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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01177 2669
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THE
SEMI-CENTENNIAL
SOUVENIR.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT CELEBRATION,
JUNE 9TH AND 10TH, 1884.
TOGETHER WITH A
CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY
OF ROCHESTER, N. Y.
BY
WILLIAM MILL BUTLER. AND GEORGE S. CRITTENDEN,
ROCHESTER, N. Y. : POST-EXPRESS PRINTING COMPANY. 1884.
1
1:53339
SER -CENTENNIAL
SOUV
R
AND
CHRONOLOGICAL
HISTO
ROCHESTER
THE DRY GOODS BUSINESS.
A writer who recently visliod the places of interset in Rochester stated that in his printen the Dry Goals relation to caller Dry Garda Houses in this city as Powell Art Gallery did to other art galettes. While this opinion may not be exactly correct, it is true that no che geot a correct idea of the firm geode business ct Rochester until he has looked through the fire atories and basements ct this houre.
Mecere. SIBLEY, LINDSAY & CURR promised businose in Rochester in March. 1865 and have stars gradually inorsasad their business both, at wwboleeste and retail. They have had the Hugeet betall business in Rochester since 1976, and the Hugget importing and jokbine Fuelness cinco 1831- In December 1850, 205512 Sibley & Lindeny purchased the property known as the Unborn House, anther Main, St. Paul and Division avreste. &xh in 1033 connected s portion of the building with their Main etrost ctorce, maisking one of the largest att finest housse for the dry gesdb business in the United Statoc.
.... . .
THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR.
By Way of Introduction.
The aim of the editors of this little work is not only to present, in convenient chronologi- val form, a history of Rochester from the ear - liest times to the present day, but to perpetuate a full and faithful account of the semi-centen- nial celebration, the details of which are neces- sarily excluded from the elaborate new his- tories of the city. It may not be amiss to state here that the subject of a proper observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the Flower City's birth was first suggested by D. M. Dewey to Edward Angevine, a veteran journalist on the POST-EXPRESS staff, and Mr. Angevine ar- cordingly began the agitation in the columns of the paper on the Isth day of June, 1SS3, his article containing, besides a large amount of historical matter pertinent to the occasion, the following suggestions: "There is no good rea- sou, it seems to the POST-EXPRESS, why this semi-centennial birthday of the Flower City should not be appropriately celebrated by her sons and daughters. It is now none too early to begin to make arrangements, for there is much to be done in the way of preparation for the event. Nothing should be done half-heart- edly; no effort should be spared to make the occasion the grandest yet observed in the beau- tiful city, which has so rapidly and solidly grown up around the Falls of the Genesec. The City of Rochester celebrated the municipal incorporation of the youthful town with the firing of cannon and the ringing of the City Hall bell afterwards for many years hanging in the cupola of the Court House, and the poo- ple made merry over the birth of the city. And now that Rochester has lived for half a century let there be another celebration, when the ofdi bell shall again ring out: again let canon voice the people's joy and thanks: let there be speech-making, and processions, and fire- works; let us eat, drink and be merry, for Rochester has now become one of the most important provincial cities of our land. Let the citizens of 1834 living with us now -- there are very few of them to be sure-be given the prominent places in the celebration, if they be spared until that time, and let them be honored, for they have been the witnesses of the growth of Ro- chester from a city of twelve thousand inhab- itants to the fourth muncipality of the Empire State. Everyone should join in this move- mienty the aged citizen who helped to clear the fields where now stand stately edifices and where are located broad >troots: the child. who may live to witness Rochester's centennial cele- bration: the business man and the capitalist. the banker and the Inborer, all should join in the effort to make next year memorable in the
history of Rochester. Hon. Cornelius R. Par- sons and the Aldermen who compose the Com- mon Council should at once tako the initiative in this matter. Let them invite aid and coun- sel, resting assured that they have the approval of all the people. "
The POST-EXPRESS of the same day contain- ed an editorial advocating the proper celebra- tion of the anniversary and urging that a meet- ing of the citizens be called without delay and the preliminary steps taken.
