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.
Syracuse and Suburban Railroad
The Syracuse and Suburban Railroad, an interurban rail in Syracuse, New York, was chartered on June 29, 1895. The main line of this electric road, also known as the Syracuse and Suburban Electric Railroad and the Syracuse and Eastern Railroad, ran , over the beds of city streets, extending from Syracuse to Fayetteville and Manlius where it ended at Edwards Falls, a local tourist attraction. The railroad also operated a line that ran from Orville, now known as DeWitt to Jamesville, for a total distance of .