Source: "History of Oswego Co.,N. Y., 1789 ? 1877, published by Everett ? Ferriss, 1878.

    As had been stated, this place did not begin to assume the likeness of a village until after the building of the railroad, in 1848.  An act had been passed providing for its incorporation in 1847, but so few were the inhabitants that no steps were taken to carry it into effect until 1854.  In the autumn of that year a petition was presented to the county court, and on the 12th of October an order was made by Hon. Ransom H. Tyler, county judge, directing the holding of an election by the electors of the proposed village, to determine whether it should be incorporated or not.  The election was held on the 19th of November following.  Only one hundred and ten votes were cast, of which fifty-eight were in favor of the incorporation, and fifty-two against it. 

By the original act, five trustees were to be chosen by the people, and these were to elect the village president out of their own number.  The following were the first officers of the village, chosen In the fall of 1853, and re-elected the succeeding spring: President, Peter Schenck; Trustees, Peter Schenck, James Parker, William Andrews, John V. Smith, and _____ Holden; treasurer, Orrin R. Jaycox; Collector, Stephen Roberts.

The growth of the village has been principally at two points, opposite the two bridges which lead to Fulton.  In these localities, besides a few elsewhere, a population of over a thousand have made their homes, and the building of new houses, especially in the upper part of the village, is continually going forward.  The principal manufacturing establishments are as follows:

In the northwest part of the village there is a large tannery, established about twenty-eight years ago, by George Salmon.  It is now owned by Barnett ? Humberger, of Syracuse.  It is run by steam, employs ten hands, and is capable of turning out three hundred and fifty hides per week.  A short distance above the lower bridge is the paper-mill of William Waugh ? Bro., which has been in operation seven years.  It makes all kinds of brown and tissue-papers, and runs night and day; turning out on an average two tons per day, and employing twelve hands, besides teamsters and other outsiders.  The building is owned by William Schenck, and for three years previous to the establishment of the paper-mill it was occupied by his sons as a chain-factory; it having originally been erected for that use.  Near by is a large saw-mill, also belonging to Mr. Schenck.

Just above the upper bridge are two extensive factories, both owned by the Oswego Falls manufacturing company.  Each is of brick, four stories high, with a basement.  The westernmost factory was built about 1862; the other, several years later.  The latter is and has been employed in the manufacture of prunella, alpaca, and other worsted goods; the former has hitherto been a woolen-factory, but is now being refitted with new machinery, and is henceforth to be devoted, like the other, to the making of worsted goods.  In the rear of the western building are fifteen brick ?weaving-sheds? in which the looms are situated.  Of these, about five hundred are now kept running, with a strong probability of an increase to a thousand in the course of a year or two.  Besides the buildings before mentioned, a large four-story brick building has lately been erected near the river-bank, which is also to be devoted to the same business.  An extensive machine-shop is likewise connected with the factory.

Besides the above, there are in the village one hotel, four stores, two school-houses, and several shops, restaurants, etc.  The Oswego Falls agricultural society has its grounds, and holds its annual meetings, in the western part of the village, on the shore of Lake Neatawanta.

A full account of this institution has been given in the general history of the county, but when it was written none of the compilers of the work had actually seen one of the fairs of that society.  The writer of this sketch, having witnessed that of 1877, is prepared to indorse the general opinion that the Oswego Falls agricultural society is one of the most successful institutions of its kind in the State.

The following is a list of the presidents of Oswego Falls since its incorporation: Peter Schenck, 1853-1854? John V. Smith 1855; Peter Schenck 1856,?57,?58,?59; John V. Smith 1860;  Peter Schenck 1861-62;  J. G. Willard, 1863; Peter Scheneck, 1864-65; Philander H. Wandell, 1866.  A new charter was then granted, by which the village presidents were elected directly by the people.  The subsequent presidents have been as follows: Doratus Kellogg, 1867; C.K. Howe, 1868; Ranson G. Alger, 1869; John Wall, 1870; C. P. Dutcher, 1871;  F. W. Baker, 1872; James Parker, Jr., 1873; Edgar M. Baker, 1874; Abram G. Hugunin, 1875; Edgar M. Baker, 1876-77.

The following are the present officers of the village: President, Edgar M. Baker, Trustees, Timothy Sullivan, F.M. Baker, Almon Wilcox, John McCarthy, William Gillard; Assessor, W.F. Stehpens; Treasurer, F.M. Baker; Collector and Clerk, Daniel Sullivan.

