History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 12

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976

USA > New York > Monroe County > History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences > Part 12

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The citizens of Canandaigua and Batavia asserted that it was a wild and foolish project to contemplate a new county in such a sparsely settled lake region. There is, in the Atheneumi at Rochester, a volume of' a paper printed there in 1320. wherein the weak arguments against the erection of the county are triumphantly met by the statement that Rochester had beenme not only the wheat market of the Generee valley, but for the most of what is now Ontario, Wayne, Orleans. and Genesce. The board of commissioners appointed by law to locate county build- ings was composed of threo persona, Morris S. Miller, Robert S. Rose, and Nathan Williama. They immediately selected Rochester, and Mesars. Rochester, Fitz- hugh, and Carroll donated a lot for that purpose.

On September 4, 1821, the corner-stone of' the first court-house was laid, and in 1822 the building was completel. The following is a description of that build- ing in 1827, then regarded as a superior structure. The lot given by the village proprietors "extended one hundred and sixty-six feet on Buffalo strret, and two hun- dred and sixty four fert on Fitzhugh street. The natural declivity of the ground is reduced to twu platforins ; the first, on the level of Buffalu struct, forming a neat yard in front of the building, which rucedes seventy-tive feet from the line of the strvet ; the other raind shout six fret above the former, and divided frim it by the building itself, and two wing walls of umform appearance, preventing towards Buffalo street the aspect of an elevated terrace, but on a level with the -Inets inmediately adjoining. This last, together with the yard of the First Presbyterian church, now capreheaded within the sune inclure, forms a small square, Land out in grass-plate and gravel-walks, and newly only the further attention of the

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

citizena in planting it with shade-trees and shrubbery to render it a very pleasant and valuable accommodation as a public walk. This is now known by the name of Court square. The court-house building is fifty-four feet long, forty-four widde. and forty high. It presents two fronts; the one facing Court square, showing two stories and a base; the other towards Batfilo street, two stories and a full basement. Each front is finished with a projecting portiro thirty feet long and ten feet wide, supported by foor flated Iouic columnas, surmounted by a regular entablature and balustrade, which returns and continues along the whole front. From the centre of the building rises an cetagonal belfry, covered by a cupola. The basement affords convenient offiery fur county and village purposes. The court-room is in the second story, extending the entire length and breadth of the building, and is a remarkably well-lighted and airy apartment" Such was the old court-house, the former pride of the village, a present memory.

The first county jail was situated on High street. in the rear of a hand-ome aed commodious brick house occupied by the jailer's family, and incheed with a high and formidable wall of stone. Within are two tiers of cells, divided by a ball through the centre, inclosed in a very strong and secure manner. North Fitz- hugh was known, in 1827, as Hughes street, and the jail stood on the later site of a Unitarian chapel. When a new jail was built in 1830, the old structure was utilized for a number of years as a recruiting office by the United States officers.

It was a proud day for the citizens of Rochester when, in September, 1820, a session of the United States District Court was held in the village by Judge Roger Skinner. It was a great progress from the wilderness, the log house, the " desolate" scenery of eight years before, and a happy omen for the future, des- tined to be more than realized. The first county officials were Elisha B. Strong, first judge; Timothy Barnard, Sr., Levi H. Clark, and John Bowman, associate judges; Nathaniel Rochester, clerk ; James Seymour, sheriff; Timothy Childs, district attorney ; and Elisha Ely, surrogate. At the organization of courts in May, Elsha Strong presided ; Timothy Barnard was judge, and Joseph Spencer was assistant justice. A committee of three was appointed to draft rules of court ; these were Enos Pomeroy, Joseph Spencer, and Ashley Simpson. No issues were tried. Court convened again in September. At the first term, or soon after, there were added to the bar of Rochester Vincent Matthews, Timothy Childs, William W. Mumford, Melancton Brown, William Graver, Daniel D. Barna:d, Ebenezer Griff ... , Wm. B. Rochester, and Charles R. Lee. It was an argument against division of Ontario that the legal talent would not be of as high rank in Montur ; the name of Matthews alone is an answer. Severe as a student, he became famous as a lawyer, and to his ability in practice was united the faith of the Christian. A monument at Mount Hope indicates the estimation of his fellow-citizens. Successive presiding judges were Elisha B. Strong, A-hley Samp- son, Moses Chapin, E. Smith Lce, Samuel L. Seldon, John Bowman. Joseph Sibley, Patrick G. Buchan, Harvey Humphrey, George G. Manger, and Jolin C. Chcemasero.

