Onondaga Creek
The settlement that became Syracuse arose in a forested swampy area at the creek outlet in the early 1800s as a result of the state of NY constructing the Erie Canal and developing salt production on the shores of Onondaga Lake. From this time forward, the natural meandering flood plain of the creek was periodically channelized and straightened to facilitate uncontrolled development of the creek-side and flood plain upstream towards the Onondaga Nation Reservation. A "progress"-based economic cycle involved land developers purchasing farmland and building in the adjacent rural towns, followed by flooding, sewage, water supply, and school crises. The city of Syracuse would then respond to petitions by the new homeowners and businesses to formally ask the state legislature to annex these lands. By the turn of the twentieth century, this cycle accelerated due to the city acquiring water rights to Skaneatles lake, and the development of street car lines.
History of cycling in Syracuse, New York
In November 1895, John Chester Bowe was the president and general manager of the "Syracuse Cycle Company". In April 1896, the company advertised they had been in business since 1892 and were makers of the "Syracuse Bicycle" with the famous "Crimson wheel" also known as the "Crimson rim". The company motto was "There is but one crimson rim--it is the Syracuse."