List of New York State Historic Markers in Tompkins County, New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

New York State Historic Markers are special signs found along roads and in towns. They help us learn about important places, events, and people from the past. These markers tell stories about how communities grew, who lived there, and what happened long ago. This article will explore some of the fascinating historic markers you can find in Tompkins County, New York. Get ready to discover exciting facts about pioneers, old buildings, and special events that shaped this area!

Early Settlements and Pioneer Life
Important People and Their Legacies
Transportation and Trade
Native American History
Unique and Interesting Facts
Images for kids
See also

Early Settlements and Pioneer Life

Many markers in Tompkins County tell us about the first people who settled here. These pioneers often built simple log cabins and taverns, which were like hotels and gathering places.

Caroline's First Homes

In the Town of Caroline, you can find markers about its earliest days.

The 1st Town Meeting marker shows where the first town meeting happened in April 1811. It was held in a log tavern called Bush Tavern.
The Cabin Site marker tells us about Maria Earsley, who built the first cabin in Caroline in 1794. She traveled all the way from New Jersey on horseback with her son!
The Old Genung Farm marker points to Lot 93, cleared by brothers Moses and Benjamin Genung in 1800. They were Revolutionary War soldiers from New Jersey. Their family owned the farm for 125 years.
The Settlers Cabin marker in Slaterville Springs marks a cabin built by Benoni Mulks around 1798-1801. Its original fireplace is still standing!

Taverns and Inns

Taverns were very important in early settlements. They offered food, drink, and a place to stay for travelers.

The Old Rich Tavern in Caroline was built by Captain David Rich, who came from Vermont in 1795. It was also the site of his first log cabin.
The Old Tobey Tavern, built in 1808, was run by George Vickory and Nathaniel Tobey. This area was once called Tobeytown and is now the Village of Caroline.
In the Town of Enfield, the Applegate Tavern was built by John Applegate in 1807. The first schoolhouse in town was built nearby in 1809.
The Wallenbeck Inn was on the Catskill Turnpike, an important early road. It was a stagecoach route from Mecklenburg to Kirby's in 1826.
The Elm Tree Inn in McLean (Town of Groton) was the site of the first log tavern built by Amasa Cobb in 1796. A giant elm tree there was a sapling when the tavern was built!
In the Town of Lansing, the Ludlow Inn was a log tavern built in 1792. The Ludlow family were early settlers in 1791.
The Rogues Harbor Inn, built in 1830, was owned by D.D. Minier, whose father, General Abram Minier, settled in the town in 1788.

First Churches and Communities

Early settlers also established churches and organized their communities.

The Dutch Reformed church site and cemetery in Caroline date back to 1820. The church was organized in 1810.
In the Town of Danby, the New Jerusalem church was organized in 1816 and built in 1824. It was founded by Dr. Lewis Beers, a physician, pastor, and pioneer.
Another marker in Danby says, This Was The First Church in the town, organized in 1807 and built in 1813.
The 1st Baptist Church in Etna (Town of Dryden) was organized in 1804, and its first church was built in 1807.
The Congregational Church in West Groton was organized in 1816 and built in 1832.
The Old Baptist church in McLean (Town of Groton) was founded in 1828, but meetings had been held since 1805.
The Old East Groton cemetery and first church (East Congregational) were organized in 1805. The log church was built in 1810.
The First Methodist marker in Ithaca notes that in 1819, Simeon Dewitt gave land for the First Methodist Episcopal Society to build a church.

Important People and Their Legacies

Tompkins County is the birthplace or home of many notable individuals who made a difference.

Austin Blair, Civil War Governor of Michigan, was born at the Blair Homestead in Caroline. His father, George Blair, was a pioneer settler in 1809.
William R. "Daddy" George, founder of the George Junior Republic, was born in Dryden. The George Junior Republic was a youth village with the motto "Nothing Without Labor," founded in 1895.
Charles W. Sanders (1805–1889), author of popular school books, lived in West Dryden and completed his "First Speller" there.
John Miller, the first Governor of North Dakota, was born in the Town of Dryden in 1889.
John McGraw (1815–1877), a generous donor to Cornell University (McGraw Hall), was born in a log cabin near Willow Glen.
Sylvester Pennoyer (1831–1902) was born in Groton. He became the Governor of Oregon and later the Mayor of Portland, Oregon.
Simeon De Witt (1756–1834) was the Surveyor General of New York State. His home site and burial place are marked in Ithaca. He was important for surveying early turnpikes.
Hermann Biggs, M.D. (1859–1923), a renowned public health leader and pioneer in preventive medicine, was born in Trumansburg. He was even knighted by the King of Spain!
William Austin (1832–1909) lived in Trumansburg. He edited an abolitionist newspaper in Kansas, served as a recruiter and Second Lieutenant during the Civil War, and was a local lawyer.

