History & Culture · Finger Lakes
Springport's Name Still Points to Springs and Lakeports
Springport's Cayuga Lake edge, mineral springs, gypsum, and Union Springs connection give the town a name that still feels literal.
Published July 6, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026
Springport sounds like a pleasant name someone might have picked for scenery, but the old town facts make it feel more literal than that. Cayuga Lake defines the west town line, and Great Gully Creek runs into the lake south of Farleys while also forming the south town line.
The town was formed in 1823 from parts of Scipio and Aurelius. Mineral springs and gypsum were important in the early economy, so the name does more work than a pretty label. It points to water, ground, and the material life of an early lakeside town.
Union Springs adds the village layer. The village incorporated in 1848, Route 90 runs along Cayuga Lake, and Route 326 meets it north of Union Springs. The town also has small named places that keep the lake close to everyday directions: Farleys, Farley Point, Howland Point, Cayuga Junction, Oakwood, Powers Corner, and Frontenac Island near Union Springs.
Read that way, Springport is not just a quiet Cayuga County town beside a Finger Lake. It is a place where the road, lake edge, old spring economy, gypsum, and village name all keep nudging the same story forward.