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.
Industry in Syracuse, New York
Merrell & Soule, a canned food processor, was founded by G. Lewis Merrell and Oscar F. Soule who started the company in 1868 to can vegetables. During 1879, the firm, then known as Merrell-Soule Company, was located at 50 South West Street. They later invented a way to make low-moisture, marketable mincemeat from dry ingredients. During 1904, the company built a five-story plant in Franklin Square. In 1909, the Merrell-Soule Company shipped 12,000,000 packages of the product, each package containing enough mincemeat for two pies. During 1910, the city produced 70% of all the mincemeat used in the United States and "None Such" brand became a national success. The company later produced powered milk and by the 1920s they had 26 factories and employed 900 people, approximately 450 worked in Syracuse. Borden, Inc. bought the company in 1928 and were still producing canned goods in Syracuse in 1948.