracuse and beyond on the Canal. It was also a convenient means for business and shopping trips.)

Oran Railroad Station c. 1900, located on Oran Station Road

“Watervale – This little cluster of farm houses and mechanic's residences, at the forks of the west and middle branches of the Limestone Creek, contains a school, a hotel, a grist mill, a saw mill, two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop and about twenty dwellings. The streets are fair with a few shade trees; the dwellings, with one exception, nothing extra, and yards that, as a general thing, could be improved wonderfully.”

(William G Fargo, of Wells and Fargo, was born in Watervale in 1818 and lived and worked in Pompey until he moved to Weedsport in 1840. He got his start here.)

“Pompey Hill – This is the oldest village in the county, and was one of the leading places for this whole region of country. People came here for legal advice, they came here for medical advice and to do their trading; and they came here for fashions, they came here for military parades, for political discussions, and for general consultations of a public nature: they came here to engage in all the amusements and duties of a public character. But the old place has sadly deteriorated. The large dry goods stores of the ancient days have dwindled and the mechanics shops have grown small and beautifully less, until at the present time, there are four churches, an Academy, a hotel, three stores, two blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two shoe shops, a harness shop, a milliner's shop, a jeweler, three clergymen, an old physician and a young one and about fifty dwellings. The village was originally laid out handsomely with broad streets and ample squares, but the streets are nothing extra, the sidewalks merely passable, and the shade tree, taken as a whole, abominable.

The Academy was incorporated in 1811, and for many years it was the only institution of the kind in this part of the State. It flourished until within the last twenty years – since which time it has merely existed. Since the burning of the District School House there has been some talk of changing it to a Graded School. We hope they do.”

(Many eminent persons were educated at the Academy; men who went on to become well known senators, educators, doctors, lawyers and ministers. The “Academy Reunion” in 1874, sparked a new interest in Pompey, the highest point in the county and for twenty years the Hill Top House was one of he most famous rural resort hotels in CNY)

Pompey Center– This little hamlet consists of a church, a school, a hotel, a store, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop and ten dwellings. It is a pretty good spot to hold town meetings and that is about all the inhabitants of Pompey use it for.

Only the foundation remains of the Cheese Factory that was located on the North side of State Route 20 between Pompey Center Road and Gulf Road.

Plowing Bee Berwyn men plowing for Israel Woodford on his farm, c. 1913. First team-Ceylon Frost, Loren Thompson driving. Second team-Gerald Frost. Third team-John Crotty. Picture taken by Carl Swift. Courtesy Helen Frost Green. From, "Pompey, Our Town in Profile".

Pompey Center School District #10, 1909 Top row-Clayton Scott, Philip Quirk, Anna Quirk, Nellie Phalen (teacher), Ethel Waters, Mary Ryan, John Phalen and Charles Scott. Middle row-Howard Jennings, Anthony Quirk, Lillian Waters, Eithel Bligh, Gladys Bligh, Ernest Scott, Paul Quirk. Bottom row-Francis Hanlon, Marion Bligh, Anna Ryan, Julia Ryan, Etta Scott, Ruth Scott, Yvonne Kershaw, Mary Clancy and Basil Conway.  Photo by Ransier.

Pompey’ farming industry thrived though the 1800’s. First came the Erie Canal, which spurred the growth of Syracuse as an industrial area. Syracuse depended heavily on the agricultural products from the surrounding area. Goods could now transported to Syracuse and beyond on the Erie Canal and later on the RR that ran through Oran. And one-half of the trip to this market was downhill – literally. It was not laughing matter to negotiate a heavy load behind a straining and winded horse team. Wool from the sheep could be shipped to the woolen mills in Utica.

Suddenly there was a radical change – small, self- sustaining farms were going out of business. The Industrial Revolution changed the kinds of work for many people and so their diet was changed also; they wanted more fruit, lighter vegetables and even prepared foods. Motor cars pushed the horse off the streets so the market for hay and grain were gone. Herds of cattle and sheep were now raised on ranches out West where land and labor was cheaper than in Central New York.

Now entered the dairy cow – the demand for fresh milk was improving – the disadvantage was space and new equipment was necessary and that meant a substantial capital output. Pompey winters made it difficult to get the products to market, so you saw improvements in the roads.

Again, small farms were going out of business and there was a great land grab in the 50’s and 60’s. As the suburban population moved in, the decision making process in the town was being influenced more by non-farming residents. The Agricultural Districting Act was approved that saved the farmer from the tax increases that were inevitable with the need for more services. It also was meant to prevent the loss of fertile land for food production.

Agriculture has survived. Many of the non-farmer residents want to preserve the rural nature of Pompey. A Town plan is in the works now. Many needs are being taken into account. The intent is to preserve the natural beauty of the area that we all enjoy.

The Town of Pompey includes the five hamlets of

Delphi Falls, Oran, Pompey Center, Pompey Hill and Watervale.