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SEMI-CENTENNIAL HISTORY CITY OF ROCHESTER WITH ILLUSTRATIONS ANL^ BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS WILLIAM F. PECK SYRACUSK. N. V. D. MASON & CO., PLMU.ISHRRS 1884 D. MASON & CO., Engravers, Printers and Binders, Syracuse, N. Y. 1884. YJ^ ^(^ CONTENTS. pa(;e. CHAPTER I. — Aboriginal Occupation of the Lmoer Genesee Counlrv — Antiquity of Man — Antediluvian Relics — The Ancient Beach of Lake Ontario Inhabited by Man, - - - - -'- - - - -II CHAPTER n. — Sin-face Geology — The Great Sea — Origin of the Genesee River — Great Age of the Lake Ridge — Man's Antiquity in the Genesee Country, - i6 CHAPTER \n.— Ancient Races — The Mound-builders — The White Woman of the Genesee — Traditions of the Red Men — Presence of a Pre-historic People in the Genesee Valley, and about Irondequoit Bay — The Ridge Mounds and Relics — Ancient Landings on the Genesee — A Race of Large Men. - - - 20 CHAPTER IV.— T/te Red J/*-//- Their Traditional Origin and Occupation of New York — Dispersion of the Tribes — League of the Iroquois — \'ale of the Senecas — Ancient Nations of the Genesee Country . - - - - - 28 CHAPTER V. — Wale?' Trails — Terminology of the Genesee River and Irondequoit Bay — Little Beard's Town — Casconchagon — The Jesuits — Indian Expedition up the Genesee — The Mouth of the Genesee Practically at Irondequoit Bay — Early Maps — Teoronto Bay — Mississauge Indians the Last at Irondequoit, - 32 CHAPTER VI. — Local Trails of the Genesee — Indian Fords, Towns and Fortifica- tions — Butler's Rangers — Indian Spring — Sacrifice of the White Dog — Flint Quarry — Sgoh-sa-is-thah — Portage Trails — Irondequoit Landing — The Tories' Retreat — Indian Salt Springs — Ancient Mounds, - - - -36 CHAPTER VII. — Early French Missions — Tsonnontouan — The Jesuit's Escape — La Salle at Irondequoit — Struggle between the French and English for Possession of the Lower Genesee country, -------47 CHAPTER VIII. — DeNonville's Expedition — Treachery of the French Governor- General — Magnanimity of the Iroquois — French Army at Irondequoit — E.vecu- tion of Marion — The Fort on the Sand-bar — The March on Gannagaro — The Defiles, Ambuscade and Battle — Horrors of Indian Warfare — Cannibalism — De- struction of the Seneca Towns. -------50 CHAPTER IX. — Totiakton — Its Ancient and Modern History — DeNonville's Return Route to the Sand-bar. --------57 CH.A.PTER X. — Strength of the Iroquois — A Terrible Revenge — French Invasions — Irondequoit a Place of Great Importance in Colonial Times — Fort des Sables — Charlevoix Describes the Casconchiagon — Captain Schuyler Builds a Trading- House at Irondequoit Landing — His Official Instructions — Oliver Culver Discov- ers the Ruins of the Trading-House — Senecas Sell the Lower Genesee Country to the King of England — British Armies at Irondequoit, - - - 61 2 Contents. PAGE. CHAPTER XL— Tlic ^t/!,r,is' L,is//,-s ,»! tin- (,V«,-jvc — Treaty of Peace with the Eni,'- lish — Uechiie of lr(n|U(iis Power — Sullivan's Campaign against the Senecas — F'ate of Lieutenant lioNd — Sullivan's TrcH)|)s on the Site of Rochester. - 69 CHAPTER Xn.— Tin- Wliilc Man's th.iipdihy of tlu- OciilSCl- C'(W«/;:r — The Native Title Extniguished — Inili.ni Resirvations — Present Indian PopuLttiun. - 73 CHAL'TER .\IIL— Tin- C„-ih:s,;: h'alh Mill A,)/ —The Triangle — Ebenezer Allan's One-Hundred-Acre Tract — The Stone Ridge — Peter Shaffer- Allan's Mills — The Mill Stones — Jenuhshio. or •■Indian" Allan — The First White Settler — P'irst Grist Mill in the Genesee \'alle\ — Allan's Deed to Benjamin Barton — Close of Allan's Career — His Son Claims the One-Hundred-.Acre Tract, - - 75 CHAPTER y^W . — Early .s,-///£V.r— Christopher Dugan — Colonel Fish — The First Dwelling-House — .Maude's X'isit to Genesee Falls in 1800 — Destruction of the Allan Mills — The Old Mill Stones — Rochester. Fit/hugh and Carroll Purchase the One-Hundred-.Acre Tract — Earl\' Towns and Pioneers, - - - 85 CW.WXVM y.\.~Tlic Roclustcr I'asl-Officc. - - - - '• - 90 CHAPTER .W'L— The liirth of A"rt//<-v/,r — Reasons for Its Tardy Settlement — Prevalence of Diseases in this Part of the Country — Dr. Ludlow on Typhoid Pneu- monia — The First House on the West Side of the River — The War of 181 2 — Attempted Intitnidation at Charlotte - The Projected Invasion Abandoned — Erection of the Red Mill, the Cotton Factory, etc. — Census of 1815 — The First Newspaper. .