USA > New York > Monroe County > Fairport > Years of Fairport and Perrinton, Monroe Co., New York 160 > Part 1
USA > New York > Monroe County > Perinton > Years of Fairport and Perrinton, Monroe Co., New York 160 > Part 1
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Gc 974.701 M75MOR
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 02039 1261 Gc 974.701 M75MOR MORRISON, WAYNE E. 160 YEARS OF FAIRPORT AND PERRINTON, MONROE Co. , N. Y.
Local History, Department SYRACUSE PUBLIC LIBRARY
160 YEARS OF
iranwont and PERRINTON, 5
macar Cu
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ORR. N
På
Wagner
Baptist Finial
Morrison
1949.
The Press of The Journal and Independent. -- Fairport, N. Y.
06-6
4
Allen County Public Library Ft. Wayne, Indiana
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In 1789 Captain Caleb Walker and Gloverand for milling to Honeoye Falls. Perrin -- the first settlers on Perinton soil The settlers had to put up with the numer- had settled on land they cleared on Wappingous hardships and the Indians were always Road. They were followed by Jesse Perrin, aon deck when the men were away and the brother to Glover in 1792. The next yearwomen had to keep the home fires burning. saw Philip and Elizabeth Piester. In 1795, Then in the winter of 1808, a distinguished Abner Wight chose his homesite atop Southtraveler, James Geddes, appointed by the Main St. hill (on the present Charles J.canal commissioners, came through to lay Clark farm). Jesse and Levi Treadwell cameput the probable course of the canal (for in 1796; Major Nathan Norton and John ScottNew York State was at last to have its long the surveyor soon followed. Two more Perrindreamed of waterway). And in 1810 DeWitt brothers, Asa and Edward and also Thomasclinton came himself, with perhaps Gouver- Ramsdell were here by 1800. heur Morris, along the proposed route for These early settlers had to hew out farmfurther explorings, in the interest of the lands, and make their ever increasing fami-canal. Much discussion followed as to the lies more comfortable was their main thou-course of the canal by the early Perinton ght. That someday a village s h o u l. dsettlers. Some wanted it to run through, the spring up to the north of them, was prob-present Clark orchards and others in the ably the last thought that ran through thecourse it now follows. In 1817 the project minds of these farmers and woodsmen onwas authorized, and construction east of whose shoulders hung the future of a newRochester was in progress during 1820 and community. The county seat, which was so1821.
far away, would offer them a remedy f o r Peter Ripley settled on the north hills in their homesickness, should they care to gothe present village in 1810, where he built that far, or perhaps a day at the year-olda saw mill and log house. His neighbors settlement of Pittsford would.do. F o rhelped him cut a road (perhaps the present Church on Sunday they had to go to Palmyra, North Main St., or Whitney Rd. ) through the
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underbrush to let him through. A few yearsHis land extended down the hill as far as later, after 1822 he built a frame house atWest Church St. Whether Ripley, Wilcox and the north corner of Parce Ave. and Main St. Sperbeck were shrewd enough to see the rise Hi's farm was north of Thomas Creek andof a village here, we cannot tell. The west of / Main St. Across from him to thecanal was "in the news" and they we're east was the farm of Larry Wilcox. On theinterested in the Genesee Country. Isaac south hill, west side, in 1817 came Martin Beers, perhaps as early as 1816 braved the Sperbeck who" built himself a block house. unfriendliness of the lower land between
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LIVERY
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FAIRPORT, N. Y.
THE OSBURN HOUSE,
the hills. .. He bought the portion between 1820, at least all' his land on the east East Church St. and Thomas Creek and alsoside of Main St. It was not until 1822 that fifty acres directly across to the west. Salmon Mallett settled on the west piece of In 1817 he built the first frame house inMr. Beers' land in his log house which Fairport, on the site of the present Green Jesse Hanford had built on the site now oc- Lantern Inn. Mr. Beers became discouragedcupied by the Market Basket store. Col. by a cold summer in this damp unpromisingJohn Peters had bought in 1820 south of location, and sold to Oliver Tomlinson inEast Church St., and east of Main St.
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HAND DRAWN HOSE CART.
FAIRPORT CARRIAGE WORKS. G. G. Bown & Sons Fairport, N. Y. -Est."in 1862
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THE OLD F. F. D. STEAM PUMPER.
