USA > New York > Monroe County > Gazetteer and business directory of Monroe County, N.Y. for 1869-70 > Part 10
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The Christian Offering was published at Rochester for a short time in 1817, by S. B. Shaw.
The Penny Preacher was published a short time by Eras- tus Shepard.
The Genesee Olio, a semi-monthly, was published at Rochester in 1847, by Franklin Cowdrey.
The North Star was published at Rochester in 1847-S.
Algemeen Handelsblad was published at Rochester in 1848.
Frederick Douglass' Paper was commenced at Rochester in 1848, by Frederick Douglass, editor and proprietor. It was continued for several years and finally discontinued.
The Washingtonian was published at Rochester in 1848, by C. II. Sedgwick.
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MONROE COUNTY.
The Rochester Germania was published in 1849.
The Groninge Courant was started in 1849 and discontin- ued after a few months.
The Christian Sentinel was commenced in 1849 and con- tinned a short time.
Brewster's Insurance Reporter was published in 1849, by II. A. Brewster,
The Rochester Daily Magnet was published in 1849, by Lawrence & Winants; C. H. McDonald & Co., proprietors. It was discontinued in 1850.
The Wool Grower and Stock Register was a monthly, com- menced in July, 1849. It was subsequently merged in the Rural New Yorker, while in the hands of T. C. Peters and D. D. T. Moore.
The Investigator was published a short time in 1850.
The Medical Truth Teller was published for a short time by Dr. J. Gates.
The Annunciator was published in 1850.
The Cygnet was published in 1850, by the Young Men's Temperance Association.
The Flag of Freedom was published in 1850, by Calvin HI. Chase.
The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, a semi-monthly, was commenced in November, 1850, by James White. In connection with it was published
The Youth's Instructor.
MOORE'S RURAL NEW YORKER was commenced in 1850, by D. D. T. Moore. It was published at Rochester until January 1st, 1867, when it was removed to New York City and greatly enlarged. Its publication is continued by the original proprietor.
The Western Luminary was commenced at Rochester, by Rev. G. M. Cook. It was afterwards removed to Buffalo.
The Rochester Daily Herald was commenced in 1850. un- der the editorship of L. K. Falkner. In a few months it jessed into the hands of G. G. Cooper, who changed its haine to
The Rochester Daily Times. It was discontinued in 1851.
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MONROE COUNTY.
Anzeiger des Nordens (weekly and tri-weekly) was com- menced in 1832, by Kraneer & Felix. Its name was subse- quently changed to the
ROCHESTER VOLKSBLATT, under which name it is still published by L. W. Brandt.
The Youth's Temperance Banner was published monthly for a short time, by a committee of the Temperance Society.
The Evening News was issued about three months in 1852, by R. Chamberlain & Co.
The National Reformer was published a short time about 1852.
Beobachter am Genesee was commenced in 1852, by Adolphe Nolte. In 1860 its name was changed to
THIE ROCHESTER OBSERVER and its publication is still continued.
The Rochester Daily Union was commenced August 16, 1852. by Curtis & Butts ; O. Turner, editor. In December following, Isaac Butts became editor. In September, 1858, it was united with the Rochester Daily Advertiser. A weekly and a tri-weekly edition were issued from the same office.
The Rochester Daily Tribune was issued in 1855-6, by Snow & Ingersoll.
The Rochester Daily Free Press, a campaign paper, was issued in 1856 by John N. Ingersoll.
The Mercantile Journal was issued for six months in 1856, by C. H. MeDonnell.
The Evening American, a campaign paper, was issued in 1858 ; A. H. St. Germaine, editor.
The Rochester Daily Times was commenced January 24th, 1859, by Charles W. Hebard, editor and proprietor. It was discontinued in the following April and revived in June as
THE DAILY EXPRESS. It was published by Mr. He- bard until May, 1860, when it passed into the hands of C. D. Treey & Co .. by whom it was published mutil 1566. when Willer, Traey & Co. assumed its publication and continued until 1-68, when it passed into the hands of Tracy & New, its present publishers.
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MONROE COUNTY.
THE JOURNAL OF THE HOME, a monthly, connected with the Home for the Friendless, is published at Rochester. Mrs. Dr. Arner is the present editor.
The Industrial School Advocate and Soldiers' Aid was started in 1864. It was published monthly and edited by Miss R. B. Long. In 1865 it took the name of
THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL ADVOCATE, under which title it is still published by the Industrial School As- sociation. It is edited by Mrs. J. M. Parker.