-----_. .y7 CHAPTER XVIL — AVc/zoAv as a / V//,?;,',- — Its Incorporation in 1817 — The Fiist Village Election — The First Church Built — The Commerce with Canada — Set- tlement of Carthage — The t'. re.it Bridge there — Its Fall, and that of Other Bridges — Surveys for the Erie Canal — Monroe County Erected — Building of the Old Aqueduct — The Old Court-House — John ()uincy Adams, - . - 108 CHAPTER X\'IIL— r//<- C,yoa- — 'Es.rWesi Organisation of Religious Societies in the .Settlenirnt -- Tlie Presliyterian Churche.s — The Episcopal Churches — The Friends, or Quakers — The Baptist Churches— The Metliodist — The Ro- man Catholic — The Unitarian — The Ccrni.in Lutheran, Evangelical and Re- formed — The Congregational — The Jiwish - The llniversalist — The Second Ad\ent — ()tlier Churches. ------- 243 CHAPTER X.XXIl.- T/n- Enr/v Sc/nw/s of Rotlustfr —\\\\\A.A\ M. Strong's .School in liSn — Limited Educational Resources — Meagerness of State Apjiropriation — Old District Number 1, and First Male Teacher — Mill Street a Fashionable Quar- ter of Rochester — M.uia Allyn's School in 1820 — Fairchild and Filer's Latin and English School — Lvman Cobb's School, Spelling-Book and Dictionary — The Manual Labor School — The RochesUr High School — The Schools of Misses Black and Miss Seward, West Side of the Ri\er — Rochester Female Academy — Seward Female Seminary — Other Institutions of Learning, - - . 296 CHAPTER XX.Xl 11.— /'//(■ I'lihlii .ScZ/rWv— The First Board of Education — The School Census in 1S41 The Modern High School — Free Schools Estalilished in 1849 — Opposition to the System — Tlu- Dilhculties Surmounted — The Common Schools of the City — A Sketch of Each One, - - - - - ji? CHAPTER XXX 1\'.— 7'//c M.-dituI /'/v/c.wVw — He.ilth ol Rochester in the Early Days — LongeMtv of the Pioneers — Efficient Sewerage of the Village — Dr. Jonah Brown, the First Practitioner — High Tone of the Profession ,U that Time — Form- ation of the Monroe County Medical Society— Its Oflicers and Us Members — .Stringent Pro\isi(ins of its Constitution — Biographical Sketches of Deceased Physici.ins, --------- 331 CHAPTER .XX.W. - Hoiiiivopatliy a ml Ihiitiatiy -- Early Homoeopathic Physicians — Their Aih'cnt and liillueme — The Pr.ictice of Dentistry — Advance of the Art, 340 CHAPTER XXXX'L— Flu /'/u:ss of AWZ/.^Av— Early Journalism — The Gazette — The '/'t-/i[t;)ii/i/i — The .Idvertiscr. with its Various Absorptions — Sketch of the I 11/01! and Ad'\rtisci- — Notices of its Representative Men — The Anti-Masonic Inquirer -AwA Thurlow Weed — The Ileinoerat — The Anierican — The Cliron- icle — Continued History of the Ihinoerat and Clnoniele — Sketches of those Prominently Associated with It — Various Dead Newspapers, from 1828 to 18S4 — The Express and Post-Express — The Morning Herald — Sunday Journalism in Rochester — German Journalism — Agricultural Publications — Religious Papers — Pa|)ers Connected with Institutions — The Labor Reformers — Concluding (Ob- servations. ,....-_-- 2^2 CHAPTER Wy.\\\. — Koehester Judges and /.,ray' of years. 14 History of tiik City nv Rocpiester. cntircK- fn.ini those which arc usually ascribed to the Indians and Mound- IniiUUrs, as foUinvs: — " In the sei tion of rountrv about Fredonia, New York, on the south side of Lake I'hie, are (h^covered objects deserved!)' worthy of particular and in(]uisiti\e researcli. 'I'his kinnc hundred and fift\' feet wide, across the mouth of a httle \'alle)' and inward curvature of tlie hillsitle. The accumulation of water, shed !))• the surrounding slopes, originally transformed the basins thus created into ])on(ls, and subsequently, when drainetl, converted them into marshes. The valle)' waters, aided by the current of an inflowing stream, forced me idea can be had of the length of time he has occupied our home terri- tory. The results of a special study leganling the i)eculiar topographical feat- ures of Western New \'ork lead to the conclusion that the ridge is of very an- cient oiigin — in fact, that it anted, ites the present rock-cut channel of the Genesee — aiul, though our range of iiuiuir)- is necessarily limited, a brief ex- position of reasons influencing this conclusion may [irove ni which our interest in the subsiding waters of the great sea is confined to the lower, or On- tario, basin. About the time of this separation the Mount Hope and Pinnacle range of hills, on the southern boundar)' line of the cit)', formed a barrier at the north end of the Genesee valley, and, dividing the waters, produced a great shallow lake covering all the valley between Rochester and Dansville. The waters of the sea, now Lake Ontario, continued their retirement to the north, and coast lines formed during the period of recession can be traced at many points on the slopes of the Ontario basin where the waves left their mark on cliff and hillside, or washed up great alluvial ridges in open plains. At least a dozen such ridges can be found at different places in New York, and two at Rochester, the lake ridge being the most distinct. It is probable that a barrier across the St. Lawrence then restrained the lake waters, which escaped through the valley of the Mohawk at Little Falls into the Hudson. The low- est part of the old channel through the rocky gorge at Little Falls is 428 feet above the ocean, and the ridge in Rochester is about 441 feet.