[Select images to enlarge].

Here the hedgerows marking the old road appear dividing the two cultivated fields. On the brow of the hill in the distance, between the more distant hedgerow and the stand of evergreens, another open field provides a fine view of Otisco Lake.

This spot is the divide between the watersheds of the St. Lawrence River and the Susquehanna River. The Bucktail (to the left of the photo) flows to Otisco Lake, which drains north, while Cold Brook, which begins here, flows south to the Tully Valley.

The lost road enters Spafford Forest to the right of the picture above. There it continues as a trail until emerging into a large clearing (seen in the modern plan, top right on previous page and in the aerial photograph below):

 

 

The diagonal gash is a gas line coming up from Otisco Valley, crossing Cold Brook Road, and extending southward. The lost road appears as a light blue line, with the sites of two lost houses as red squares. A white line represents a Spafford Forest trail. The debris between the old road, the trail, and gas line is a large junk yard:

 

 

Onondaga County's Spafford Forest wraps around the site of this intrusive land use, as seen below (County land appearing darker). The junk yard is situated between the forest and the extensive wetlands, into which it drains. White lines represent Spafford Forest trails.

 

 

The lost road extends southward until it become modern Craig Road, seen bordering the eastern edge (left) of the larger wetlands in the aerial photos above. Where Craig Road turns westward to connect back to Cold Brook Road is the entrance to the Spafford Forest Trail system:

 

 

The Town of Spafford, with County help, has developed a new visitor parking area at this point.

 

Aerial views adapted from photographs by Bill Hecht, who provided some maps.

Other photographs and comments by Paul Malo.