THE EARNEST CHRISTIAN, monthly, is published at Rochester by Rev. B. F. Roberts, editor and proprietor.
THE FREE METHODIST is published weekly at Rochester, by Rev. Levi Wood, editor and proprietor.
THE ROCHESTER DAILY CHRONICLE was started September 12, 1868, by the Rochester Publishing Associn- tion ; it is edited by Charles S. Collins. Weekly and semi- weekly editions are issued from the same office.
TIIE HOSPITAL RECORD is published by the man- agers of the City Hospital.
The Brockport Recorder was commenced in 1828, by Abiathar M. Harris. It was published about two years.
The Brockport Free Press was published in 1831, by Har- ris & Hyatt, and in 1832 by Thomas II. Hyatt.
The Western Star was published at Brockport in 1832, by Justin Carpenter.
The Monroe Chronicle and Brockport Advertiser was pub- lished in 1833.
The Atlas was published at Brockport in 1835, by D. D. Wait.
The Brockport Watchman was published in 1844, by E. F. Bridges.
The Brockport Weekly Journal was commenced in Sep- tember, 1852, by William Gardiner & Co. It was published about one year.
The Brockport Gazette was commenced Oct. 1, 1835, by Win. Hlaskell, and continued three months.
THE BROCKPORT REPUBLIC was commenced in January, 1857, by Horatio N. Beach, the present publisher.
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MONROE COUNTY.
The Jeffersonian was published at Clarkson in 1830, by Balch.
The Honeoye Standard was published at Honeove Falls in 1839, by Garry A. Hough, and subsequently by Harris & Vedder.
The School Visitor was published at Spencerport for seve- ral years previous to January 1st, 1869, when it was united with the Genesee Farmer.
HONEOYE FALLS FREE PRESS, (monthly) published by S. Francis Joy, was started in 1852.
The Public Works of the County are important and quite extensive. The Erie Canal extends east and west through the County, near the center. It crosses the Irondequoit Valley upon the highest embankment upon the whole line. At Rochester it crosses Genesee River upon an aqueduct built of Onondaga limestone. The Genesee Valley Canal in- tersects the Erie Canal at Rochester and extends southerly, following the valley of the river, and opens into the Allegany River at Olean, near the Pennsylvania line. The New York Central R. R. extends through the County, several of its branches radiating from Rochester. The direct branch east extends along the Erie Canal, through Brighton, Pitts- ford and Perinton, to Syracuse. The Auburn branch ex- tends south-east, through Brighton and Pittsford, to. Auburn and Syracuse. The Buffalo branch extends south-west, through Gates, Chili and Riga, and the Niagara Falls branch extends west, through Gates, Greece, Ogden and Sweden. The Genesee Valley Railroad extends south from Rochester, through Brighton, Henrietta and Rush. The Canandaigua & Niagara Falls branch of the New York Central R. R. ex- tends through Rush and Mendon, and the Rochester and Charlotte branch extends from Rochester, north, to the lake shore.
The territory now forming Monroe County was a part of the hunting grounds of the Seneca Indians, although it con- tained none of their principal villages. The region was fre- quently visited by French missionaries and explorers, but no permanent settlements were made until after the Revolution. The County was embraced in the Phelps and Gorham Pur- chase. The colonial charter of the State of Massachusett- embraced an indefinite amount of territory included between
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certain degrees of latitude and extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The charter of the State of New York, granted subsequently, embraced a portion of the same territory. This gave rise to a conflict of claims, which was continued for several years. The claim of Massachusetts to that part of New York which was settled previous to the Revolution appears to have been relinquished without any serious contest, but when the struggle for Independence was over, when there was no longer fear of a foreign foe, the fer- tile lands of Western New York were deemed of sufficient importance to justify a struggle for their possession. Each State asserted its claim upon the ground of law and equity. At length the contest was settled by a convention of com- missioners appointed by the parties, held at Hartford, Con- necticut, on the 16th of December, 1786. According to the terms of the settlement, Massachusetts surrendered to New York all claim to the sovereignty and jurisdiction of all ter- ritory lying west of the east boundary of the State of New York, and the State of New York granted to Massachusetts the right of pre-emption to the soil of all that part of the State lving west of the meridian passing through a point upon the south border of the State, eighty-two miles west of the north-east corner of Pennsylvania, except a strip of land one mile wide, lying along the whole length of the east bank of Niagara River. It now remained for Massachusetts to purchase from the Indians the possessory title to this vast territory, embracing about six millions of acres. In 17SS Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham, of Massachusetts. purchased of that State all the land ceded by New York, agreeing to pay three hundred thousand pounds in the con- solidated stocks of the State of Massachusetts, which were then at a discount of more than fifty per cent. The imme- diate advance in the value of these stocks rendered Messrs. Phelps and Gorham unable to fulfill their contract, and they relinquished to the State all of their purchase except what was purchased of the Indians at a treaty made at Buffalo Creek in July, 1788, and subsequently called the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. At this treaty the Indians were dis- posed at first to sell a portion of their territory, but were de- termined to make the Genesee River the western boundary. The treaty was finally consummated ; the cast boundary was the Massachusetts pre-emption line; the west boundary was a meridian passing through a point at the junction of Canas-