The original territory .of Monroe, taken from Ontario, included the towns of Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perrinton. Henrietta, Mendon, and that part of town- ship 11, range 7, north of Honcoye outlet, now a portion of Rush. That taken from Genesee, on the west side of the Genesee river, comprised the towns of Gates, Parina, Clarkson, Sweden, Ogden, Riga, and Wheatland. The county contained, by the census of 1820, a population of 25,526; and ten years later it was no longer " sparsely settled," since it contained 49,862 souls ; and yet other ten years and it enrolled 64,902, and was second only to Onondaga in the counties of western New York.

A brief sketch will indicate the place whose development was the origin of the county, whose claims as a county seat there were none to dispute. By Angust, 1820, Rochester contained a population of 1502, while in 1815 it had but 331. Settlements had grown oll in other places before it was contemplated to occupy the swampy land on the old " Mill tract." The shanty of Enos Stone was built about 1809, on the west side, and a bridge across the river was finished in 1912. The first allotment for a village was made hy Nathaniel Rochester and two others, in 1812, and the names " Falltown" and " Genesee Falls" began to be heard. A store, tavern, and post-office, three employments under one roof, were inang- urated by Abelard Reynolds, still a resident of the city. In 1813. the sites of the present court-house and city hall were cleared and sown to wheat. and then became a pasture. Iu 1916, Panby began the publication of the Rochester Gazette, changed on the erection of the county to the Mantine Republican, and conducted by Derick and Levi W. Sibley ; and. in 1818. the Rocheder Telegraph was established hy Everard Peek & Co., published by the Sibleys, and edited in 1824 by Thurlow Weed, the well known and highly-estremed journalist of later years. A Presbyterian society was formed in Isiti ; St. Luke's awl the Friends' meeting-bitre both came into existence in 1817 ; the first Baptist church in 1818, and first Metlu list Episcopal in 1820. A will was built by Harford, in 1907; the red mill of the Elys aud Bissell, in 1915 ; the Browns' mill in 1816, and the

Cleveland mill in 1819. Incorporation as Rochesterville was accomplished in 1817. Atwater, Andrews, and Mumford built a tull-bridge in 1819 dernas the river above the Cleveland will, and on September 28, 1819, the State engineers surveyed a canal route through the village. Steamboats were soon plying on the river, and an export trade had assumed notable proportions. Steps of progress these which gave premonition of a coming city, and made Rochester the county seat of Monroe.

There have occurred in Rochester several criminal trials of unwonted interest. one of which,-that of Burun, for the robbery and murder of Lyman, on Frank- lin street,-from its being the first in the capital punishment of the deepest crime known to the annals of Monroe, has here a brief recital of fact :

William Lymin was a grain-huyer for the city mills, and not late one night in October, 1837, closed his business for the day, and set out for his residence near the corner of Clinton place. He was not far from home when he was shot through the back of his head, and killed outright. All night a cold, heavy rain fell, and morning brought discovery of a stiff, drenched body ; and rifled pockets disclosed the motive for the deed. This was the first murder in the corporation. and the excitement was most intense. Three persons were implicatesi in the crime : Octavius Barron, a Canadian-French youth of nineteen years. and two others, named Bennett and Fluett. They were arrested while attempting to leave the city on a west-bound train, and secured in the Monroe County jail, on the island. Barron's trial was begon May 28, 1838, and occupied ten days. Crow is of people, unable to get into the room, were gathered daily about the building On June 7, Octavius Barron was by the jury found guilty of murder in the first degree. The district attorney was Wm. S. Bishop, among whose assistants was Hon. Mark H. Sibley, of Canandaigua, a criminal lawyer of great ability. One among the counsel for Barron was Mr. Bennett, of Lima. The execution took place July 25, 1838, Davis Perrin being sheriff. It is asserted th it never before or since has the community known so deep a feeling as during this tte first trial for murder, and its punishment, in Monroe County. Six executions have taken place in Monroe, four inside the jail, two in the yard. In 1930 a second jail was constructed, and still stands ou the west side of the Genese. 2 short distance south of Court street. A part of the building is fitted up for the keeper's residence ; the rest has cells for one hundred prisoners. This old stone structure is now in use as a place of confinement for persons awaiting trial or sentence.