- It is supposed I A'iiif;tira Falls and Other Famous Cataracts, by George \V. Holley. This Ijook contains ,i vei\' interesting history of the middle basin and the probable origin of the Niagara river and falls. 2 Through the kindness of R. J. Smith, .V. ]. CJrant and K. li. Whitmore, civil engineers, the ele- vation of various points between the upper (lenesee fall and Lake Ontario, which has never been pub- lished before, has been obtained. The ridge at the intersection of the Charlotte boulevard west of Han- ford's Landing, is 193.91 feet above Lake Ontario. .\t the crossing of the Ontario Belt railroad, about 1,000 feet east of the river, the ridge is 1S2.45 feet above the lake. The latter, according to the recent (1878) geodetic survey, is 247.25 feet above the ocean. An influx of water rising 247.25 feet above mean tide at New York would place the ocean on a level with Lake Ontario; 441 feet, with the ridge, and connect the lake with the Hudson river through the Mohawk valley at Little Falls; 508 feet, with Antiqlitv ok the Lake Ridge. 19 that the waters had retired beyond the level of the ridge, and from some un- known cause — possibly the breaking down of the natural obstruction at the northeastern extremity of Lake Erie, and discharge of its waters into Lake Ontario — again rose several feet, the ridge being formed under the water while the surface was but a few feet above. The breaking awa}-, or removal, of the St. Lawrence barrier reduced the lake to its present lc\-el. Following this c\-ent, the Genesee valley lake burst through the hills east of the Pinnacle, formed a great river, now the Genesee, and e.xcavated the bay of Irondequoit.' In time this channel became obstructed and the waters cut a new outlet through the hill west of the present channel at the Ra])ids in South Rochester, pursuing a direct northern course to the present Genesee falls in the heart of the cit\-. This passage becoming obstructed just north of the Rapids, the river was directed east toward Mount Hope and thence north- ward through its modern channel. The production of the Genesee river gorge through Rochester to LaKC Ontario is mainly the result of erosion, having been effected by runnmg water aided by frost, and it is evident that this work has been accomplished since Lake Ontario retired from the ritlge. If this theory is correct — and it is affirmed by scientists- — the lake ridge antedates the Genesee river and Irondequoit bay, and the fireplace discovered on the old beach beneath the ridge at Gaines was constructed by men \vho occupied our home territor)' at a period so remote that it is not possible to fi.x its limit. It ma}' be stated, however, that, from deductions co\-ering the age of supposed contemporaneous events, it has been crudely estimated as exceed- ing fourteen thousand years. ihe Erie canal aqueduct in Rochester, and sulmierge half the city; 573.58 feet with Lake Erie; 5SS feet, with Lake Michigan ; 600 feet would carry the waters over the dividing plateau between Chicago and the Mississippi valley and re-establish the great interior sea, with the ocean flowing from Labrador to the gulf of Mexico. The sea would be 353 feet above the present level of Lake Ontario, and Roch- ester submerged but ninety-two feet at the aqueduct. The tops of many buildings in the city would re- main above the surface. ■ Pinnacle hill, in the shape of a conical island, would rise seventy-one feet above the water, and Mount Hope and the intervening range form a cluster of knolls and line of shal- low bars. ' Professor James Hall, Gcv/ogiftil Srtnwy of the Fourth District. ' See Illustrations of Surface Geology and Erosions of the Earth's Surface, by fedward Hitch- cock, LL. D. ; Smithsonian Contributions to K'nowledge, Vol. IX. ; Geology of jVca York, by James Hall, and other standard works. History of tiik City of RucinisxER. CHAPTER HI. Aiuinil K:ice- — The .Moun.l-l.uil.k-rs — 'I'l Rcl Mrn — I'rrscncc nf a I', v-liisl, h ic IV., pi — 'I'Ik' Ri.l-c M.iun.k ami Relics — A ncK-nl White Woman of the (Genesee — Tiaditions ,<( the in the C.enesee Valley, and ahoni In.n.le(|uni| Day an.linirs nn the Genesee — A Race of i.ar.'c Men. TIIAT a race, or races, of men i)recetletl the Indians in the occupation of this country- is too well understood to require special iteration. We ni.iy never learn the orii^in of those ancient people, or yather more than scat- tcrinL; lines of their history, Init taiiLjilile, imperishable