Liverpool, on the shore of Onondaga Lake, was settled by John
Danforth and his family due to the natural brine springs near the lakeshore. The population of salt boilers quickly grew. The Oswego Canal opened in 1828, and the village was incorporated in 1830. German immigrants brought willow weaving to the village in the mid-1850s, and by the 1890s, Liverpool willow products were being shipped all over the nation. In the 20th century, as more lucrative work became available and the automobile ruled, the basket weavers gave way to factory workers, nurses, teachers, and engineers. Around...