The present Monroe County court-house stands upon the site of the first building, which was removed to make way for it. Within the corner-stone was deposited in a galvanized copper box, hermetically sealed, a medley of articles. among which were the first directory, copies of newspapers, hills of banks. coins. Continental bills, a vial of California gold-dust, and papers containing predictions of the progress of the nest century. The building was completed in 1851, and cost over seventy thousand dollars, which was jointly paid by the city and county. Within a few years the west half has been rendered fire-proof by the county The building has a handsome and substantial appearance. The foundation. stop- and pavement of the portico are of Onondaga limestone, and the superstructure is 6 brick, painted and sanded. The entrance is ornamented by an Iunie porticu. up held by four huge pillars. The edifice is of ample proportions, and contains theet stories and basement. Within the latter are fire-proof vaules, and furnan whereby the building is heated by steam-an improvement of lail. Upon the first floor, to the right of entrance, is the office of the surrogate. and nest beyond the capacious room of the county clerk. To the left are the quarters of the district attorney, and, beyond, the office of county treasurer. An inner double flight of stairs leads to the roof. Ou the second floor are the rooms of the county judge, supervisors, clerk of the board of supervisors, supreme court, and the law library of the court of appeals,-this last a State institution, in existence since IS49. Here are contained ten thousand volumes. The librarians have been Gleason, Charles Goss Wheeler, and C. M. Crittenden, the last since 1971. The third floor contains the eld city hall, the county court room and jury piw als. Ascending Arther, we come upon an iron-railed platform, whence the eye com- mands an extensive view of the city and its surroundings; overhead rise's a dome whose summit is a hundred and fifty fret from the ground. Standing opoa a surmounting cupola is an emblematic statue of Justice, an ornament to the struc- ture and a symbol of legal protection and impartial justice.

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COURT HOUSE & CITY HALL. ROCHESTER, N. Y.

CITY HALL

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

CHAPTER XV.

COMMERCIAL INTERESTS-NAVIGATION OF THE OENESEE BY SCHOOSERS AND STEAMBOATS-FORMER POINTS OF TRADE-HORSE-RAILROAD-HARBOR OF ROCHESTER-GENESEE REVENUE DISTRICT.

. " THE last season there were shipped from this river, for the Montreal market, twenty-five thousand nine hundred and ninety-six barrels of flour." Sn wrote II. Scrantom, on January 24, 1819; and in 1-36 two hundred thousand bushels of wheat were imported by Rochester dealers. under heavy duties, from Canada. Prior to the construction of canals and subsequent railroads, the value of the Genesee, as a commercial interest, was of nu slight moment. Small vessels ascended the river forty miles above the falls, and a sundt steamboat ran during two seasons from the city to landings at Scottsville, Avon. York, and other villages, principally to expedite, by towing, the mover ut of freight-boats laden with the grain and other products of the valley. Of these freight-boats there were ser- eral lines, and most of them were propelled by means of long poles. These boats were open, exposed to the weather, and had runways on each side upon which cleats were nailed. The bont was propelled by a crew of six men, three on a side. equipped with the pules alluded to. which were shod at the water end with irun. The operation was in this wise: each, placing his pole, braced his feet upon the cleats and urged the boat forward as he moved back ward to the stern ; then the crew marched on each side, Indian file, to the bow, adjusted their sweeps, and so continued for hours.

The boats were owned by Kempshall, Ely. and others of the millers, while William Tone was proprietor of several, with which a regular transportation of produce was conducted. The construction of the Valley canal put an end to this navigation, and the canal trade has in turn been superseded by the railroad.

Irondequoit's and Braddock's bays, and Hanford's Landing, Charlotte, and Car- thage. are places of interest in relation to early trading and commerce. The name Irondequoit is intituately associated with early military and trading move- menta in the west. A station was made in 1726 at this point, by the British, in their endeavor to exclude the French from the lower end of Lake Ontario, and secure the traffic in furs with the western Indians.