The idea of a semi-centennial celebration must have occurred to several minds at about the same time, for on June 19th, the next (special) meeting of the Common Council, the President, M. Barron, in the chair, the follow- ing communication from the Mayor (dated June 10th) was presented :
MAYOR'S OFFICE, ROCHESTER, N. Y., June 16, 1883. 6
To the Members of the Common Council of the City of Rochester.
GENTLEMEN: On the 28th day of April, 1831, the legislature of this state passed an act incorporating the city of Rochester, and the same provided that on the first Monday of June following, certain city officers should be elected. The board of trustees of the village, at a meeting convened on the 20th day of May, in that year, adopted the following:
" Resolved, That notice be given of the city elec- tion for the first Monday of June next; that the election be held at the places in the several wards hereinafter designated, and that the persons here- inafter named be inspectors of elections for the said wards, respectively."
It may be of interest for me to state that the polling places were fixed as follows:
First word - Mansion House.
Second ward-Allen's Inn, corner Brown and State streets.
Third ward-Rochester house.
Fourth ward-Gonesee house, corner St. Paul and Court streets.
Fifth ward -. Blossom's tavern.
On the 3d day of June, 134. the board of trustees again assembled and the following action was taken:
The clerk produced the statements of election. The trustees proceeded to examine and calculate the same, and therefore made and signed a state- ment of the result of the said election held in the city of Rochester, certifying who were elected to the several offices of the said city. It was also ordered that the statements be filet with the county clerk; that he record the same, and that they he also published in the two daily papers of the city. The board then adjourned, sine die."
The act of incorporation further provided, that the board of aldermen should meet at the court house at 12 o'clock m. on the 9th day of June, of that year, for the purpose of electing a Mayor and a Work of the city. This was complied with. Nine of the ten members were present. Johnathan Child was elected Mayor, and John (. Nash, Clerk. All. Brooks presented the following resolution, which was adopted:
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Resolved, That Jonathan Child, having received eight of the nine votes given by the members of the common council present. is duly elected to the office of Mayor of the city of Rochester, and that Alds. Backus and Kempshall be a committee to wait npon him and notify him of his election. The committee appointed to wait upon the Mayor elect having re- turned, reported that he acceptel said office."
My object in calling your attention to the date of the city's incorporation, and the subsequent action of the village trustees and the newly efected alder- men, is to direct it to the fact that our first semi- centennial anniversary is rapidly approaching, and that the people of Rochester should join with its officials iu a proper observance of the interesting event; and while the same is nearly a year hence, it is none too early to begin to consider what might appropriately be done to make the day a memor- able one in the history of Rochester. I therefore suggest that a committee of your honorable board and a committee of citizens (both formie a joint committee) be appointed, to take the matter into consideration and in dne time make its report.
CORNELIUS R. PARSONS, Mayor.
The comunication was ordered received, filed and published and the following resolution of- fered by Alderman Hinds, was adopted:
Resolved, That the president of the board be, and he is hereby requested to appoint a commitice of five members of the common council and six citi- zens of Rochester to consider the propriety of cele- brating the semi-centennial anniversary of the city of Rochester, said committee to report its conclu- sions to this board at its earliest convenience.
The committee as finally announced by the President was: Aldermen Hinds, Watson, Stronss, Rice, Southard and Barron and Hon. C. R. Parsons, Patrick Barry, D. W. Powers, Gilman H. Perkins, H. II. Warner, William Purcell, and Charles E. Fitch. At the regular meeting on Tuesday evening, June 20th, on motion of Alerman Felsinger fourteen addi- tional names were added to the committee, as follows: Jobn H. Rochester, Col. H. S. Green- leaf, D. T. Hunt, S. H. Lowe, Frederick Cook, Mathias Kondolf, George A. Benton, Joseph W. Rosenthal, Charles N. Baker, James E. Booth, James O. Howard, Henry S. Hebard, David Healy and H. Austin Brewster. .