By 1822, Rochester had been reached by the digging of the canal, and the first cargo of flour shipped through here from there to Little Falls.
Now the low swampy valley lying east and west through the Town of Perinton became a life-giving erea. The quicksands had been
COTTAGE HOTELS
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TAYLOR BLOCK, FAIRPORT, N. Y.
conquered; the - doubtful. balance of flow between the Genesee River and Mud Creek, which had harrassed the engineers, and made our township a menace to them, was finally successfully established.
The canal was a "little, narrow winding stream, only 32 or 4 feet deep, and 40 feet wide, must have made -- with boats that must
have seemed oversized, barging slowly along interesting to note that the tavern with decks gay with ladies in swishing was later moved to this village and stands skirts, flowered bonnets and gay parasols." at No"10 East Church St., the present : home of Dr. Erich Jacobsen.
It carried all kinds .o f . people through Fairport, and time was no object, since the
In 1822, the village was cleared all along rate of speed was only around four miles an the north side of the canal and the prop- hour.
erty belonged to the six farms. There were
The canal drew the nucleus of population six or seven log houses, a frame house and away from Egypt and the southern and cent- a block house belonging to the men who had settled the six farms. Mr. Abishai Goodell had; just started the first store and Henry Amsden opened his blacksmith shop in that ral parts of the township. All flocked to thenew. settlement around the bridges, which a traveling man called a "fair port", and whose casual remark would some day be year. the legal name of the settlement. Each All stock ran at large and was branded so that it could be easily identified. Crop- ping and earslitting were also marks of ownership. Bears were. abundant, intent on consuming only hogs and corn, and wolves didn't help matters any. bridge had its store, warehouse and boat- barns. There was even a little foot bridge over the canal at the end of Beardsley St. The first big bridge was east of Fairport Knapps). Soon came three, close together, Cobbs', Main St., and Fullamtown. So quick In 1813, the township called "Perrinton" ly did the business at each bridge take was organized (present day spelling leaves out the second r) at the Center. Town meet- ings were held either in Egypt or at the
root, that we soon find the three vying for the location of the settlement. Cobbs (then called Peter's) lost out, but Fullams Basin Center until the early 1840's with the ex- gave a. good run for its money, having the ception of one meeting held at Col. Peter's irst Post Office in the Fullamtown tavern in 1822.
until 1829, when it was moved here. It is.
The first Church and society to be organ-
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ized here was the Baptist in 1816 and the It was on the site of the present Episcopal Congregational Society in 1824. The first meeting house was built in 1832, two years later it was enlarged and the present church built in 1868.
UNIVERSALIST-The Universalist Society was organized in 1833, and built a house ir 18347 on a lot given them by Oliver Tom- ilison from his property on East Church St.
THE ORIGINAL BAPTIST CHURCH Erected 1842. Corner Main & Church Sts.
Church. But, except for a brief period of prosperity in 1865 and a few succeeding years, there had been no good years since those of 1845. Fairport is pictured as "having a very neat and tidy appearance -- with the quiet charms of a surrounding country, accented by the white steeple.of the Universalist Church pointing heaven- ward.
BAPTIST-In September 1816, the Baptist Soc- iety in Perinton was organized. The next year the membership doubled, but around 1836 disolved, although not entirely dead. On February 2, 1842, they re-organized and built a meeting house in the western part of the town at the corner of West Church & Main Sts. We are told that, when the first church had been first erected in 1842, there was no bell in any of the churches, & a community interest in conference decided to place a bell in the Baptist Church. Their contributions bought the bell. It came by canal. The boat had to lay over- night to get it unloaded and it was the 2nd day before it arrived at the church. Enough men could not be assembled the first time
to hoist it into the belfry, so they had toeast side' of Main St., south of the canal, wait a few days until "force enough was But the society by 1842 had ceased to exist assembled". It was rung by a man namedalthough the Egypt Church, organized in Jonathan Olds for several years. It was 1825 flourished, and Methodism remained in rung at five and nine o'clock in the morn-the vicinity, until another society was ing, at twelve noon, and at nine at night. formed in Fairport many years later. The If there was a death in the community, thepresent church building was built in 1878. 'A school meeting was first held in 1826 at
bell was tolled slowly and, at the end, the age of the deceased was struck off in rapidthe home of Cyrenus Mallett. A stone house measure, The bell cracked in 1889 and was 24 x 30 was proposed and built on land, now recast from the original metal and hangs inthe site of the Saleno home on East Church" the present Baptist Church building, anSt. The clerk's book for District No. 9 has account of which appears later. fortunately been preserved and provides for FREE BAPTIST-The Raymond or Free Baptistinteresting reading. It was not until 1853 Church had been organized in Egypt. It was that the land was purchased next to the old moved to Fairport in 1848, and built on theschool, and not until 1855 that the Hicks present site on Church St. The present or Rightmire house had been built for a school to replace the original one. It was Church building was erected in 1892.