It seems that an impression prevailed that somewhere in this region a city was to be founded, and prior to 1798 the Tryons, having become the owners of land three miles above the bay, laid out a village near the line of the highway between Rochester and Canandaigua. A store was opened in the spring of 1790. and in the fall a boat came on from the east in charge of Oliver Grace. The freight on its cargo was three dollars a quarter. Oliver Culver for several years ran a pio- neer ashery, and in 1803 shipped one hundred and eight barrels of pearlash to Montreal. Formerly supplies intended for the western ports were sent to the head of Irondequoit hay instead of to the Genesee river. They were there shipped upon bateaux to follow the coast to Niagara river; there a transfer by portage to Fort Schlosser, then up the river into Lake Erie, and on as far as the incentive of fors and the spirit of adventure might lead. The first freighted sailing-vessel from Genesce river to Kingston, Upper Canada. was loaded with potash. " sent from Kanndarque for Rundicutt hay, and from thence in boats round about to Genesee river landing." This occurredl prior to 1800, before the few settlers south of the bay lind any kettles. The early settlers came from a long distance to bring in their ashes, and the price, a shilling a bushel, enabled them to obtain goods from the store of Tryon. The settlers from western Wayne. Ontario, the northern towns of Livingston, and one from Orleans, were customers at " Tryonstown." A great share of the coinmerce of the lake of this country was sent out from Irondequoit landing. The first flour shipped to Montreal went from there, and it was no fault of the " citizens" that the plice did not prosper. Prominent among those whose efforts inaugurated the lake trade was Mr. Culver, who built a schouner near the bay, to which it was drawn by twenty-six yoke of oxen. At later periods he constructed three others for the lake trade, and when the Erie canal waw under way Culver built at Brighton the first packet-boat west, and the fourth built upon the canal. The pioneer trader at Charlotte was Erastus Spoukling, who- first vessel. named the " Isabel." was captured during the war of 1812. Spaulding commenced the trade in butt-staves. which grew to be of much importance. Samuel Carrier is named as one engaged in the early lake commerce. The schooners of Gmanger, of the Porters. Culver, and Spaulling, were sufficient for carly traffic, and, in addition to pot and pearl ashes and hutt-staves, expwirts of amall quantities of wheat and flour took place, and grainally caine into notice. Mande said of William-on's early settlement of Bath that the latter " saw very clearly. on his first visit to this country, that the Susquehanna, and not the Mo- hawk, would In its " thir Genesee country ) best friend. Even now it has proved so, for at this day . 1 800) a bushel of wheat is better worth a dollar at Bath than sixty cent4 at tieneva This differenes will grow wider every year; for little, if

any, improvement can be made with the water communication from New York while that to Baltimora will admit of extended and advantageous one." Such were the conclusions of that period, destined to find a contrary realization. Even nt that very date commerce was begun upon the lake. The Susquehanna route way expensive and attended with much difficulty ; boats almost ceased to run from Geneva, Seneca Falls, and Lyons, and the advantages of lake traffic gradually became appreciated and utilized. Wadsworth wrote in July, 1807, to Samuel Corp, New York : " The agricultural products of this district ( Utica to Lake Erie) cannot be transported to Albany except in years of scarcity. The St. Itwreuve is the natural outlet of produce. Lake Ontario is navigable at all seasons : twisty may be sent down the St. Lawrence almost eight months of the year." " Montreal must become an immense deposit for produce seeking European market." Thu -. while great public works destined to call forth the mighty energies of yet dormant soil were unconceived, did pioneer leaders seck to create and to divert the tiny rivulets destined to become a vast and constant stream of eastward flow. As a landing, Braddock's bay was of note before Enos Stone had thought of a bridge at the Falls. It was otherwise known as Prideaux, as well as Bradlee bay. and is thus recalled by a writer of 1800: " The nearest ports to the Genesee river are Rundicutt bay, five miles to the east, und Bradioe bay, thirteen miles to the west. The first is situate on a creek, the channel of which is difficult to be discerned in the marsh through which it takes its tortuous course ; and from the shallowness of the water it is obliged to send its produce to the Genesce river in bateaux. Four or five families are settled at Rundicutt; but Bradloe is a better situation, and- a more flourishing settlement." The hunter, trapper, and angler found more of profit in later years than the merchant, who elsewhere found a channel running broad and deep to a never-failing market. Time works striking changes. The foot of the promontory, east bank of the Genesee, hore the name Carthage, and was of note in its day. There stood many dwellings, two hotels, and warchouses with inclined plane for the transit of goods to vessels lying at the dock, two hun- elred feet below. The first warehouse was erected hy Levi Ward, Jr, Hemin Norton, Elisha B. Strong, and Levi H. Clark. Business was transacted by Jobu Thompson, agent for Messrs. Hooker, Olinstead, and Griffiths. Between Carthage and Rochester was built the first railroad in the west. It extended from the eastern end of the old aqueduct, at the heml of Water street, along the east line of the street to Andrews street, where it followed the west line of St. Paul street to the Elwood house; thence along the river bank to its terminus, Carthage. The president of the railroad company was John Greig. of Canandaigua The treas- urer was A. M. Schermerhorn, and the secretary, F. MI. Haight. The " road" was leased and operated by Horace Hooker & Co. Pleasure-cars ran upon ti . track, and horses were used after the fashion of the street-cars of tolay. . 1 suhurban settlement, known as Dublin. was located between the Central airvad and Gorham street, and the lands eastward were in wheat, rye. and used as pa-ture. A rival to Carthage was Hanford's Landing. just below, on the west side. Here Maude " got a good breakfast on wild pigeons" at Gideon King's, and here, in 1800, " all the shipments of the Genesee river were made." He continues : - I went to see the new store and wharf; it is very difficult to get goods conveyel to and from the wharf, in consequence of the great height and steepness of the bank. This landing is four miles from Ontario. The river channel rnos close along shore, and has thirty feet depth." In January, 1810, Frederick Hanford opened a store of goods at the Upper Landing, or Falltown. a- did Silas O. Smith later in the year. And, to distinguish it from Charlotte, the name was changed from Genesee to Hanford's Landing. The warehouses and wharves at this landing were destroyed by fire in 1835, aud so perished the first shipping port of the Genesee.

