The History of Cayuga County 1789-1879 page 36
Formation of the Towns

quest, Otter Lake and Parker's Pond in Cato, arid Summer Hill Lake, in the town of that name.

RIVERS. - Seneca is the principal river of the County. It receives the entire drainage of the immense water-sheds that drain into Canandaigua, Seneca, Cayuga and Skaneateles Lakes, and hence bears a large and, with the seasons, a greatly varying body of water. Besides the outlets of these lakes it receives, as has been shown, the principal drainage of Cayuga County in a multitude of streams, of which the larger are the Owasco Outlet, Cold Spring, Cayuga, Crane's, and Bread Creeks. The principal streams in the south part of the County are the Cayuga Inlet, having its source in the hills of Locke and Moravia, and the Big and Little Salmon Creeks, rising in the hills of Venice and Genoa, and flowing southerly.

FORMATION OF THE TOWNS. - A town of Aurelius was formed in the county of Ontario, by the Court of General Sessions of that county, January 27, 1789. This town, it should be remembered, was outside of the territorial limits of what afterwards became Onondaga and Cayuga Counties, and should not be confounded with the Aurelius in Cayuga County, which was one of the " Military Townships," formed January 27, 1789, but was enlarged by an act passed March 5th, 1794, "to divide the State into counties and towns," and described as containing "all the townships of Cato, Brutus and Aurelius and all of the reservation north of the town of Scipio and west to the center of Cayuga Lake. Auburn was formed from Aurelius, March 28th, 1823. Brutus and Cato, original military townships, but merged in Aurelius by the act of March 5, 1794, were detached and formed into separate townships on March 30, 1802 ; Conquest*, from Cato, March 16, 1821 ; Fleming, from Aurelius, March 28, 1823 ; Genoa, from the " Military Tract," as "Milton," January 27, 1789, name changed Apil 6, 1808 ; Ira, from Cato, March 16, 1821 ; Ledyard, from Scipio, January 30, 1823 ; Locke, from Milton, now Genoa, February 20, 1802 ; Mentz, from Aurelius, as Jefferson, March 30, 1802, name changed April 6, 1808; Montezuma, from Mentz, April 8,1859 ; Moravia, from Sempronius, March 20, 1833 ; Niles, from Sempronius, March 20, 1833 ; Owasco, from Aurelius, March 30, 1802 ; Scipio, from the Military Tract, March 5, 1794; Sempronius, from the Military Tract, March 9, 1799 ; Sennett,** from Brutus, March 19, 1827 ; Springport,*** from Scipio, January 30, 1823 ; Sterling,t from Cato, June 19, 1812 ; Summer Hill, from Locke, as Plato, April 26,1831, name changed March 16, 1832 ; Throop, from parts of Aurelius, Mentz and Sennett, April 8, 1859; Venice, from Scipio, January 30,1823 ; Victory,**** from Cato, March 16, 1821.

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWNS. - In the town of Sempronius is the highest land in the county, rising to the height of 1,700 feet above tide. The hills ascend sharply from the shores of Skaneateles Lake to a height above the valley, of from 800 to 1,000 feet. Deep valleys have been cut through the drift and shales in this town, by Mill, Swamp and Fall Brooks.

In Summer Hill, the surface lies from 1,000 to 1,100 feet above tide, and the valley of Fall Brook is from 300 to 400 feet below.

In Niles the highest elevation is 1470 feet above tide and 700 feet above Owasco Lake. The hills of Moravia rise between 300 and 400 feet above the flats and their sides are often steep and precipitous. The mean elevation of the hills of Locke, is about 1000 feet above tide, while they rise from 300 to 400 feet above the valleys, through which the Cayuga Inlet flows ; but they spread out into fine undulating uplands. In Genoa, the highest land is 1000 feet above tide, and 670 above Cayuga Lake, from which it gradually rises. The ridges, running north and south through the town, are divided by the two valleys, through which flow the Big and Little Salmon Creeks; the ridges rising from 50 to 150 feet above them.

In Owasco, the land rises gradually from the lake to an extreme height of about 500 feet.

Scipio has a high rolling or level and generally feasible surface for cultivation, lying on the summit of its range of towns, the drainage from it being both to the north and south. It rises gradually about 500 feet above Owasco Lake at its

* So named from the conquest or success of the party favoring the division over their opponents.

** So named in honor of judge Daniel Sennett, an early and enterprising settler of the town,

***So named from two celebrated springs which unite and form the water power of the village of Union Springs.

****So named in honor of Lord Sterling of Revolutionary fame,

*****So named because of the success, or victory, of the party favoring the division, over their opponents.

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