Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project Homepage
This website is a project 'Under Construction' by Bernie Corcoran
Some Dates & Laws Related To The Creation Of County,
Townships,
And Town Boundaries within Cayuga County NY
| 1776, Sept. 16 | The Journals Of Congress defined that NY State was given a quota of 4 battalions to muster and Congress agreed to offer Bounty land of 100 acres to a non-commissioned officer and private, together with larger bounty land allocations to officers by rank. (Balloting Book) |
| 1779 | 1779 Map Of Gen. Sullivan's March from Easton shows the route of the 'Sullivan Campaign' in the areas of Cayuga & Seneca Lakes. This map image was obtained from the collections of the Library Of Congress and published on the Internet courtesy of Bernie Corcoran and can be viewed by clicking HERE |
| 1781, March 20 | NY Laws - An act for raising two two regiments for the defence of this state on unappropriated lands |
| 1782, March 23 | NY Laws - An act for raising troops to complete the line of this state in the service of the United States; and the two regiments to be raised on the bounties of unappropriated lands, and for the further defence of the frontiers of this state |
| 1783, March 8th | NY Laws - An act to enable John Cochran, Esquire to locate two thousand acres of waste and unappropriated lands within this state |
| 1783, March 27 | Extract from the Journal of the Assembly of the State of New York (Source: The Balloting Book) |
| 1783, Sept. 3 | The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States |
| 1784, May 11th | NY Laws authorized granting lands promised to be given as bounty lands (Source: The Balloting Book) |
| 1789, Jan 27 | Note that the 1860 Gazetteer of NY State cites that the first, original Military Tract Townships were established on Jan. 27th, 1789. This date may relate to NYS land office records. The 'Balloting Book' cites that the NYS law appropriating military tract bounty land was dated Feb. 28th, 1789 (just after the treaty with the Cayugas was settled on Feb 25th, 1789). |
| 1789, Feb. 25th | The boundaries of the Cayuga Reservation are described in the treaty held in the city of Albany. The area established a 64,000 acre reservation plus two other small tracts referred to as "Rychman Square Mile" and "Cayuga Ferry Square Mile" |
| 1789, Feb. 28th | As the result of treaties with the Cayuga & Onondaga Indian Nations,
land was appropriated that would become Townships 1 thru 25 of the Military
Tract Of Central New York An Act to appropriate the Lands set apart for the use of the Troops of the Line of the State, Lately serving in the Army of the United States, and for the purposes therein mentioned |
| 1790, April 6th | Commissioners Of The Land-Office are authorized to advertise and begin processing claims for bounty land in the area that what would become known as the Military Tract Of Central NY |
| 1790, July 3rd | Extracts From The Minutes Of The NYS Land-Office - Surveys of the first 25 townships are completed and the 25 Townships are named: Aurelius, Brutus, Camillus, Cato, Cicero, Cincinnatus, Dryden, Fabius, Hannibal, Hector, Homer, Locke, Lysander, Manlius, Marcellus, Milton, Ovid, Pompey, Romulus, Scipio, Sempronius, Solon, Tully, Ulysses, and Virgil. |
| 1791, Jan. 29 | Military Tract Township No. 26 is Created and named Junius |
| 1792, Aug. 10 | Military Tract Township No. 27 is Created and named Galen |
| 1792-94 | A map known as the 1st Sheet of DeWitt's State Map of New York
shows the Military Tract Of Central New York as it existed between Aug. 1792
(The date when the township of Galen was established) and Sept. 1794 (Prior
to the creation of the township of Sterling). This map is published
on the Internet HERE |
| 1793 | John Hardenbergh purchased and settled in an area of Aurelius NY that became known as "Hardenbergh's Corners" |
| 1794, March 5th | Onondaga County Established ~ via Laws of NY; 17th