CATHOLIC-In 1849 the first mass was said atused from 1852 to 1872 when the pres- Smith Brennan's house, but the" Catholicent West Church St. School was built. Church was not built until 1856 when it was It may be' noted here that two sets of sur- erected on High Street and later built onvey maps of the canal, the one by Holmes- East Ave. Hutchinson in 1834, and the other by Ever- METHODIST-The Methodists organized a soc-|shed in 1867, have been photostated in the lety in the school house at Fairport about Perinton sections and are kept by the Town 1826, and had a house of worship not far clerk in a vault at the Town Hall.
from where Mr. Hawkins store was on the A population schedule shows the growth for
ected by Cyrenus Mallett, son of Salmon The rising of the frame took three days, and was made an occasion not soon forgotten by those in attendance. This later became Pritchard's Hotel .... Walter Edmonds in his novel, "Chad Hanna", had his hero spending part of his honeymoon at this inn. Later it was renamed the Fairport Hotel, The build- ing, no longer a hoselry and remodeled into the Millstone Block, still stands on Main St., a link with pioneer days.
The next great improvement was the coming of the railroad in 1853. The canal was still an important trade route but its dec- line had begun. The first, rails were the present northernmost ones; these were laid. as two "tracks in 1853, and two more were. added making four in 1873. The present freight house on the west side of Main St. incorporates the old original passenger depot. In 1882 the West Shore laid two tracks. Later one was taken up, t h
e remaining one is southernmost on the south- ern group of rails. The other two in this group are one each for east and west bound traffic belonging to the New York Central: The railroad quickened the pace of life in
fifty years.
1840 -- less than 300 inhabitants
1848 -- 200
1860 -- 600.
1861 -- 685.
1867 -- 1,000. (when incorporated)
1880 -- 1,920.
1890 -- 2,552.
1892 -- 2,743.
After 1825, the town and probably the vil
lage, grew very rapidly, but it was not un- til. 1827 that we had our first tavern, er-
THE KIRKWOOD HOTEL.
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the village,and the incorporation took the village's condition. Their whole burden place in this era.
was to get sidewalks. There must have been On July 31, 1866, a petition was signed some previously but so many owners were compelled to build them or rebuild them at this time that there were few, if any alike. A standing committee of three, for
for a special election to determine whether the village of Fairport should be incorpor- ated. The election took place on August 28, 1866, and April 30, 1867, the new organiz- sidewalks, included O. P. Simmons, J. Y. ation went into effect. The name Fairport Parce, and J. E. Howard. The walks on Main was now fully assured. The old records show St. were to be five feet wide of 12 in. that the name Perinton clung even to the pine or hemlock planks laid down length- little village after the canal was finished wise on stringers not more than three feet although "Fairport" was also used from the apart, &c. first.
The first officers were:
President: Augustus C. Hill.
Board of Trustees: O. P. Simmons, J. Y. Parce, J. E. Howard, Lewis Jones, T. L. Hulburt, J. M. Swinnerton.
Assessors: E. B. Herrington, R. B. Hewes. Treasurer: H. Montague Mosely.
Police Constable:' J. C. Van Ness.
Thomas H. Arnold was appointed street com- missioner. There was no paving but road beds had by this time evolved from the crooked, muddy paths of the earlier days." Apparently there was already, or soon would be, some provision for their drainage, since Parce, Jones, and Swinnerton were made a committee on sewers and drains. Evidently animal life still presented its problems, as Parce & Hulburt were named a committee on pounds. The lock-up committee consisted of. Jones & Howard.