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craga Creek and Genesee River to the Pennsylvania line. and northerly from this point, along the Genesee, to a poin.' two miles north of Canawagus village, thence due wet twelve miles, thence northerly to Lake Ontario, so as to b- twelve miles distant from the Genesee, embracing about 2 .- 600,000 acres. The tract west of the Genesee, about twenty- four miles long and twelve wide, was called the Mill Tract. Messrs. Phelps and Gorham explained to the Indians the great benefit that would arise from having a mill at the Genesee Falls, and in consideration of this they sold this tract west of the river for a mill yard. Their surprise at the sight of the mill when erected can easily be imagined. The sum which Phelps and Gorham agreed to pay the In- dians for the whole purchase was five thousand dollars and an annuity of five hundred dollars forever. Preparations were immediately made for the survey of the tract, which was laid out in ranges six miles in width, numbered from east to west, and into townships numbered from south to north. It will be seen from this that most of the country west of the Genesee belonged to the Mill Yard Tract. The three towns upon the west border belonged to the Triangle Tract.
The first settler was Ebenezer Allan, a notorious Tory. who settled upon the flats, upon Allan's or Oatka Creek, near the present village of Scottsville. He kept a large stock of cattle and had sometimes fifty or sixty acres of land under cultivation. He erected mills at the present site of Roches- ter in 1788-9, having received from Phelps and Gorham one hundred acres of land for that purpose. He was an Indian trader and also received cattle, stolen by Butler's Rangers from the settlers upon the Mohawk and Susquehanna, and after keeping them upon the river until they became good beef, drove them to Fort Niagara and Canada, where they commanded a high price. He subsequently removed to Canada. A man by the name of Walker, one of Butler's Rangers, located at the mouth of the Genesee, on the east side, and lived there in a log cabin for several years, but finally returned to Canada. An early map of all this region, engraved in London, has upon it no sign of any habitation on the lake shore between Oswego and Niagara, except the pic- ture of a log cabin at the mouth of the Grenesce, and under- neath it the word Walker's. In 1789 John Lask, of Massa- chusetts, purchased fifteen hundred acres at the head of
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Irondequoit Bay, and with his son Stephen, then fifteen years of age, and Seeley Peet, a hired man, commenced a set- tlement, erecting a log cabin and clearing twelve acres which he sowed to wheat. They all suffered from fever and ague and returned to Massachusetts in the fall. In the spring of 1790 Mr. Lusk came on with his family and settled perma- nently. In December, 1789, Peter Shaeffer, the elder, and his sons, Peter and Jacob, came to Wheatland, where they found Ebenezer Allan the owner of 470 acres of the finest land in that region, about sixty of which were under cultiva- tion, for which they paid $2.50 an acre, which was a high price at that time. At this time Allan was living with a white woman, who was joint partner in his affections with some half dozen natives. Settlements progressed slowly down the river, and in other parts of the County the land was covered by a dense forest, and the low lands sent forth such a miasma as caused a great deal of sickness, agne and bilious fever prevailing to such an extent that in some com- munities there were not well ones enough to take care of the sick.
The only roads were Indian trails until better ones were made by the settlers. An Indian trail extended from the mouth of the river to Fort Niagara, along near the lake shore. Another trail was along the west bank of the river. from Canawagus to the mouth of the river. Peter and Jacob Shaeffer laid out a road from Oatka Creek to the Falls, in 1702; they had no compass, but took ranges from trees. It was improved and the streams bridged with log's so as to be passable with teams in the winter of 1793-4. A constant in- tercourse was kept up between the Indians upon the river and the British at Fort Niagara and in Canada. A majority of the Indians inclined to the British interests and the idea was constantly inculcated by Governor Simcoe, of Canada, that the British would soon want their aid against the United States. Sometimes the Indians were menacing and insolent, engendering a feeling of insecurity among the settlers, which was not entirely allaved until the surrender of Fort Niagara. When the British held Oswego and Fort Niagara a mail was carried between these points, by water in the summer, and by a runner in the winter, traveling on snow shoes.