Session-Chap. 18 "AN ACT for erecting lands called the Military Tract into a separate county". Within the area that would later become Cayuga County, this same 1794 law combined together the Military Tract Townships of Locke & Milton to both become named "MILTON"; Within the area that would later become Cayuga County, this same 1794 law combined together the Military Tract Townships of Scipio & Sempronius and that portion of the East Cayuga Reservation located south of the southwest corner of the Military Tract township of Aurelius to become just named "SCIPIO"; Within the area that would later become Cayuga County, this same 1794 law combined together the Military Tract Townships of Cato, Brutus, Aurelius and that portion of the East Cayuga Reservation located north of the southwest corner of the Military Tract Township of Aurelius to become just known by the name "AURELIUS" |
| 1794, Sept 11th | Extracts From The Minutes Of The NYS Land-Office
(Balloting Book) Meeting Of The Commissioners Of The Land Office Of The State Of New York - 1794, Sept. 11th Military Tract Township No. 28 is Created (5 Months Later Minutes Cite That Township #28 Would Be Named Sterling) |
| 1795, Jan.. 16th | Extracts From The Minutes Of The NYS Land-Office (Balloting
Book) Meeting Of The Commissioners Of The Land Office Of The State Of New York - 1795, Jan. 16th Minutes Cite That Military Tract Township No. 28 is Named Sterling |
| 1795, July 27 | New York Treaty with Cayuga Indians gave up lands of the East Cayuga Reservation bordering Cayuga Lake except two square miles where Union Springs is located, and one square mile known as the "Mine Reservation". |
| 1796, April 11 | After NY State officials balloted off 94 of the 100 lots in each Military
Tract Township, the remaining 6 lots would be reserved for the development
of gospel and schools, certain commercial offices and to compensate for
deficientcies or water-covered land. On April 11, 1796, the NY State
Surveyor General was directed to certify to Town Supervisors of Onondaga
County the location and numbers of the reserved lots in each township. The
town supervisors in Onondaga County NY were then authorized to designate
one lot in each township for support of gospel & schools and one lot
for support of literature. The remaining 4 lots were intended to make
up for certain deficientcies. An ACT For the further direction of the Commissioners Of the Land Office and for other purposes therein mentioned |
| 1797, Mar. 28 | NYS law related to bounty land grants for lots in Galen & Sterling that were apparently issued without required authorizations or surveying fees |
| 1798, Mar. 9 | The Town Of Sempronius Was Created From Scipio &
Sempronius An ACT For Dividing Certain Towns In The County Of Onondaga **************************************** On this same date, NYS validated the manumission of slaves by Quakers and others |
| 1798, Mar. 23 | An ACT relative to the lots of land reserved for the support of gospel and schools, and for the promotion of literature, in the military tract in the county of Onondaga. |
| 1799, March 8th | Cayuga County NY was formed An ACT To Divide The County Of Onondaga; (Laws of the State Of New York 22nd Session) |
| 1799, March 29th | An Act For The Gradual Abolition Of Slavery In NY State |
| 1802, Feb. 20th | The Town Of Locke Is Split Off From Milton To Again Be A Separate
Town ~ via Laws Of NY 1802 "AN ACT To Divide The Town Of Milton, In The County Of Cayuga" |
| 1802, March 30th | An Act To
Divide The Town Of Ovid In The County Of Cayuga (Created The Town Of
Hector) ******************************************** Town of Aurelius in Cayuga County was erected into new towns named Cato, Owasco, Jefferson (Later re-named Mentz), Brutus and remaining area of Aurelius - ~ via Laws of NY; 25th Session-Chap. LXVII (77) "AN ACT to divide the town of Aurelius, in the County of Cayuga". |
| 1803, Feb. 22nd | An Act To Divide The Town Of Ulysses in The County Of Cayuga - Created The Town Of Dryden |
| 1803, April 2nd | The Towns Of Seneca & Jerusalem in Cayuga County Are Annexed To Ontario County |
