The Golden Age of Onondaga Lake Resorts, Expanded Edition

The Golden Age of Onondaga Resorts presents the rich history of the west shore of Onondaga Lake and its great resorts during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was once a thriving resort community and the focus of much social activity when the east coast was full of marshes and thousands of deteriorating solar salt sheds.  During the resorts’ heyday, people flocked from Syracuse via steamboat and later trolley to enjoy the pleasures of shaded picnic groves and amusements that rivaled Coney Island.  At present, only the Haley West Shore crosses this overgrown area.  The possibilities for renewal are examined in a concluding chapter.

“Don Thompson’s The Golden Age of Onondaga Resorts is an important addition to the bookshelf of regional history.  It’s completely illustrated with vintage pictures and maps.  It’s well researched and easy to read.  And, as it turns out, the history of the lake resorts also is the history of the lake, from the golden years to the many challenges of the twenty-first century.” — Dick Case, Syracuse Post-Standard