In April. 1797, all the region between the Genesee River and Lake Erie was organized into a separate town of Ontario County, called Northampton. The first town meeting was
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held at the house of Peter Shaeffer. Josiah Fish was chosen Supervisor and Eli Granger, Town Clerk. There were only three road districts, and these were on the river, between Canawagus and Lake Ontario, no road leading into the in- terior. In 1799 fifty dollars. were raised for town expenses, and a like sum, payable in labor or produce, for the erection of bridges. Peter Shaeffer was Town Collector in 1800, and had upon his tax roll less than one hundred and fifty names, many of these being the names of non-residents. The whole tax was about 88,000, less than $200 of which was paid by residents. In 1801 it was decided that "from the extensive boundaries of the town it is necessary that it should be di- vided." The records of 1802 show that settlements were progressing westward. The town meetings were still con- tinued at the house of Peter Shaeffer, and Col. Fish was con- tinued Supervisor, but the pathmasters were extended over a wide range of territory. Abel Rowe was a pathmaster in what is now the town of Greece; Asa Utley, near Scotts- ville ; Daniel Buell, at LeRoy; James McNaughton, at Cal- edonia, and Ezekiel Lane, at Buffalo. In 1803 the towns of Leicester, Batavia and Southampton were erected from Northampton, and Elijah Kent, R. M. Stoddard, Samuel Tupper and John Thompson were appointed commissioners to fix the boundaries of these four towns.
The first general election for all the region west of Genesee River was held in April, 1800. For Congress, Thomas Mor- ris received 37 votes. There were three candidates for Mem- bers of the Assembly ; Nathaniel Norton received 37 votes ; Lemuel Chipman, 25, and William Dunn, 10. The first road recorded was that from Braddocks Bay to the distillery of Stephen Peabody, on the river, a short distance below Shaeffer's. The second road was from the landing below the Falls to the landing above Allan's mill. Another road was laid out from the "mouth of the river to Canawagus, thence to the east bounds of Peter Campbell's lot at the upper end of Seotch Settlement." Col. Josiah Fish, the early Super- visor of the town of Northampton, was from Windham, Ver- mont. In the spring of 1795, with his son Libbeus, he came on and commenced a settlement at the mouth of Black Creek, on land previously purchased. He hired his team work of Shaeffer and put up a log hut. broke a few acres of the open flats, and after planting it, went down to board with a man by the name of Sprague, who was in charge of Allan's
سلبه
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mill. The bill of fare, according to the son, was " Raccoon for breakfast, dinner and supper, with no vegetables ; and upon extra occasions, cakes fried in raccoon oil." Such fare, with the fever and ague, was not calculated to excite great enthusiasm for the new country. Col. Fish returned to Ver- mont, and in April came on with his family to their new home on Black Creek, living in the cabin erected the pre- vious year, without door, floor, window or chimney. In No- vember Col. Fish took charge of the Allan mill and moved down to the Falls, where he occupied a board shanty for cooking, having their sleeping rooms in the mill. They had for neighbors Messrs. Hencher and Hosmer, at the mouth of the river, and soon after a family of Atchinsons, at Brad- dock's Bay. Col. Fish remained in charge of the mill until 1804, when he went upon his farm. In IS07 he sold out and moved upon the Ridge, near Parma, where he died in 1811. In 1804 John Swift, Grover Smith and John Ellis were ap- pointed Commissioners to lay out a road four rods wide from Salina, Onondaga Co., to the north-west corner of Galen, in Wayne Co., thenee through Palmyra and Penfield, to a point near the mouth of the Genesee River, the expense to be paid by the counties through which the road passed. In 1810, Micah Brooks, Hugh McNair and Matthew Warner were Commissioners for laying out a road from Arkport, on the Canisteo River, to Charlotte, on Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Genesee. In 1812 the bridge across the river at Rochester was completed; it was the only place where the stream could be crossed, between Avon and the lake. In 1813 the Legislature appropriated $5,000 to clear a road and build bridges on the Ridge. The mail was brought from Canandaigua on horseback, sometimes by a woman. In 1815 Samuel Hildreth, of Pittsford, commenced running a stage and carrying the mail twice a week between Canandaigua and Rochester, a distance of twenty-eight miles. The same vear a private weekly mail route was established between Rochester and Lewiston, the proprietor receiving the income of the post offices for his trouble. In 1816, General Micah Brooks, Member of Congress from western N. Y., whose dis- trict included all west of Seneca Lake, introduced into the House a resolution inquiring "as to the expediency of es- tablishing a post route from Canandaigua, vin Rochester, to Lewiston." In 1810 De Witt Clinton passed through this region on an exploring expedition for a canal. In his journal