Of the hamlets situated in various parts of the town, Granby Centre (formerly Williams? Corners), two miles west of Oswego Falls, is now the most considerable.  It contains a church, a grocery, a post-office, a sash-making shop, a cheese-factory, a wagon-shop, and between twenty and thirty quite fine houses, handsomely shaded with trees.  The cheese-factory belongs to a stock company, and turns out about eight cheeses per day.  Two steam-mills were in operation here about a quarter of a century ago, but both have long since been abandoned.

Dexterville, two miles farther west, has a grocery, a post-office, and about a dozen houses.  A steam saw-mill was built here in 1851 by Rodman Dexter.  It burned down in 1857, but was rebuilt by Erastus Dexter.  It was torn down in 1873.

West Granby contains a neat church, a blacksmith-shop, and about a dozen houses.

Bowen?s Corners has a very handsome, commodious, and substantial brick school-house, a cheese-factory, a grocery, and twelve or fifteen houses.  This factory also belongs to a stock company, and makes from ten up to twenty-five cheeses per day.

South Granby is a station on the Syracuse and Oswego railroad, four miles up the river from Oswego Falls, which, though surrounded by a fertile and wealthy agricultural country, has as yet made no progress toward city grandeur.

Supervisors ---  Elijan Mann, Jr., 1818-19; Seth Camp, 1820; Elija Mann, Jr., 1821; Seth Camp 1822-23; Ambrose B. Kellogg, 1824-1831;  John Sammons, 1832; Edmund Bramhall, 1833-35; John Phillips, 1836; Edmund Bramhall, 1837; Amory Howe, 1838-39; George Kellogg, 1840; Alanson Dodge, 1841-42; William Schenck, 1843; Almarin Fuller, 1844; W.B. Gaylord, 1845-46; Alanson Dodge, 1847; William Schenck, 1848; Alanson Dodge, 1849; Jas. D. Lasher, 1850-51; Alanson Dodge, 1852; James D. Lasher, 1853; Willard Osgood, 1854-58; J.G. Willard, 1859-62; James Parker, 1863; J.D. Lasher, 1864; Charles Howe, 1865; J.G. Willard, 1866; B. Frank Wells, 1867-68; Isaac W. Marsh, 1869-72; I.F. Pierce, 1873; J.C. Wells, 1874-75; Ezra S. Hogeland, 1876; T.R. Wright, 1877.

Town Clerks --- John Schenck, 1818; Nehemiah B. Northrop, 1819; Benjamin Robinson, 1820-21; Artemus Curtis, 1822; Benj. Robinson, 1823-24; Artemas Curtis, 1825-28; Benj. Robinson, 1829-30; Loren Golding, 1831; John Phillips, 1832-35; Elijah Phillips, 1836-38; Alviney Wright, 1839-41; Peter Schenck, 1842-49; Willard Osgood, 1850; J.G.Willard, 1851; James Parker, 1852; J.G. Willard, 1853-54; Darius R. Bellows, 1855; Harvey Smith, 1856; J.G. Willard, 1857-58; Charles T. Wood, 1859-60; Elvin A. Hempstead, 1861-62; Peter Schenck, 1863; Benj. R. Howe, 1864; Peter Schenck, 1865; Amory L. Howe, 1866; B.R. Howe, 1867-72; C.A. Northrop, 1873-74; B.R. Howe, 1875; F.M. Baker, 1876-77.
 

Supervisor, T.R. Wright; Justices of the Peace, Melvin F. Stephens, J.J. Fort, Washington Lampman, and Hiram Ballard; Town Clerk, F.M. Baker; Assessors, Nathaniel Steward, H.M. Fuller, and William D. Edgarton; Overseer of the Poor, William H. Tompkins; Commissioner of Highways, M.A.Kelsey; Collector, James Gilhooley; Constables, Eugene Van Buren, John E. Parker, Michael Ward, Major F. Phelps, and John E Kinney; Games Constable, Major F. Phelps; Commissioners of Excise,  John Cornell, William Kilfoyle, Samuel D. Andrews; Town Auditors, Daniel H. Gilbert, Jackson Reynolds, and Isaac W. Marsh.

Many thanks to Dianne Thomas for transcribing this information.  See Dianne's Candee Family History, and the Candee Family Bible.