proofs of their f'tiiier presence on ,i l.irt^e area of the Americtn continent still remain in the form of earthworks which extend from New \'ork w estw ariily aluiiL,' the southern shore of Lake I'hae, and throUL;li MicluLjan and the intermediate states ,ind territories to the I'acific. They lia\e been found on the shores of Lake Pepin, and on the Missouri ri\er o\er one thousand miles abo\e its junction with the Mississippi, and extend tiow ii the wiliey of the latter to the e.iilf of Mexico. TluA' line the shores cif the L;iilf from Tex.is to P'loritla, continue in diminished numbers into South Carolina,' and st.md as eternal sentinels on the Rio (irande del Norte. The aL;e in which the Moitnd-builder li\'ed and flourished is at present undetermined; it ma\- yet be decided as coiitempor.meous with that of ancient nations known to ci\iliseil m.in, or ;it some definite i)eriod be\Tjnd the present measurements of written history. The theory generally accepted places the Mound-builders in possession of this coiiiitr)' at the aehent of the Lnli;uis, who dispossessed and nearly extermin.ited the oriL^^Jnal owners of the soil. The survivors of the conquered people fled (.loun the Mississippi valle}', and are su|)posed to ha\-e mingled with tribes of reii men that followed them. hi his new work, the //vip/cis Hook (if Ritis, j^age II, Mr. Hale says he has found tr.ices in the Cherokee tongue of a foreign language, which he supposes to h.ive been derived from the Mound-builders of the (Jhio valley, whom he identifies as the AUegewi, or Tallegewi. According to the legends of the Iro- tiuois and Algonkins, those two races of red men united in a war against, and overpowered, the AUegewi, who, sa_\-s Mr. Hale, "left their name to the Alle- ghaii)' river and mountains, and whose v.ist earthworks are still, after half a century of stud\', the perplexity of arch;eologists." While these monuments are not generally supposed to exist beyond tiie tributary sources of the Alleghany, in Western New York, there would appear to be reasonable grounds for a belief th.it the Mound-builders, or other an- cient people, extended their settlements into the interior of the state, and ilwelt here in considerable numbers. During the old P'reiich war, in 1755, a part)- of I'rench and hulians attacked a frontier settlement in PennsyK-ania, murdered a number of the inhabitants and carried away several women and ' Anliqiiilics of .W-w Yoil; aiiJ //;<■ Ifis/, liy E. U. .Squier, j.). 294. The MoUND-LiUILDERS. children as captives. Among- tlic latter was a little girl, who was adopted by a Seneca famil}-, grew to womanhood, became the wife of two Indian warriors, reared several children, and for nearly eighty years held no family or social relationship other than that of her Indian associates, to whom she was known as Deh-he-wa-mis. Her name was Mary Jemison, but for over a century the people of her own race have designated her " the white woman of the Genesee," the greater part of her life being spent in the vicinity of the Genesee river. At the great council held at Big Tree (Genesco) in 1797 her Indian friends stipulated that Mrs. Jemison should receive a tract of land located on the Genesee between Mount Morris and Portage. The river passes through this land in a deep, narrow valley, and the fertile land on the valley bottom, where the white woman made her home, is; known as Gardeau flats. In Seaver's Life of Mary Jii/iisou, page 134, we find the following state- ments, received from her own lips : — "About three hundred acres of my land when I first saw it were open flats lying on the Genesee river, which it is supposed were cleared by a race of inhabitants who preceded the first Indian settlements in this part of the country. The Indians are confident that many parts of this country were settled, and for a number of years occupied, by a peojile of whom their fathers never had any traditions, as they never had seen them. Whence these people originated, and whither they went, I have never heard one of the oldest and wisest Indians pretend to guess. When I first came to Genishau, the bank of Fall brook had just slid off, exposing a large number of human bones, which the Indians said were buried there long before their fathers ever saw the place, and they did not know what kind of people they were. It, however, was, and is, believed by our people that they were not Indians The tradition of the Seneca Indians in regard to their origin is that they broke out of the earth from a large mountain at the head of Canandaigua lake, and that mountain they still vener- ate as the place of their birth. Thence they derive their name ' Ge-nun-da-wah,' or 'Great Hill People.' The Senecas have a tradition that previous