At the first meeting of the general commit- tee, Oct. 26, 1853, Mayor Parsons was elected chairman and Major Benton secretary, and the following sub-committee appointed "to re- port a plan of the proper manner and means of the celebration:" Mayor Parsons, Aldermen Barron, Rice and Watson, and Messrs. Fitch, Perkins, Cook, Rosenthal and Benton. This committee at the next meeting. Dec. 7, 18$3, reported the plan substantially as subsequently carried out. A discussion was caused by a proposition to raise by taxation $10,000 to defray the expenses of the celebration. A motion to raise the funds by subscription was carried by a vote of 11 to 8. At the same meeting Messrs. Lowe, Barron, Perkins, Warner, Hebard, Brewster and Kon- dolf, with Mayor Parsons added as chairman, were appointed a committee on Ways and Means, and Patrick Barry was elected treasurer of the general committee. At the third meet- ing of the latter committee, the following com- Inittees were announced :
On Invitation and Printing- Messrs. Lowe, Powers, Cook, Hebard and Brewster.
On Reception and Entertainment-Messrs, Bar- ron, Booth, Hunt, Fitch and Hinds.
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On Procession-Messrs. Warner, Rosenthal, Kon- dolf, Purcell and Greenleaf.
On Fireworks and Illumination-Messrs. Watson, Rice, Strouss. Howard and Healy.
On Literary Exercises-Messrs. Rochester, Barry, Perkins, Baker and Southard.
The chairman and secretary of the general committee were added to each of the sub- committees, and the committee on reception and entertainment subsequently added to its members the following Damned gentlemen: Ja- cob Howe, jr., H. H. Pryor, Alfred Ely, A. K. Howe, H. Michaels, Abram Stern, Judge J. S. Morgan, J. W. Martin, W. Duffy. C. S. Ellis, J. A. Felsinger, W. C. Barry, Wm. F. Kohl- metz, Wm. Aikenhead, H. F. Huntington, John Fahy.
The following named gentlemen were added to the committee on Ways and Means: Messrs. Hunt, Rochester, Fitch and Rosenthal. Sub- scriptions amounting to $4,000 were reported. Additional subscriptions amounting to $2,640 were reported at the meeting of April 25th, and among the reports of the sub-committees made at the next meeting, May 19, that of the procession committee, stated that Colonel John A. Reynolds had been selected as grand marshal of the procession, with power to ap- point assistant marshals and aids. Maior Benton was given charge of the music and dis- play of bands. Additional subscriptions amounting to $560 were reported, making the amount reported to date $7,200. To this sum $300 was subsequently added. The final ineet- ing of the counnittee was held June 6th.
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Rochester's Semi-Centennial Celebration.
The hour of 12 o'clock uoon of Monday, June 9th, 1881, was ushered in with a terrible clangor on the City Hall fire-bell. Its brazen mouth, at each stroke of the hammer, sent forth the hoarse ly exultant announcement, -- thesemi-centennial celebration of Rochester is at hand. In a few seconds the fog-horn on Kimball's factory lent its deep bass voice to the din, the artillery* on Court Street bridge began its still deeper up- roar to the occasion, and then all the bells and whistles in the city took up the hue and cry, and until four minutes past one o'clock paude- monium reigned. Mingled with the barsber sounds, were the sweet chimes of St. Peter's Presbyterian church, upon which the following programme was rendered:
*Owing to the disbandment of all the militia ex- cept the eighth separate company, Rochester had no artillery of her own to use in the celebration. unless it were the old army relie in posses- sion of Reynolds' Battery. Mayor Parsons had therefore secured two brass Napoleon 12-pounders from the state arsenal in New York city for the occa- sion. One of these in charge of a squad of veteran artillery officers, headed by Col. Joseph Erbelding, provided the salute of twenty-five rounds from the Court street bridge, at noon and night on Monday. and in the morning, at noon and at night on Tues- day : the other in charge of Battery L. First Sew York Light Artillery, Col. Gilbert H. Reywohl com. manling, gave a series of similar salutes at Falls Field.
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1-Rochester Semi-Centennial March (new)
.E. H. Sherwood
2 -- Onr Flag is There. 3-Hail Columbia
4-Independence Day. " Oh, freedom now through blood and strife." 5-The Flag of the Free .. " Beautiful streamer now dear to me.
