Van Buren, a Town in Onondaga County, was inhabited at the time of the European discovery by fierce Iroquois Indians. They dominated the area of New York State until their power was ended by the American Revolutionary War.

After the war, the new American Government found it difficult to pay the soldiers. This problem was solved by using the land gained to pay the troops. Near the close of the war, an arrangement was made whereby the State of New York took upon itself the carrying out of this promise as relating to the soldiers of New York. The new Congress had promised to lay out in the public land 600 acre-tracts to cancel these obligations. It was the intent of New York to increase the 100 acres promised by the Federal Government to 600 acres.

In February 1789 an Act was passed requiring the Land Office Commissioners to direct a survey of the Military Tract. The Legislative enactment had given specific directions as to the manner in which the Tract was to be laid out.

There were to be townships formed each having 100 lots and each one was to contain 600 acres of land. Each township was to have a name and numbers and the lots of each township were also to be numbered.

Various lots were to be reserved which in later years could be used for funds and to support churches, schools, and other public buildings. Surveyor General Dewitt began his work soon after he was given his instructions. A report was presented in July of 1790 at the meeting of the Land Office Commissioners, showing that twenty-five townships had been laid out. Township #5 was named Camillus, which included Elbridge and the present Town of Van Buren.