These officers met as a board for the first time, May 7, 1867. At this meeting, L. E. Moore was appointed clerk; W. S. Storms, firewarden; S. R. Sanford, pound- In February of 1872, George C. Taylor took time out to found the Fairport, Herald. We master and J. C. Van Ness, collector. The first board meetings tell us something of are told that when the citizens of Fairport
were told that they were to have a news- paper, the office was packed as the paper come off the press. It was one of the first weeklies in these parts to have its office on the ground floor of a building, (the old The waters spilled over acres of land, Herald Block, now Fairport Hatcheries). The carrying away bridges -- and the canal barge, first copies were cherished by some of the Bonnie. Bird. The boat was deposited against citizens, and one copy was placed in the corner stone of the First Baptist Church. In 1881, S. D. Palmer founded the Fairport a tree, "a mile from the canal. Neither the skipper, his wife, his steersman, nor a team of horses aboard was injured. The Mail. The next year the name was changed to wreck stood in a field for many a year." the Monroe County Mail. It was published in The washout drained the canal l l e v e l the Mail Block on West Ave. It was pur-between' Pittsford and Macedon locks, and chased in 1886 by Will 0. Green, who keptboats were tied up for miles along the it until it consolidated with thewaterway.
On April 28, 1871, the town's worst disas- ter struck when a burrowing muskrat made a hole in the bank of the canal at the Ox Bow and 510 feet of canal bank were swept away.
Herald in 1925.
Workmen were rushed in to repair the break Other newspapers published here include: and were a rough, hard drinking lot. When The Bible Echo, in the early 1870's; thetheir demand for pay in advance (REMEMBER Perinton Democrat, published for a year inTHIS IS 1871 -- NOT 1949!) of the designated the early 1930's; the Fairport Times, pub-
day was denied, they rebelled, pushing lished by Bill Bryant here for about a year horses into the canal, and raised. . Cain around 1939, . and the Monroe County Indep-generally. The 54th Regiment was called out endent, established 1941, and the Fairportto put down the insurrection. The sight of Journal, established 1945, which were con-the uniforms and guns ended the trouble. solidated in 1948 and discontinued in 1949,
The militia stood guard for several days were published by Wayne E. Morrison. Theyuntil the break was repaired and their stay lasted longest, except for the Herald-Mail. at the Ox Bow was enlivened by the visits
of the young women of Fairport who brought years. The most important was the DeLand them cakes and lemonade .... Hum!
Chemical Works. It was started by D. B. A log cabin was still standing on Main St. DeLand. He. had been living on a farm .east in 1877.
of Fairport, then went to sea on a whaler on the Atlantic Ocean. Later he was a Capt- ain on the Erie Canal. He learned the sal-
In the 1850's came the real prosperity of the village,' the railroad, &c. and the tying up of the soda and saleratus business eratus business at Norwich, N. Y., from his by the DeLands in Fairport for the next 50 father-in-law, Justus Parce. Many of the
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Ives Block.
Henry Block
Morey Block
Seeley Block.
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Main St., Fairport, Monroe Co., N. Y. in 1888.
early settlers burned the trees when clear-Inace, where it turned white and was known ing their land and sold the ashes. These as pearl ash, or possium carbonate. This ashes were used in leaches; these were bar-was treated with carbonic acid, became pot- rels filled ashes and lime. Water seeped assium bicarbonate (saleratus). This pro- through the mixture and dripped out of acess was used at that time and before when hole in the bottom. This yellow liquid, the , term saleratus (aerated salt) was used lye, was then boiled in an iron pot, andto designate potassium: carbonate, however the reddish brown sediment was called pot- for many years now, saleratus has been ap- ash. This was refined by heating in a fur-
SCHOOL P: SURVI .NO. 9.
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156-6-629
Fair Port. 1826.
ORIGINAL COBBLESTONE SCHOOL HOUSE, DISTRICT NO. 9, PERINTON, N. Y.
