Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Industry & Commerce

Location

200 Block Bridge Street, Solvay, NY

Lat/Long

43.064287, -76.216881

Grant Recipient

Solvay Public Library

Nicknamed the Salt City after one of its most profitable industries, the City of Syracuse was once a major producer of salt. Established near the Erie Canal around 1850, this site was once home to the Turk Island and Western Coarse Salt Companies. Workers constructed pools and sheds to store the brine water collected from local springs, and harnessed the heat of the sun to evaporate the water which created salt. With its proximity to the Erie Canal, this area enjoyed significant growth and prosperity. In later years the salt industry declined and in 1917 the old salt sheds of the Turk Island and Western Coarse Salt Companies were dismantled and the land cleared to make room for new construction.