 When the first set of posted routes in New York were assigned in 1924 , the portion of what is now NY 38 from Freeville to Moravia became part of NY 26 , a north – south highway extending from Freeville to Syracuse via Skaneateles . By 1926 , the segment of current NY 38 between Freeville and Owego was designated as NY 42 . In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York , the entirety of NY 42 and the portion of NY 26 south of Moravia was incorporated into the new NY 38 , which extended north from Moravia to NY 3 ( modern NY 104A ) in Sterling . The section of the route adjacent to Owasco Lake was still being constructed at the time of NY 38 's assignment ; it was completed c . 1932 . 