to, and for some time after, their origin at Genundawah, the country, especially about the lakes, was thickly inhabited by a race of civil, enterprising and industrious people who were totally destroyed by the great serpent that afterward surrounded the great hill fort, with the assistance of others of the same S[)ecies, and that they (the Senecas) went into [)os- session of the improvements left." Near the top of a high ridge of sand hills, in the town of Pittsford, south of the Irondequoit valle\-, and about one mile east of Allen's creek, stands a great heap of limestone boulders, evidently of drift origin. They are the only stone of that character in that vicinity, measure from two to three feet in diameter, and are heaped one upon the other in a space about twelve feet square. They occupied the same place and position sixty or seventy years ago, and old residents say the heap existed in the same form when the ground was cleared. Indians who passed that way in early days regarded the stones with superstitious awe, stating, when questioned, that a people who lived there before the Indians brought the stones to the hilltop. Histdkv 111. •line City of Rociiestek. "On the shore of Lake Ontario, on a high bluff near Irondccjuoit ba}-, in 1796," sa\-s Oh\er Cul\-er, "tlie bank caved off and untombed a great quantity of human bones, of a large size. The arm and leg bones, upon comparison, were much larger than those of our own race."' The bluff mentioned by Mr, Culver was the seaward side of an elevated spot that might properly be termed a natural mound. It was one nf the outl)'ing range of sand hills or knolls, then existent along the shore of the lake in that locality, and long j'ears ago succumbed to the never-ceasing encroachment of the lake waters. Its location was immediately west of the angle formed b\' the present west line of Irondequoit bay and Lake Ontario; as late as 1830 human bones of an unusually large size were occasional!)- seen projecting from the face of the bluff, or I\'ing on the beach where the undermined soil had fallen. The tribe of Seneca Indians li\'ing in Irondequciit in 1796 could give no infirmation concerning these bones, stating their belief that they were the remains of a people who dwelt about the ba_\- bef ire the Indians came there. The town ol Irondequnit north nf the ridge was known as the "pine bar- rens" to the earh' settlers who cleared it of a heavy growth of pine trees, many of which stood upon the top of the bluff, and o\-er the ancient cemetery, sixty )'ears ago. The French hist(irians of 1 )eNonviIle's invasion of the Inilian tcnvns in this \icinity, in |6,S7, desci'ibe the country east of Irondecpioit b.iy at that date, as coxered with tall wunds sufficientlv open to allow the army to mai'ch in three columns. These fiets clearly show that if the land about Iron- de(|uciit ba_\' was once cle.uxd anil cultixatetl, as some infer, it was at quite an early perind, and b\- people known (.nly through tradition to the latter-day Indians. During his inxestigation of the aboriginal monuments of New Ytirk, in 184S, Mr, Squier visiteti se\-eral hieated within the bounds of Monroe count)', and spent considerable time in fruitless search for an ancient inclosure and mounds, which he had been informed existed at an early date in Irondequoit near the Genesee river. In his valuable work,'^ published soon after, he ex- pressed a hope that the discover)' of these monuments might reward the labors of a future explorer. Long and patient searches for the works mentioned by Mr Squier were made some years ago without success, and in 1879 the circum- stance was casually alluded to in the presence of the writer's aged mother, who, at once, located the mounds and gave an excellent description of their primitive appearance. In its course from the upper falls in Rochester to Lake Ontario the Gen- esee river flows in a deep, valley-like channel formed by ages of attrition. From the lower falls to within three-fourths of a mile of the lake, the east bank rises in a nearly perpendicular wall, varying from one hundred to two hun- /•/;,■//,.■ „,i,/ CUn-hain Pinr/iau; |i. 42S. Anliqi,ili,-s of Xc-,' York, \<. 5S. Evidences of the Mound-builders Near Rochester. 