Phase 1B Underwater Archaeological Report for the Onondaga ...

FINAL
Phase IB Underwater Archaeological Resources Report for Onondaga Lake Superfund Site
map would have existed prior to the raising of the lake to current levels. Whether these swamp lands
existed along the project APE shoreline of Onondaga Lake continuously over the past 10,000 years is,
again, uncertain.
Figure 5: Late eighteenth century map of Onondaga Lake with the project shoreline APE labeled as
swamps and springs.
HISTORIC CONTEXT
The arrival of European settlers around Onondaga Lake began in the early 1600s with the appearance of
fur trade explorers and Jesuit missionaries to the region. The French adopted the bark canoe early on,
realizing that it would be invaluable in the exploration and trade in the interior of the continent.
Streams could be navigated and explored, and overland portages could be easily maneuvered. The
adoption of the Native American bark canoe allowed the French, and the early fur trade, to quickly
penetrate the heavily wooded areas of interior New York and around Onondaga Lake.
The Jesuit priest Simon LeMoyne visited Onondaga Lake and noted the salt springs at the southern end.
The salt was recognized as an important resource of the area and Onondaga Lake was identified as “Salt
Lake” on eighteenth century maps (Figure 6). The Jesuits established a mission on the east side of the
lake in 1656 (Jesuit Mission of Ste. Marie de Ganeentah), which was vacated in 1658. The French
presence was welcomed by the Onondaga since they felt in need of an ally, much as the Mohawk had
found in the Dutch traders. The disagreements and jealousy between the Mohawk and Onondaga led to
a bloody dispute and inter-tribal warfare, much the result of European influence causing uneasiness
among the Confederacy. 65 The French returned to Onondaga Lake in 1696 under the orders of the
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