List of New York State Historic Markers in Cayuga County, New York

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Cayuga County, New York, is a place rich in history, marked by many important events and people. Across the county, you'll find special signs called "historic markers." These markers tell stories about the past, from the first settlers and important buildings to famous people and major historical moments. They help us remember and learn about the exciting history of this area.

Historic Places in Auburn
Historical Markers Across Cayuga County
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Historic Places in Auburn

Auburn, a major city in Cayuga County, has many markers that tell its story.

Auburn Prison: A Place of Firsts

The Auburn Prison is a very old building. Its construction began in 1816, and the first prisoners arrived in 1817. They even helped build parts of the prison! This prison is also known for a sad and important event: the world's first electrocution happened here in 1890. From 1841 to 1846, convicts at the prison made sewing silk, and Auburn became a main market for silk materials in the U.S.

Early Auburn Buildings and Businesses

Calvary Presbyterian Church: This church is the oldest church building in Auburn. It was built between 1815 and 1817.
Cayuga County Court House: The first court building was a wooden structure built in 1809. The current stone building was put up in 1836.
Center House: This building was an early tavern, built in 1805. It was also where the first Presbyterian Church was organized in 1810.
First Freight Depot: The first train station for goods in Auburn was built in 1836 for the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad.
First Tavern and Store: The very first tavern and store in Auburn was a log cabin built by Samuel Bristol in 1796.

Important People and Events in Auburn

Barracks: During the War of 1812, soldiers camped here as they traveled to and from Niagara.
Harriet Tubman Home: This was the home of Harriet Tubman, a brave woman known as the "Moses of Her Race." She helped many enslaved people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
William G. Fargo: William G. Fargo, who helped start the famous Wells-Fargo Express Company, worked here as the first freight agent.
Fort Hill: This area was once a fort built by ancient people called Moundbuilders. Later, it became a meeting place and village for the Cayuga people. It's also believed to be the traditional birthplace of Chief Wasco.

Auburn's First Schools and Cemeteries

First School: The first school in the Auburn area was built before 1796.
North Street Cemetery: This cemetery was the main burial ground for Auburn settlers until 1852. Many early residents are buried here.
Site of First School House: The very first school house in Auburn was established in 1796, with Benjamin Phelps as the schoolmaster.

Historical Markers Across Cayuga County

Beyond Auburn, many other towns in Cayuga County have markers highlighting their unique past.

Aurelius: Early Settlements and Treaties

Col. John Harris: He was the first white settler in Cayuga County, building a log cabin in 1788 and starting Harris Ferry across Cayuga Lake.
First Cayuga County Court: The first court for Cayuga County was held here in 1799.
Site of Treaty for Purchase Cayuga Reservation: This is where a treaty was signed to buy land from the Cayuga Indians. Famous Native American leaders like Red Jacket and Fish Carrier spoke for the Cayugas.
Site of Cayuga Long Bridge: This bridge, built in 1800, was one mile long and was very important for people moving west.

Brutus: Erie Canal and First Mills

Centerport: This village was important on the old Erie Canal when it opened in 1825.
Town of Brutus: Formed in 1802, the first settlement here was made by Aaron Frost in 1795. He also built the first grist mill (for grinding grain).
Weeds' Basin: Named after Elihu and Edward Weed, who built a basin (a calm water area for boats) on the old Erie Canal in 1821.

Cato: Ancient Fires and Early Mills

Ceremonial Fire: This was the site of a permanent village and a "perpetual council fire" for the Cayuga branch of the Iroquois.
Old Mill: The first grist mill in Ira was built here in 1818.
The Pepper Mill: This was the first grist mill in the town of Conquest, built in 1810.

Conquest: Pioneers and Pine Forests

Town of Conquest: This town was created in 1821. Its first settlers arrived in 1800, including George Snyder, a soldier from the American Revolution.
Pineville: This area was once called Pineville because of the many pine forests. Its name changed to Spring Lake in 1874.

Fleming: Trails and Generals

George Fleming: A captain in the Revolution, he built his home here. The town was named after him in 1823.
Great Iroquois Trail: This was part of a major trail used by Native Americans and settlers, stretching from Niagara to Albany.
Josiah Chatfield: He was the first settler of Fleming Village in 1798.

Genoa: Pioneer Stores and Churches

First Store: The first store in the Town of Genoa was opened here before 1800.
Presbyterian Church: This church was organized in 1798 by the earliest settlers in the region.
Town of Genoa: Originally called Milton in 1789, its name changed to Genoa in 1808.

Ira: Quarries and Early Meetings

Burial Place: This is where many pioneers of the area are buried, including several veterans of the Revolutionary War.
Fox's Kiln: These ancient limestone quarries were opened before 1835.
Ira Corners: Settled in 1805, this is where the first town meeting was held in 1821.