23 drcd and fift\- feet in hL-i.L;ht.' Ijmkcn at intervals b_\- tlic dcepl)- wnrn outlets of creeks and brooklets. At the northern limit of the city, half a mile below the lower falls, a great break occurs in the bluff, which curves inward, forming a crude semi -circle. Immense quantities of detritus have accumulated at the bottom, and slope up the face of the precipice, affording room for a narrow flat along the water, and opportunity for man to construct a roadway which winds in a serpentine course up the steep bank to the level land above. This is the only place on the east side of the river between the falls and lake where easy communication can be effected between the general surface of the land and the river bed. It constitutes a natural landing-place, and is practically the head of navigation from Lake Ontario. The western end of the lake ridge, at its sev- erance by the river, rests upon the top of the cliff directly above the landing. At the southern base of the ridge are the ice ponds of Messrs. Emerson and Brewer, fed b\- the waters of springs which rise a short distance east. The locality was formerly a grand camping-ground of the Indians, the last one of that fated race who set up his wigwam on the ridge, in 1S45, commem- orating the event by the murder of his squaw. It was undoubtedly one of the most noted points between Lake Erie and the Hudson river, and as well known to the people who preceded the Indians as to the latter. Erom its commanding situation overlooking the rix'cr in both directions, its nearness to the landing and trails which converged there, the adaptability of the soil for easy handling by the rude implements of the natives, and many other natural advantages of the neighborhood, it was the place preferable above all others upon which to erect burial mounds, and two of these, evidently of artificial origin, existed there when the first settlers made their homes near the lower falls. These mounds were about four feet high and twenty or twenty-five feet across the base. They occupied the most elevated portion of the ridge, and were situ- ated from seventy-five to one hundred feet east of the edge of the bluff, and about the same distance north of a?id parallel with the [jrescnt line of Brewer's pond. At the time Mr. Squier made his search the ground was, or had been, un- der cultivation and the mounds reduced to nearly the le\el of the natural ridge. When examined in 1879 no satisfactory conclusion could be reached regarding their manner of construction, though it was plainly observable in places that ' To the scientist the immediate vicinity of Rochester must ever present attractions unsurpassed by those of other localities. Especially is this true in the splendid facilities afforded the geologist to mi- nutely examine the works of nature, and pursue his favorite study within her very labor.atory, the deep, rock-cut channel of the (ienesee river. Tliis fact was well understood at an early day, and sketches illustr,-iting the escarpment of the lower Genesee adorn many standard works on geology. Dana's Miiitidi!, page 90, illustrates a section, four hundred feet in height, of the strata as exhibited along the Genesee, at the lower falls. This section has a world-wide fame as fairly illustrating the structure and arrangement of stratified rocks in their chionological order ; and no series of natural rocks Could be finer, as the transition from one stratum to another is quite abrupt, and, moreover, each may be traced for a long distance through the adjoining country. History hk tiif. C\\y oi- Rihtikstkr. sand, intermixed with cla)-, coveretl the oritjinal surface of the ground to the depth of a foot. Fragments of chipped flint, arrow-heads and stone knives were picl those discovered in the mounds of the ( )hio and Mississippi xalleys ha\e been found in \arious parts of the countr)'. Figure I is a greatly reduced representation of an article ol stone, evidently intended for a pipe, but unfinished, found near Mount Morris, in the Genesee valley, and sent to the New York state cabinet at Albany by Mr. Squier, who says: "It is composed of steatite or 'soap-stone,' and in shape corresponds generall}- with the pipes of stone found in the mounds of the Mississippi valley. One or two pipes of stone of very nearly the same shape have been found in the same vicinity, but in [loint of s_\-mmetr_\' or finish they are in no way comparable to those <.if the mounds."' The pipe taken from the riilge mound in Rochester is of the distinctively characteristic, or primitive fjrm'- peculiar to the Mountl-builders, antl is represented in figure 2. It is, or was originally, fi\'e and one-half inches long, tine and three-fourths wide, and one inch and seven-eighths from bottom of base to top of bowl. The lines are slightly irregular, but very perfect for a hand-made article. The material is steatite, very close grain and quite brittle. In color it is a deep, ' Aii/i,//ii/us o/.V,-:,' )W/.; p. IlS. - Aiuiait Monuments of the Mississippi ValLy, p. 227. ARClI.i<:OLOGICAL REMAINS. 