Item 07-09-94

$1.00

The year 1994 marked the official Bicentennial of Onondaga County. The fascinating history of this area, however, began long before the first European settlers arrived, when the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy fished its waters, tilled its soil, and hunted its abundant wildlife. The County was named for these Onondaga, or "people of the hill." By the 1700s settlers began arriving in ever greater numbers and on March 5, 1794 the New York Legislature created the County of Onondaga and the four towns - Lysander, Manlius, Marcellus and Pompey - that comprised it.

The five graphics on the cover represent different aspects of Onondaga County history. The turtle is a symbol of the Iroquois people, the packet boat represents the canal years, the basket of apples and the barn remind us of the farms that have long been a part of the landscape and the automobile symbolizes the Franklin Auto and the industries that made Onondaga County famous.

The Syracuse Stamp Club, in conjunction with Onondaga County Parks and the United States Postal Service, celebrated the event with a special cancel and cacheted cover.  The stamps chosen were the 5¢ Thomas Eakins commemorative from 1967 (Scott #1335) and the 25¢ New York Statehood Bicentennial commemorative from 1988 (Scott #2346).

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