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he says : "We crossed the Gerundegut at Mann's Mill: We arrived at the tavern at Perrins, in the town of Boyle. (now Perinton) 21 miles from Canandaigua, four and a ha' from Irondequoit Landing, and fourteen from Charlotte .. burgh. A vessel of thirty tons can go to the head of thi- from Lake Ontario. The sign of the tavern contains M .- sonic emblems and is by S. Felt & Co. Felt is in the land- lord's employ, and the object of the masked sign is to pre- vent debtors from avoiding him." "We drew lots for choire of beds, and it turning out in my favor I chose the worst bed in the house. I was unable to sleep on account of fleas." Ife speaks of eating "the celebrated white fish, salted. it i= better than shad and costs at Irondequoit Landing 812 per barrel." From this point he went to the " Ford of the Gen- esee, about one and a half miles from the Great Falls and seven and a half from the lake." " An excellent bridge of uncommon strength is now erecting at this point. We took a view of the upper and lower falls, the first is 97 feet and the other 73 feet." This bridge, it will be remembered, was the first one erected at Rochester and was not completed un- til 1812.
The war of 1814 created great excitement in this County and greatly retarded immigration to this section. In May. 1814, Sir James Yeo, with a fleet of thirteen vessels, appear- ed off' the mouth of the Genesee River, threatening to land and destroy the settlements. All the able bodied men in the vicinity were called out to defend the infant settlement from the invading foe. Rochester could raise only 33 men able to bear arms; but collecting the men from adjacent towns, they threw up a breast work near Deep Hollow, called "Fort Dender," and hastened to the lake shore. Two old men and a few boys were left behind to remove the women and chil- dren to the woods in case the British should land and de- stroy the town. Isaac W. Stone was the Major and Francis Brown and Elisha Ely were the Captains. They marched and countermarched to make their number appear as large as possible to the British. At length an officer with a flag of truce was dispatched from the fleet, and a militia officer with ten men was detailed to receive it at Light House Point. In order to be ready for any emergency, the valiant soldiers alvanced with muskets cocked and fingers on the triggers. The British officer was greatly astonished at this and said to the officer in command: "Sir, do you receive a flag of truce
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under arms with cocked triggers?" "Excuse me, excuse me, sir, we backwoodsmen are not well versed in military tactics," replied the American officer, and to atone for his want of courtesy, immediately ordered his men to ground arms. This astonished the British officer still more, and de- livering his message, he returned hastily to the fleet, being very suspicious that the ignorance was feigned and designed to bring the British into a snare. In the afternoon of the same day another flag of truce was sent, and Capt. Brown was detailed to receive it. The officer looked suspiciously upon the Captain and his guard, and then grasping his pants about the knee, said: " Your cloth is too good to be spoiled by such a bungling tailor." Brown replied that he "was prevented from dressing fashionably that morning, by his haste to salute such distinguished visitors." The British officer proposed that if the Americans would give up the pro- visions and military stores in and around Rochester and Charlotte, Sir James Yeo would spare the settlements. " Blood knee deep, first," was Brown's laconic reply. While this parley was going on, an American officer with his staff returning from Niagara was seen passing from one wooded point to another, confirming the suspicion that a considerable army was at this point, and that the ignorance was feigned to entice the British ashore. After the return of the flag of truce a vigorous bombardment was commenced by the fleet, and the forest was thoroughly shelled for a few hours with- out doing the Americans any damage. It was replied to by an old six pounder, burnished up for the occasion. The fleet then ran down to Pulteneyville, sixteen miles distant, where they learned how they had been outwitted by the Yankees.
After the close of the war, settlers came in rapidly and a great business began to develop itself in Rochester, the in- fluence of which was felt throughout the County. The com- pletion of the Erie Canal and the construction of railroads gave an impetus to business that has steadily advanced until Monroe is among the first counties in wealth, population and everything that contributes to make it desirable as a resi- dence for the business man or the inan seeking retirement where he can enjoy the fruits of a busy life.
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