6-We Loye the Heroes of Om Land.
"Brave hearts that conquered though they died."
7-Russian National Hymn. S-America .. "My country 'tis of thee," etc.
9-Marching Song ..
10 -- God bless our Native Land. " Blessed is the Nation where God is the Lord."
The proclamation of the Mayor .* issued some time previously, calling upon the citizens to heartily participate in the festivities was hardly needed to kindle the enthusiasm of the people, for at the hour above mentioned, despite the threatening aspect of the sky and the patter of big drops of rain on the walks, the scene every- where was an animated one. Thousands had come in from the country on the morning tains to see the sights. The city was decked out in extra holiday attire. The prominent buildings were almost covered with flags and bunting, and the stores, workshops and
* It was as follows:
MAYOR'S OFFICE. ROCHESTER, May 25, 18St. To the Citizens of Rochester :
The committee in charge of the semi-centennial celebration of our city has adopted a programme extending from noon, June 9th, to and including the evening of June 10th. It has been appropri- ately determined that this shall be a celebration of the city by her people, and I trust that every citizen will actively participate in the festivities of the occa- sion. There are those among us who remember the hamlet of Rochester, and who have seen a great and prosperous city grow up around them. and flour and flowers have extended her name and fame everywhere. Thousands of willing hamis and millions of capital are constantly employed. Edu- cation and the arts have not been neglected, and here are our homes and firesides. Our children will carry forward the municipal inheritance we leave them, and some will fifty years hence join in the celebration of the centennial.
Truly we have cause for gratitude. I therefore respectfully recommend that our citizens on Sun- day, June 8, 1884, at their several places of public worship, and in such manner as the respective pastors shall deent appropriate. unite in thanks- giving to God for his abiling goodness to our fair city, and upon the following Monday and Tuesday, (June 9th and 10th, heartily join in the celebration of our common home. Every interest unanufactur- ing, business and labor, can make such a display in the procession as will surprise even those who deem themselves cognizant of their magnitude. A !! organizations of the city are actively preparing to parade. Let every factory, store and dwelling be decorated, and on the evening of the 10th illumi- uated.
Let us vie with each other in making the celebra- tion so successful in all its features that it shall be excelled only when the centennial of the city of Rochester shall be commemorated.
CORNELIUS R. PARSONS, Mavor.
In accordance with one of the suggestions, Sun- day services were held as follows: At the Brick Church, Rev. Dr. Shaw preached trom Zachariah viii, lands, in the morning and gave a descrip- tion of Rochester as imvamed by him in fast. Then people will have learned to respect the laws of health; the city's debt will have been paid, the
private residences were generally decorated. The merchants of the East Side had erected a handsome evergreen arch across Main street near St. Paul. Many of the merchants bad se- cured as special attractions for their show win- dows historical relies of various kinds .* It was announced that the general committee of ar- rangements had succeeded in collecting fully $8,000 from patriotic citizens to defray the ex- penses of the two days' municipal merrymak- ing.
