Farming
Muck farming has been a staple of the town's economy for decades. Crops of onions, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and celery have been grown by quite a few farmers over the years. Norman Simmons' much land on Tug Hill and State Route 104 is shown above in the 1940's
The onion crop is ready for shipment and market. Oswego County lettuce was also well known in New York City markets before it was more profitable to grow and ship it from the West.
This early 1900s view shows the main residence and farm of the Oswego City Alms House. The institution was somwhat self-sufficient with a dairy. The farm provided a place for the residents to work. Most of the building shave been removed. The site is now a recreational area for State University of New York at Oswego, called Fallbrook.
Ontario Orchards, owned and operated by Dennis and June Ouellette, now occupies the former site of Lockwood's Store. It began in the 1960s and serves not only the Oswego community, but also much of Central New York. It is at the intersection of State Route 104 and 104A.
One of the town's cider mills was owned and operated by George Ruttan of Oswego Center. It was established by his father, William. Here George sits with a lot of apples, ready for the processing of that sweet autumn nectar, around 1925.
Bee keeping and the production of honey were common in the mid-19th and early-20th centuries in the Oswego Town area. Here is Judson Simmons in 1933 in Southwest Oswego with his 100-plus colonies of bees. Simmons also operated a cheese factory on California Road.
In 1912, the town paid $.45 per hour for teams of horses and $.17 per hour for men to work on the roads. This was the Oswego steamroller around 1900. (courtesy of the Bradway collection, Town of Oswego archives).
Case's Grain and Feed Mill, located on Route 104 in Fruit Valley, was owned and operated by Bertress Case. It was built by a Dr. Milne in 1888, who was killed soon after its completion. It was then sold to Jane Brownell. Bert Case, who worked for the Brownells, bought the place in the early 1900s. His son Bertress purchased it from his father in 1924 and operated it until 1957.