Back in the 1870's Onondaga lake area, the county, produced 2.5 million bushels of fine salt annually. It provided 90% of the nations salt. It also produced the first salt potatoes.

Irish and German immigrants flocked to this area for employment. A staple for food at the time was potatoes. So the salt workers would toss in potatoes into the salt kettles and cooked them. Taking them out they found out they were delicious.
Afterwards the pubs caught on, so they served salt potatoes with their pints adding in butter. Thus the legendary salt potatoes of Lake Onondaga was born. This is the short version of a true story. The origin, place is approximately there since it would come up with Onondaga Lake, New York.