From the latter part of the nineteenth century through the early years of the twentieth century, Lakeland was home to several upscale hotels and a small amusement park along the shores of Onondaga Lake. These were served by a trolley car line from Syracuse. However, the resort area began to decline before World War I and was gone by the Great Depression. The former resort area is now largely covered by Interstate 690 and parking areas for the New York State Fair, whose permanent grounds are at the southern edge of Lakeland.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