Transportation and Trade

Early roads and transportation methods were vital for connecting settlements and allowing trade.

The First Road in Tompkins County from the east was started by Joseph Chaplin in 1792 and completed in 1795. This road was used by many early settlers.
The Bridle Road from Virgil to Ithaca was built in 1795 by Joseph Chaplin.
The Catskill Turnpike was an important stagecoach route from Catskill to Bath. Markers in Caroline, Ithaca, and the Town of Ithaca mention this turnpike, which was also a mail route.
The Owego-Ithaca Turnpike (1811–1841) and the railroad (opened 1834) are marked in Ithaca. This was the second railroad chartered in New York State.
The Tollgate House marker in Ithaca shows where traffic passed through on the Owego-Ithaca Turnpike, which was surveyed on old Indian trails.
The End of Turnpike marker in Ithaca shows where the turnpike ended, leading to the old boat landing. The "Enterprise," the first steamboat on the lake, was launched here in 1820.

Native American History

Markers also tell us about the rich history of Native American tribes in the area.

Deerlicks in Caroline were places where Indians and early settlers got their salt.
The Indian Camp marker near Dryden Lake shows hunting and fishing grounds where many arrows, sinkers, and flints have been found.
The Indian Site and Indian Village markers in Enfield point to early Iroquoian villages where pottery pieces and tools have been discovered.
The Indian Village marker in Groton notes a favorite hunting ground of the Cayuga Indians and other local tribes near Owasco Creek.
The Cayuga Indian marker in Ithaca describes winter quarters located in a gorge.
Coreorgonel was a Cayuga Indian Village, part of the Iroquois Six Nations. It was destroyed by Sullivan's Army in 1779.
The Algonkian Site in Taughannock Falls State Park marks an Indian village that stretched from the creek's mouth to the falls.
A Cayuga Indian marker in Ulysses points to a fort and burial ground with earthworks.

Unique and Interesting Facts

Some markers highlight unusual or significant local details.

The Camping Ground in Caroline marks where Chief Wheelock, an Oneida Indian, was killed in action during the War of 1812.
The Boston Purchase boundary is marked by the West Owego Creek. This was 230,400 acres of Indian land given by New York to Massachusetts in 1787 to settle a land dispute.
The Arrow marker in Caroline points to a Slave Burying Ground where 14 enslaved people owned by Caroline residents are buried.
The Underground Railroad markers in Dryden tell about homes that sheltered and helped enslaved people escape to freedom in Canada. Hananiah Wilcox and Nancy Ann Price, and William Hanford and Altha C. Todd, were brave people who helped.
Malloryville in Dryden was settled by Samuel Mallory in 1826. Later, William Trapp invented the first successful barrel-making machine here around 1845, making it a cooperage (barrel-making) center.
Connecticut Hill in Newfield is the highest point in Tompkins County. It was once owned by the State of Connecticut.
Another Connecticut Hill marker notes the birthplace of the Ervay Quadruplets in 1855, who were exhibited for several years.
The R.A. Moog Company marker in Trumansburg celebrates Robert Moog, who developed and produced the first commercial modular synthesizer here in 1964, changing music history.
The Baptist Church in Trumansburg was designed and built in 1851 by Daniel Elmore, who was both a minister and a carpenter.

Images for kids

Site of the First Court House in Ithaca, built in 1818.
Marker for Abner Treman, first settler and founder of Trumansburg.
The Camp House, built in 1848 by Herman Camp.
Marker for the First Methodist Church in Ithaca.
Marker for the Original Lane used by early settlers in Ithaca.
Marker for the R.A. Moog Company, where the first commercial modular synthesizer was developed.
Marker for the Baptist Church in Trumansburg, built in 1851.
Marker for Hermann Biggs, M.D., a public health pioneer.
Marker for William Austin, an abolitionist and Civil War veteran.