Town of Clay Clerk Archival Records Listing

The Town of Clay was established in the year 1827. It has an an approximate size of 49.3 square miles. It is located on the northern edge of Onondaga County on the Oneida River and on its west edge is the Seneca River. The main routes of travel are State Routes 481 and 31. It’s name came from the great compromiser, Henry Clay. Three Rivers, which is in the center of the town, was the Center of the Iroquois Confederacy. In 1824, the oldest Lutheran Church in Onondaga County was built in Clay. Two active, early Hamlets were Belgium and Euclid (formally Clay Corners). The Indians were active in two other areas, Oak Orchard Reefs, and Schroeppels Bridge. Legend has it that at Orchard Reefs, a massacre of Indians took place, and is the site of extensive Indian Burials. Since its establishment, Clay has steadily been one of the fastest growing towns in all of New York State.