plied to sodium bicarbonate. over New Years. The brand Cap-Sheaf-Soda, Mr. DeLand came back to Fairport in 1853was perhaps the most popular. This was a. and started his business just east of thesharp competitor to the rival brands Arm & Tomlinson store on what is now State St. Hammer and The Cow. Pure baking soda was a The making of baking soda was still in itswelcome product for the housewife and the infancy in this country; Mr. DeLand import-excellence of Cap-Sheaf-Soda sold it. In ed large quantities from Europe and carried1872 Mr."D. B. DeLand died. The business, on research and experiments and his busi-was carried on by his son, Levi and Mr. H. ness grew with the times. We quote two art-A. DeLand. But fate stepped in and by the icles from the Rochester Union & Advertiserend of the century after a disastrous fire of 1859: . "The DeLand Chemical Works inin 1893, the business waned. In 1881 Mr. H. Fairport sells annually 100 tons of itsA. DeLand had withdrawn from the firm and products, sal soda, super carbonate of sodaspent 1 years in the state of Florida; and cream of tartar. It sends its name onduring that time he founded the city that neat little packages into more homes thanbears his name. He returned to Fairport and any other manufacturer in western New York. managed the Monroe County Chemical Works. We do not often see so many labor savingThis company had been started in 1875 by contrivances such as machinery carryingWilliam Newman and John Palmer. -
1876 saw the building of the First Baptist
material around the building and between the floor's." Three years later, the samechurch on the corner of Main & Church Sts. paper mentioned "an order being shipped toThe total cost of this huge edifice was $30 Europe of between thirty and forty thousandpoo, of which the DeLands gave much. The :. dollars worth of goods.
steeple is 184 ft., one of the highest in Mr. H. A. DeLand had charge of sales andwestern New York State. Also, in 1878 the his. methods of advertising were far aheadFirst Methodist Church was built on West of his times. At one time 25 or 30 of theChurch St., corner South Ave ..
agents were entertained at the DeLand home Since 1865, proprietary medicines have
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The year 1862 saw George G. Bown start his wagon shop in his yard on South Main St. The business grew, was moved downtown, destroyed by fire and re- built in' the rear of the present. Bown Block. In 1890 the Bown Brick Block Was erected on Main St., in front of the carriage Works. When first built, it. housed R. L. Estes, Drug Store and Howe & Kellogg general store. It now houses: Wagor Drug Store, Fairport Dep't. Store, and a barber shop.
BOWN 1890
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HOWE AO KELLOGG.
BOWN'S BRICK BLOCK So. Main St. Fairport, Monroe Co., N. Y.
ERECTED 1890
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been made in a three story brick block on north side of town is now the central - Main St., beside the railroad tracks. Once, building of the Monroe County Baptist Home. Many other industries have grown and George C. Taylor, the founder, shipped his bottles all over the world. Buffalo Bill flourished here, but after their prosperity Cody ordered Taylor's Oil of Life sent to and the changing times, they too have died him in Manchester, England, a photostate offout. We leave you about 1900. Electricity which I have in my possession.
had come and the first street lights were The days when Perinton was the leading put in by the . DeLands. Water and sewers were in, there was the new trolley line, bicycles had come in, and in a few years Fairport was to see the first "Horseless carriage. There is much more to mention, but not enough room. THE GOOD OLD DAYS ARE GONE!
potato growing town in America -- the dist rict school on the Palmyra Road that one winter when the boats were "frozen in" was attended by canallers, who were so unruly a husky male teacher was hired-the Curtis Pond on the Macedon Centre Road where bapt- ismal services for the First Baptist Chur. ch of Perinton were held and the Sunday in 1850 when the wooden railing around the pond gave way, sending many into the water for an involuntary baptism -- Perinton '. s first saw mill saws, old sythe blades -- all gone for many years from the local scene.
The 1870's & 80's saw the building of the Adams Block, Bown Block, Seeley Block, Ives Block, Filkins Block, only to mention a few The Schummers Block (Fairport Hardware) was built in 1850.
The former L. J. DeLand residence on the 1.
- Wayne E. Morrison.
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Keep your car in shape with a MOTO-SWAY LUBRICATION at WILBUR SPAFFORD'S Mobil Service Station
Main & Church Sts.
Fairport
AUCTION BILLS, LETTERHEADS BUSINESS CARDS, POSTERS, BOOKS PRICE LISTS &C Journal&Independent 18 Filkins St. Fairport, N. Y.
Explination of
History of Fairport
and Perinton. Sec. 1
Advertisements
Sec:
2
Modern Fairport. Sec. 3
Was Now
Osburn House" Fpt. Gas & 011 Baptist Ch. F. Baptist Ch Kirkwood Hotel Prinzivalli's
School. House.
Rightmire Res
Correction! W. Donald Williams is President of the Fairport Fire Department rather than Howard Williams as listed.
Main Street cut should read : I ve Henry, Morey, Hodskin and Peacock Saleno, and Seeley Blocks.
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