25 rich brown, with bleiidinij patches of lighter shade, and every particle of the surface is so beautifully polished that it might easily be mistaken for marble. It was the only article of any description found with the human remains, tiiough other relics ma_\- ha\-c been unnoticed. Close questioning elicited the fact that ncarh- all the graves were near the south slope of the ridge, and from two to two and a half feet below the original surface, while the large bone, a humerus, was nearer the surface and perhaps more directly beneath the center of the west mound ; from which it may be inferred, though not definitely proven, that the mound was built over that particular bodv with which the pipe was buried, and the other bodies interred in the side of the mound at a subsequent period. The condition of the remains would seem to favor this view, the humerus being the onl}- remaining part of the bod)- to which it belonged, while several portions of slceletons from the other graves were, though \er\' much deca}'ed. quite fii'm in comparison; one skull (figure 3) being preservetl entire. Mr. Brewer presented this skull and pipe to Professor S A. Lattimore of the Uni- versity of Rochester, to whom we are indebted for their use. In March, 1882, a human skeleton of large proportions was unearthed near the former location of the east mound. The laborers, astonished at the great size of the bones, engaged in a discussion as to whether it was or was not the 26 History hf iiie City c_if Rochester. remains of a human bt.-int;, and, with true Hibernian method, broke the skele- ton into fra;j;iiiiUts to prove the ease. As prcviciusl}' stated, the nnly laiKhn;^ on the east side of the lower Gen- esee is at the base of the bluff upon wliicli tile ridtje mountis were situated, and is now known as Brewei''s JandiuL;. In their jinirne\- from the lower to the upper Genesee, the Indians usually made a portat;e arounil the falls of ]>iochester, carrying their canoes from this laiuling to near the mouth of Red creek, abo\'e the rapids in South Rochester, where the light crafts were again launched upon the river and fuuid a clear passage up the unubstructed chan- nel to Mount Morris. That wa-N the established mute (ine hundred years ago, but giiod and \alid reascjus induce ,i belief that the more ancient landing was at 1 laiif lid's, on the west bank' of the Genesee, about one-fourth of ,i niile be- low , or north cif Brewer's landing; and that the two places wei'e connecting [loints in a general highway extending east and west alcing the ridge. \W\- dence is not \v anting to prove that another grand road once e.xtentled westward from Hanford's kuKling, with diverging branches running to distant [joints. This road was not in use some miles west of the rix'er one hundred years ago, and that portion of it has probabl}- been aband(.)ned for two or three centu- ries; but, possessing a general knowledge of Indian methods the arcli.L-nlo- L;ist, the carK' history nf thcii' Imlian successors is im less a |iriililL-ni tn the historian, NearK' four centuries ha\e ehipseil since h'.iiroiH-ans came into |)ersonal intercourse with the latter, ami liaif a million of the race still exist u])on Ameiican soil, yet theii' oriL;in is Ijuiied in the liepths of a L;looin so ]irofounil that no man has c\-er tr.iced it to its source. The lenL;th of time our Iiulian predecessors ha\-e occupied this continent h.Ls iiLxir been ascertained, thouL;h it is un(iuestion.ibly a fact that they were not indiL;enous. The \vei;4ilt of evidence thu-. far fa\'C)rs the theory of Asiatic descent, hut in "the absence of wiitten, pictorial, or sculptural history it is impossible to trace clearU- the connection between wanderinL; sa\'aL;es ami their remote ancestry."' Centuries of nomadic and clim.itic ch.mL;es have etfectualU' obliterated direct proof of such connections, and ludrin mytholoj^y asserts the oriL;in ot man\' tribes ,is local to their habitation. The Senec.is .isci'ibe their origin to ,i ;_;reat hill at the he.ul ot Canandai;_;aia hike, but MorL^an ex])lains that "by this leL^end.iry invention they desiLined to (on\e\' ,ui impression ot the remoteness of the peiiod of their fu'st occujKition of New \'ork,"-' and present^ othei' tr.iditionaiy exitlences showiuL; the lower St. Lawrence' to ha\'e been the earliest known abode of the oriL;inal tamilies from which the Six Nations were clescemlecL These ancient people were of the I luron- lro(]uois stock. The_\' were ex[)elled from the lower St. Lawrence by the /\lL;onkins, to whom the)- had been subject, and miL;rated westward up that ii\ei'. I'.ntei'ing Lake ( )ntaiio tiny co.isted the south shore in search of a suit.ible place to locate. Historic. il accounts of this miLjration \ar_\'. Macau- ley states thns, y. 23; Cusic, Aiiciait Ilisloiy of lln- Six .\-.\li,ms, |i. i(). ■■ .Maouik-y\ Jlisloiy ,•/ h;-n< y„rk, xo\. 2, p. 1S4. Tkaditioxai. Origix ov the Indians. 