the seneca road company was formed to improve the main road running west from utica, new york, the genesee road, from utica to canandaigua and operate it as a toll road or turnpike. the road was originally laid out in 1794 from baggs square in downtown utica (then old fort schuyler) at the ford of the mohawk river and followed the indian trail past syracuse to canandaigua. some accounts say it went to geneva and avon originally. there was no city of city of syracuse then. the road became known as the seneca turnpike, which was long and, at the time, the longest toll road in the state.