Ledyard: Famous People and Ancient Sites

Algonkian: This was an ancient Native American village site from the Stone Age, about 1000 years ago.
Birthplace of Theodore Ledyard Cuyler: He was a famous Presbyterian clergyman and writer, born here in 1822.
Eliza Mosher: A notable woman physician, Eliza Mosher was born here in 1846.
Cayuga Lake Academy: This school was chartered in 1801, and its first building was erected in 1803.
First Home: The first home built by a white person in Cayuga County was here in 1789.
First Newspaper: The first newspaper in Cayuga County, "Levanna Gazette Or Onondaga Advertiser," was published here in 1798.
Glen Park 1852: This was the home of Henry Wells, who founded the American Express Co. and Wells Fargo Express Company. He also founded Wells College here in 1868.
Home of Jethro Wood: This was the home of Jethro Wood, who invented the cast iron plow.
Site of Upper Cayuga Village: This Cayuga village was destroyed by soldiers during Sullivan's Campaign in 1779.
Site of Chonodote Peach Town: This Cayuga village, with an orchard of 1500 trees, was also destroyed during Sullivan's Campaign.
Site of First Steam Flouring Mill: The first steam flouring mill west of the Hudson River was built here in 1817.

Locke: Indian Sites and Town History

Indian Fort Site: This area was the site of an Indian village, likely fortified, and an Indian burial ground.
Town of Locke: This town was formed in 1802.

Mentz: Mormon Prophet and Express Founders

Brigham Young: The Mormon leader Brigham Young lived in a house near here in 1831.
Henry Wells: The founder of Wells Fargo Express Company lived in this house from 1827 to about 1830. He was a shoemaker by trade.
Port Byron: This town was named in 1832.

Montezuma: Canals and Salt Springs

Old Erie Canal: The Erie Canal was completed to this point in 1819. The first boat on the canal, the "Montezuma," was built here.
Salt Springs: These springs were a main source of salt for Native Americans and later for early settlers.

Moravia: Inventions and Oldest Houses

Cady Tavern: Zadoc Cady built a log tavern here in 1801.
John Stoyell: He was the first settler in Moravia in 1790.
Oldest House: The kitchen of this house is the original cabin built by Gershom Morse in 1794, making it the oldest house in Moravia.
The First Cast Iron Plow: The world's first cast iron plow was made by Jethro Wood at the foot of the falls here in 1819.

Niles: Mills and Salt Roads

Kelloggsville: Named after Judge Charles Kellogg, who opened the first store here in 1804.
Old Mill: This mill was partly built by Charles Kellogg in 1823.
Old Salt Road: This road was used to transport salt from Syracuse to Pennsylvania and New York.

Owasco: Ancient Villages and Governors

Algonkian: This was a large Algonkian village site. One of the biggest Indian pottery jars in New York State was found here.
First Church in Cayuga County: The first church in Cayuga County was built here in 1798.
Willow Brook: This was the home of Enos T. Throop, who served as Governor of New York from 1829 to 1832.

Scipio: Roman Names and Educators

Cayuga Castle: This Cayuga village was destroyed by soldiers during Sullivan's Campaign in 1779.
Emily Howland: A famous educator and giver, Emily Howland lived here. She founded the Sherwood Select School in 1872.
Town of Scipio: This town was named after a Roman General and was one of the original towns of the Military Tract, formed in 1794.

Sempronius: First Settlements and Sanitariums

First Settlement in Sempronius: The first settlement here was in 1793 by Ezekiel Sales, a surveyor.
Site of Glen Haven House: This house was turned into the Glen Haven Sanitarium in 1845.

Sennett: Early Homes and Roads

Blacksmith Shop: The first trip hammer in Cayuga County and the first one used in Auburn Prison were made here.
Early Home: This home was built around 1795 by Daniel Sennett, after whom the town is named.
First Store: The first store in Sennett village opened in 1795.
Great Genesee Road: This important road connected Old Fort Schuyler to the Genesee River.
Seneca Turnpike: Built in 1800, this turnpike was a major route for people migrating west.

Springport: Indian Villages and Islands

Cayuga Castle Goi-O-Gouen: This was the main Cayuga village, destroyed during Sullivan's Campaign in 1779.
Frontenac Island: This island was an ancient Algonkian village site and an Indian burial place. It was given to Union Springs as a park in 1856.
Indian Mound: This mound is known to be the site of an early Jesuit Mission.
Reservation of Cayugas: This land was a reservation for the Cayuga people before it was sold to New York State in 1799.

Sterling: Early Settlements and Mills

Fair Haven: This area was settled before 1811.
Sterling Valley First Settlement: The first settlement here was made in 1805 by Peter Dumus, a soldier who served with Lafayette.
Town of Sterling: Named after a Revolutionary Officer, Lord William Alexander Sterling, this town was created in 1812.

Summerhill: Presidential Birthplace

Millard Fillmore: The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore, was born in a log cabin in a nearby field on January 7, 1800.

Throop: Generals and Early Settlers

Home of Gen. John S. Clark: He was a Civil Engineer, historian, Civil War officer, and the first supervisor of Throop.
Throopsville: First settled in 1799.
Town of Throop: Formed in 1859, this town was named after former Governor Enos T. Throop.

Venice: Indian Fields and Inventors

Indian Fields: These were farms used by the Cayuga people before the Revolution. White settlers found these fields already cleared and farmed.
Site of First Store: The first store here was built around 1800 by Jethro Wood, the inventor.

Victory: First Settlements and Churches

North Victory: The first settlement here was in 1812.
Town of Victory: This town was created in 1821.
Westbury: First settled in 1806.

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The birthplace of Millard Fillmore, 13th U.S. President.