In the year 1817 the first steamboat touched at this port. The " Ontario" was followed by the " Martha Ogden," and in time the arrivals and departures of steamers became of daily vecurrence, and the trade with Canada increased to Large dimensions.

The harbor of Rochester, at the mouth of the Genesee, is of artificial forma- tion and a governtuent work. This improvement. so important to commerce, wa- contracted by Messrs. Ezra M. Parsons and Silas Ball, From a report made by Lieutenant William Smith on October 24, 1837, to General Gratiut. chict en- gineer at Washington, a brief outline of the work is obtained. .. The west pier is two thousand six hundred and seventy feet, and the east pier two thousand six hundred and thirty-four feet in extent. The general width is twenty feet. The piers are of crib-work, each crib thirty feet long by sixteen to twenty wide. The height above the waiter averages three feet. The width of the harbor at the mouth is four hundred and forty-six feet. The greatest depth of the channel between the piers is twenty-three feet, and the least somniewhat over twelve fort." At the harbor entrance there are seventeen feet of water ; up the river for three miles the average depth is twenty-right feet." As a contrast with the original state of the harbor, it may be stated that the channel was crooked and the depth of' water on the bar over eight feet. Entrance could be made only when the wind

Page 33 Grandfather a. - had one of these boats , and previous to completion of canal from Rochester to albany , in that way finally getting flows to Montreal via Rochester and 2. Ontario.

Page 33. .. - This was a single Track R.R. , had ne passenger car like an old fashioned stage Coach , the driver's seat high upon the hour , and was driven by Squire Wheeler , who was my mother's brother . E. F. a.

HISTORY OF MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK.

came from a particular direction. The channel was made direct, with sufficient depth of water for any ve-sel that navigates the lakes. The cost of the work till September 30. 1837, was one hundred and eighteen thousand dollars. Appro- priations have been made and improvement. remlered permanent. A light-house was built by the United States in 1822, and continues to the present time. The Rochester or Genesee district, extending on Lake Ontario from Oak Orchard creek, in Orleans county, to Sodus bay, in Wayne, was formed in 1805, when a port of entry was established at the confluence of river and lake, and Samuel Latta appointed first collector. Jesse Hawley was collector for a time. He had been preceded by Jacob Gould, appointed in 1520. Deputies were stationed at Pulteneyville, Charlotte, and at the (Intario steamboat landing. Revenues were principally collected at the port of Rochester, while officers were stationed else- where to prevent smuggling. Salaries exceeded revenues until 1836, when the doties were twenty-six thousand dollars, and in the year following sixty thousand dollars.

CHAPTER XVI.

GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF MONROE-ITS CITY, VILLAGES, AND FARMS- Ha LAKE, BAYS, RIVER, AND CREEKS-LOCATION, SURFACE, SOIL, AND NATURAL PRODUCTS.

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History of Monroe county, New York with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, Palatial residences, Part 12

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts Number of Pages: 976

Author: McIntosh, W. H. cn; Everts, Ensign, and Everts, Philadelphia, pub
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Ensign and Everts
Number of Pages: 976