officials will be honest and taxes low; there will be less attention given by newspapers to prize fights, cocking mains and dog fights, and there will be no buying or selling of votes. At the First Presbyterian Church, in the morning, Rev. Dr. Tryon Edwards repeated the sermon which he had delivered fifty years ago, when he was installed as a pastor. lu the evening Rev. F. DeW. Ward, of Geneseo, gave the same sermon he had preached in the First church upon the day of his ordination, June 8, 1834. At St. Luke's, Rev. Dr. Anstice preached upon the development of the churches in Rochester during the past fifty years. At St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rev. Father Stewart gave the history of the parish which was founded in the same year the city was incorporated. At St. Peter's Rev. Dr. Riggs in the morning spoke of " the secret of a city's real prosperity." and semi-centennial sermons were also preached by Rev. Dr. Saxe at the First Universalist Church, Rev. Mr. Fisher at the Second Universalist Church, and Rev. Myron Adams at Plymouth Church; Rev. Dr. Landsberg had on the day previous delivered an address ou the semi-centennial at Berith Kodesh Temple. On Monday and Tuesday mornings special thanksgiv- ing mass in commemoration of the semi-centennial was celebrated at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
*ATTotable exhibition of this kind was contained in the window of a firin at No. 22 East Main street (in the Arcade building). It consisted of the following: The desk used by Abelard Reynolds as the first depository of mail matter received in 1813, when it occupied the identical spot where it was placed in the window; the original tin paper cutter and sand box used by Mr. Reynolds: many of his old post-offfee documents, dating from 1s13 to 1827; a piece of the first plank house erected by Abelard Reynold in 1812: a branch from a tree that stood on the four corners in 1812; the vertebra of a rattlesnake taken from a ledge of rock, corner of Exchange and Main streets. in 1812: the antler of a deer killed on the same spot in Is12; a spinning jenny, brought to Rochester in 1817; a fire bucket used by J. C. Beebe, in 1825: a picture of the Genesee Falls,
painted by G. W. Robinson, in 1833: an oil portrait of Jonathan Child, the first Mayor, painted from life, in 1553; views of the great food of 1865; a drawing of the house built by Enos Stone in 1810: flowers taken from the grave of Sam Patch, at Charlotte; an engraving of the Genesee Falls in 1834: a life size portrait of Mayor Parsons: a picture of Alida Mabee Griffin, who came to the town of Boyle mow called Pittsford), in 1798; a picture of Mrs. Huldah Griffin Foster, born in Pittsford, 1803; a picture of Jonathan Foster, who came to Roches- ter in 1525; and a skull supposed to be the remains of a mound-buikler, found in the mounds at Brew- er's landing.
The Literary Exercises.
While the vast throng of people was waiting for the literary exercises to begin in the City Hall, the Fifth-fourth Regiment Band gave an open air concert to the delight of all, rendering the following programme:
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8
Rochester Semi-Centennial March .. E. H. Sherwood Selections from Beggar Student Millocker National Potpourri. .Heinecke
My Queen Waltz .Bucalossi
Grand March.
. Conrada
The 2,000 free tickets issued for the admission of the public to the literary exercises were all taken withiu a few hours after they were offer- ed, those applying first being served first. When 2 o'clock, the hour for the commencement of the exercises, had arrived, the vast hall was crowded almost to suffocation and hundreds who did not have tickets had to be turned away .* The interior of the hall had been dec- orated in a most gorgeous manner, under the supervision of James Field. In the rear of the stage was a large shield, upon which rested the golden figure of an American eagle. The national colors and flags of all nations abound- ed everywhere. The officers who had been se- lected for the occasion were:
President-Hon. Cornelius R. Parsons.
Vice-Presidents-Ex-Mavors C. J. Harden, John Lutes, N. C. Bradstreet. George G. Clarkson, D. Clarkson, D. D. T. Moore, (. W. Briggs, Michael Filon, Henry L. Fish, N. E. Paine, and James Brackett: Messrs. James S. Stone and M. F. Rey- nolds and the following oll citizens, most of whom voted at the election in 1531:
Alling, David C. Hatch. J. W.
Alling, Stephen Y.
Husbands. J. D.
Alling, William
Huntington, Elou
Alling, Lewis H.
Hull. J. O.
Alling, John
Judson. Junius
Andrews, Julius T.
Jones. James
Arnold, George
Kirley. Philip
Andrews, Adna G.
Leavenworth. Gideon
Anderson, Jacob
Leonard. Frank
Arnold. W. E.
Loomis. Isaac
Baker, Benjamin M.
Bacon, William B.
Bartholick, Dr. H. A.
Bell, Jacob, D.
Moses, Schuyler
Bradshaw, George
Buckland. A. b.
McFarlin, Benjamin
Bryan. Elisha W.
Madden, Garrett A.
Bush, John F.
Newell. A. C.
Brewster, Edward
O'Reilly, Henry
Boardman, Silas
Oshorn, Nehemiah
Boorman, Robert M.
Perrin, Darius
Burleigh, George W.
Parterson. Thomas J.
Chapin, Louis Carter, Giles
Quinn, John
Church, Sidney
Rochester, H. E.