| 1804, Mar. 24 | Portion Of Cayuga County NY was removed to become parts of Seneca,
Ontario & Steuben County An Act To Divide The County Of Cayuga |
| 1805 | Hardenbergh's Corners was re-named Auburn |
| 1807, Feb. 26th | Cayugas (Indian Nation) ceded all remaining land near Union Springs, together with the "Mine Reservation" to New York |
| 1808, April 6th | The Town Of Milton is re-named Genoa; The Town Of Jefferson is re-named Mentz |
| 1812, Jun. 19th | The Town Of Sterling Is Created From Cato - Note that Cato was defined to include Cayuga County lands north of the Seneca River (Thus, after March 30, 1802 and prior to June 19, 1812, Cato included Sterling) |
| 1815, Apr. 18 | Portion of Aurelius was incorporated as the Village Of Auburn |
| 1817 | Portion Of Cayuga County NY was removed to become part of Tompkins County |
| 1821, Mar. 16th | The Town Of Conquest , Ira & Victory was created from the Town Of Cato |
| 1823, Jan. 30th | The Town Of Ledyard was Created From The Town Of
Scipio; The Town Of Springport was Created From Aurelius & Scipio (Source: Bicentennial History Of Sprongport and Union Springs) The Town Of Venice was Created From Scipio |
| 1823, Mar. 28th | The Towns Of Fleming & Auburn WereCreated From Aurelius |
| 1827, Mar. 19th | The Town Of Sennett Was Created From Brutus |
| 1827-1829 | The State Of New York in 1827, aware of the importance and public utility
of an accurate state map and the want of an authentic work of this kind,
upon the recommendation of the State Governor Dewitt Clinton, authorized
the Comptroller & Surveyor General to publish an atlas at the states
expense. Published on January 5, 1829; the cover page of
the 1829 Atlas Of The State Of New York by David H. Burr reads: An Atlas Of The State Of New York containing a map of the state and several counties projected and drawn by a uniform scale and from documents deposited in the public offices of the state; and other original authentic information under the direction of Simeon DeWitt, Surveyor General pursuant to an act of the legislature. Physical geography of the state of New York - several counties and statistical tables of same by David H. Burr. NY Published 1829. See the map of Cayuga County contained within this official state atlas. The Cayuga County NY Map contained within the 1829 Atlas Of The State Of New York by David H. Burr is published on the Internet courtesy of William Hecht and can be viewed HERE |
| 1831, Apr. 26 | The Town Of Plato Is created from the Town of
Locke; The Village Of Weedsport (located within the Town of Brutus) was incorporated |
| 1832 Mar. 16th | The Town Of Plato is re-named Summerhill |
| 1833, Mar. 20th | Towns Of Moravia & Niles Were Created from (Scipio and/or Sempronius) |
| 1837 | The Village of Aurora was incorporated (Source: Wikididia) |
| 1837, Mar. 2nd | The Village Of Port Byron (located within the Town of Mentz) was incorporated. |
| 1848, Nov. 8 | The Village Of Union Springs was incorporated. (Source: Bicentennial History Of Sprongport and Union Springs) |
| 1848, Mar. 21 | Auburn became a city |
| 1857 | The Village Of Cayuga is incorporated [Located within the Town of Aurelius] (Source: History of Cayuga by Florence Pharis McIntosh) |
| 1859, Apr. 8th | The Town Of Montezuma Was Created From
Mentz The Town Of Throop Was Created From Aurelius Mentz & Sennett |
| 1869 Nov./Dec. | A 320 Acre Portion of Lot # 64 in the Town of Aurelius is annexed to become part of the Town of Fleming |
| 1874, Feb. 16 | The Village Of Cayuga, NY was re-incorporated (Source: History of Cayuga by Florence Pharis McIntosh) |
A chart showing the relationship between the 8 original Military Tract Townships
of circa 1789 that evolved to become the current towns of Cayuga County is
available on the Internet in PDF format courtesy of Bernie Corcoran HERE
Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project
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This website is a project 'Under Construction' by
Bernie Corcoran