Gayville, New York
Encyclopedia
Gayville is a hamlet lying five miles (8 km) north of the village of Constantia in the town of Constantia, Oswego County, New York
.
.
, the eastern portion of what is now Oswego County was part of the territory of the Oneida Nation
. Although there were no known settlements in the region, the Oneidas used the land for hunting and fishing. Oneida Lake provided their principle means of transportation
. To reach Lake Ontario
, twenty or so miles north of Oneida Lake, they would canoe up Scriba Creek. About six miles (10 km) north, where Scriba Creek bears eastward, they began an eight mile (13 km) portage, traveling overland to Little Salmon Creek, which took them to Lake Ontario. This route was preferable to continuing to the end of Oneida Lake, down the Onondaga River (now known as the Oneida River
), and down the Oswego River
. The Oswego River route was about sixty miles longer, and it passed the rapids at Oswego Falls (now known as Fulton) and ended at the military fortifications of Fort Ontario
and Fort Oswego
.
After the Revolution, the government of New York acquired vast inland territories from the Oneida Nation and sold the land to speculators. George Scriba, born in Germany and a naturalized citizen
of New York, purchased 500000 acres (2,023.4 km²) of land in what is still known as Scriba's Patent. He established two villages that were to serve as ports: on Oneida Lake, at the mouth of Scriba Creek, he built Rotterdam, now known as Constantia. On Lake Ontario, at the mouth of Little Salmon Creek, he built Vera Cruz, near the present-day village of Texas. He had a road cut through the forests between the two settlements. This road paralleled Scriba Creek, followed the route of the Oneida Nation portage, and paralleled Little Salmon Creek. Although it was never accomplished, he also envisioned creating a canal along the Oneida Nation portage between the two creeks.
Among the many hamlets of farming families that developed along the route of the Rotterdam-Vera Cruz road was Gayville. Its name came from early landowners Erastus and Charlotte Gay, who purchased all of Lot 14 in Section 11 (the town of Constantia)in 1831. Lot 14 was about a quarter of the land in the area that came to be known as Gayville. In 1854 they lost the land in a mortgage foreclosure, and they left the area, leaving their name in common usage. The road from Constantia was called the Gayville Road, and when the sixth school district
was established in the town of Constantia it was called the Gayville District. The district operated until 1952, when the New York State Education Department
consolidated small rural district
schools into central districts, and Gayville became part of the Central Square Central Schools. The Gayville Post Office
was established in 1880. Between 1900 and 1910 the Rural Free Delivery
system was established, and the Gayville Post Office closed. Once more the residents of Gayville received their mail from the Post Office in Constantia Village.
At one time Gayville had a hotel with a ballroom and bar, several sawmills, and a Methodist Protestant congregation that met in the schoolhouse.
. A number of original farmhouses and a few barns remain, but most of the homes are contemporary. No trace can be seen of the schoolhouse, hotel, or mills.
Oswego County, New York
Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government...
.
Geography
Gayville centers upon the intersection of County Route 23, County Route 23A, and Grannis Road. Within Gayville Potter Creek joins Scriba Creek, which flows southward to empty into Oneida LakeOneida Lake
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State . The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It serves as one of the links in the Erie Canal. It empties into the Oneida River which flows into the Oswego River which in turn flows into Lake Ontario...
.
History
Before the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the eastern portion of what is now Oswego County was part of the territory of the Oneida Nation
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
. Although there were no known settlements in the region, the Oneidas used the land for hunting and fishing. Oneida Lake provided their principle means of transportation
Mode of transport
Mode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...
. To reach Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, twenty or so miles north of Oneida Lake, they would canoe up Scriba Creek. About six miles (10 km) north, where Scriba Creek bears eastward, they began an eight mile (13 km) portage, traveling overland to Little Salmon Creek, which took them to Lake Ontario. This route was preferable to continuing to the end of Oneida Lake, down the Onondaga River (now known as the Oneida River
Oneida River
The Oneida River in central New York state flows from Oneida Lake to its confluence with the Seneca and Oswego rivers. The Oswego empties the water of the other two rivers into Lake Ontario....
), and down the Oswego River
Oswego River (New York)
The Oswego River is a river in upstate New York in the United States. This river is the second-largest river flowing into Lake Ontario. James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pathfinder, or The Inland Sea is set in the Oswego River valley...
. The Oswego River route was about sixty miles longer, and it passed the rapids at Oswego Falls (now known as Fulton) and ended at the military fortifications of Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario is a historic fort situated by the City of Oswego, in Oswego County, New York in the United States of America. It is owned by the state of New York and operated as a museum known as Fort Ontario State Historic Site....
and Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego was an important frontier post for British traders in the 18th century. A trading post was established in 1722 with a log palisade, and New York governor William Burnet ordered a fort built at the site in 1727. The log palisade fort established a British presence on the Great Lakes....
.
After the Revolution, the government of New York acquired vast inland territories from the Oneida Nation and sold the land to speculators. George Scriba, born in Germany and a naturalized citizen
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
of New York, purchased 500000 acres (2,023.4 km²) of land in what is still known as Scriba's Patent. He established two villages that were to serve as ports: on Oneida Lake, at the mouth of Scriba Creek, he built Rotterdam, now known as Constantia. On Lake Ontario, at the mouth of Little Salmon Creek, he built Vera Cruz, near the present-day village of Texas. He had a road cut through the forests between the two settlements. This road paralleled Scriba Creek, followed the route of the Oneida Nation portage, and paralleled Little Salmon Creek. Although it was never accomplished, he also envisioned creating a canal along the Oneida Nation portage between the two creeks.
Among the many hamlets of farming families that developed along the route of the Rotterdam-Vera Cruz road was Gayville. Its name came from early landowners Erastus and Charlotte Gay, who purchased all of Lot 14 in Section 11 (the town of Constantia)in 1831. Lot 14 was about a quarter of the land in the area that came to be known as Gayville. In 1854 they lost the land in a mortgage foreclosure, and they left the area, leaving their name in common usage. The road from Constantia was called the Gayville Road, and when the sixth school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
was established in the town of Constantia it was called the Gayville District. The district operated until 1952, when the New York State Education Department
New York State Education Department
The New York State Education Department is the state education department in New York. It is part of the University of the State of New York , one of the most complete, interconnected systems of educational services in the United States...
consolidated small rural district
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
schools into central districts, and Gayville became part of the Central Square Central Schools. The Gayville Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established in 1880. Between 1900 and 1910 the Rural Free Delivery
Rural delivery service
Rural delivery service refers to the delivery of mail in what are traditionally considered rural areas. In the United States, rural letter carriers began service with the experiments with Rural Free Delivery in 1891...
system was established, and the Gayville Post Office closed. Once more the residents of Gayville received their mail from the Post Office in Constantia Village.
At one time Gayville had a hotel with a ballroom and bar, several sawmills, and a Methodist Protestant congregation that met in the schoolhouse.
Present Community
Gayville today is a residential communityResidential community
A residential community is a community, usually a small town or city, that is composed mostly of residents, as opposed to commercial businesses and/or industrial facilities, all three of which are considered to be the three main types of occupants of the typical community.Residential communities...
. A number of original farmhouses and a few barns remain, but most of the homes are contemporary. No trace can be seen of the schoolhouse, hotel, or mills.