Chapman, Timothy
Riley. General 1. W.
Cochrane, Joseph
Robertson, B. P.
Crom, Ambrose
Southwick, J. M.
Clague. Daniel
Stone, Eben H.
Comens. Carlos
Davis, Hiran
Sacre. Nelson Stone. Joseph Strong. Alvah
Densmore. R. Part, John
Seward. Jason W.
Dickey. Rev. David
Stevens, John C.
Evans, Evau
ShielIs. Robert
Fisher, George W.
Sherman, H. B.
Fenn. H. C.
Smith, Carlos
Gould. George
Stone. James S.
Grover, Flihm H.
St. John. C. M.
Corton, John
Talmage, Joseph A.
Haight, Isaac
Thomas, William H.
Hanford, William I.
Tracy. Jeremiah
Howard, Elijah
Winslow. J M. Ward, Il. M.
Llowell. Richard
Warner. Matthew G.
Harris, Orrin
Wimble, George
Haines, Isaac T.
Walker, Albert
tillman, Jantes
Graves, John W.
Werman, John Witherspoon, Samnel F.
"The ushers for the occasion were: (. J. Robin- son, C. F. Crouch, C. E. Sunderlig. F. W. Vedder. (. H. Smith. R. W. Branich, B. G. Saunders, and W. G. Shelp, numbers of the Rochester Cadets.
Secretarios-Fred. A. Whittlesey, Charles T. Smith, Charles A. Hayden, Jonathan H. Childs. Charles C. Morse. A. Erickson Perkins, J. Sherlock Andrews. E. J. Woodbury, W. D. Ellwanger, W. J. Sheridan, Levi l'. Ward, H. C. Brewster. Hobert F. Atkinson, Solomon Wile, Henry F. Danforth, George . H. Per- kins.
There were also on the stage as guests Mayor Seth Low, of Brooklyn, and Mayor W. B. .Smith, of Philadelphia. Mayor Parsons, as President of the day, opened the proceedings with the following address:
MAYOR PARSONS' ADDRESS.
Fellow-citizens -- The event that calls us together to-day is one truly memorable. Never again in the life history of most of us, so far as our own city is concerned, will a similar occurrence present itself. A half century hence -- long after our children shall have assumed the municipal inheritance we leave them. those who are active participants or quiet listeners to-day will have gone the way of all men- gone to join the innumerable throng. But this is not the time for sad reflection. Neither do we as- semble in a spirit of triumph or exultation.
We have reason to rejoice, however, and have called in our friends to rejoice with us.
Fifty years in the life of a municipality. as in the life of an individual, marks an important era. With us wouderfut changes have been wrought. The mighty forests have disappeared and the earth has yielded its increase. But to the historian you must look and listen for the tale of a half century ago, and as to what the future is to bring doubtless the orator and poet will most fittingly predict and pic- ture. That an approving Providence may continue to smile upon us as we devotedly hope and believe. and when to other hands is committed the trust and cares of the present and by them cheerfully borne and in due time surrendered, may it be said of us -- they did wisely and well and faithtully and con- scientiously performed their part. And now, upon this day so glorious, let. ns pledge anew our vows of devotion to our common country and to this dear city. To our visiting friends let ine say that Roch- ester to-day with her " green lap full of sprouting leaves and bright blossoms" extends a most cor- dial welcome. Her citizens and her officials appre- ciate the honor of your presence, fully realizing the sacrifices you have made in order to meet with us. We shall not soon forget how inch this most im- portant day in our local history is graced by yon attendance; let the historian of the future in mak- ing mention of these exercises record the fact that some of the most distinguished men of our tine and the representatives of many of the cities throughout this broad land met and rejoiced with us. For almost the entire time of the life of our city there has been one loved and honored pastor over one of our leading churches. In the services of bis church and of our city his venerable head has become silvered, his noble heart and deeds have won for him a reverence and affection more pre- cious than any gollen offering could purchase. In what way conld the services of this hour be more appropriately begun than by miting with him in thanksgiving to Almighty God for his blessings to ns and our city in the past, and prayer for their continuance in the future.
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