29 were located upon the Seneca river, where for a time they dwelt together. At a subsequent day tliey divided into bands, and spread to found new villages. ' In his interesting work, Lcgcm/s, Customs ami Social Life of the Seneca Indians, Rev. Mr. Sanborn gives a legend still preserved in that nation, which makes all Indians the descendants of one family originally located where now are New York and Brooklyn. It describes the migrations and final location of tribes, in nearly the same manner as Cusic's account. The latter's quaint history appears to be the version from which several others were derived. In the Iroquois Book of Rites, Mr. Hale follows Cusic, who supposes a body of Iroquois concealed in a mountain near the Oswego falls. Upi.m their libera- tion by the "Holder of -the Heavens," they went around a niDuntain and followed the Mohawk and Hudson ri\ers to the (Xean. Some of the people continued southward, but the main conipan\', under the guidance ot the Holder of the Heavens, returned up the Hudson to the Mohawk river. Along this stream and the upper waters of the Hudson the first families made their abode. Their language was soon altered and they were named Te-haw- re-ho-geh — that is, "a speech divided" — now Mohawk.'-' The other families journeyed westward from the Mohawks, and, halting at various places, took up separate abodes. The Oneidas, near a creek, were termed Ne-haw-re- tah-go, or Big Tree people ; the Onondagas, on a mountain, were known as the Seuh-now-kah-tah, "carrying their name;" the Cayugas, near a long lake, were named Sho-nea-na-we-to-wah, "a great pipe; " the Senecas, near a high mountain south of Canandaigua lake, received the name Te-how- nea-nyo-hent, "possessing a door." The sixth family continued their journey toward the setting sun and touched the bank of the great lake Kan-ha-gwa-rah-ka ("a cap"), now Lake Erie. Turning southward they came to a great river, which Cusic designates the Mississippi, but which Hale shows to have been the Ohio; the people dis- covered a grape vine lying across the river and attempted to pass over the water on this rude bridge, which broke and left them divided. Those who were upon the further side of the river continued their way, and after long 1 League of the Iroquois, p. 6. 2 Hale says the Huron speech became the Iroquois tongue, in the form in which it is spol;en by the Mohawks. In Iroquois tradition, and in the constitution of their league, the Mohawk nation ranks as the eldest brother of the family. .A comparison of the dialects proves the tradition to be well founded. The Mohawk language approaches the nearest to the Huron, and is undoubtedly the source from which all other Iroquois dialects are derived. Mr. Hale refers to the Mohawks as the Caniengas. The latter designation is said to be derived from that of one of their ancient towns. This name is Kani- enke, "at the flint." Kamien, in their language, signifies flint, and the final syllable is the same locative particle which we find in Onontake, "at the mountain." In pronunciation and spelling, this, like other Indian words, is much varied, both by the natives themselves and by their white neighbors, becoming Kanieke, Kanyenke, Canyengeh and Canienga. (The latter form, which accords with tlie sister names of Onondaga and Cayuga, is adopted by the author in his Book of Rites, but it is not probable that the word will ever displace the familiar liistorical designation— Mohawk). 30 HlsniKV nv THE ClTV OF Ri >lll KSTKR. waiiderinc^ settled near the mouth of the Neuse river. They- were named Kaii-t()-nali. and are now kiinwn as Tiise.irnras. ' The speech of all the natiniis thus fcjrmed was altered, but not to an extent preventini;- them from an understanding; of one another's lanij'uaye. The l)co[)le left upon the near side of the ri\er were dispersed, and each fiimily soUL;ht resiliences acconlinL;- to their convenience.-' The various accounts of this dispersion are meaL;er, but it is believed that all nations and tribes of red men who occupied the countiy between Canandaij^ua lake and Lake Mrie, the Alleghan}- mo\mtains and Lake Ontario, were i}ffshoots of the Senecas; that the disperseil families in time yrew int(.i tribal communities and were known b\- \-arious names. Those who settled about the mountains to the south were called Ainlastes, Canesto-as, etc. Those who dwelt alony the shore of the lake were known as the i'".ries, and northeast of them were the Attiwan- daronks. I'hilolooists assert that the lauLjuaLjes of all these people, so far as can be ascei'tained, diftered but little from the Seneca tmigue; but it is certain that long anterior to the white man's intrusir)n on the soil of Western New York they had liecome nations distinct from the Seneca. Cusic and Sanborn agi-ee in the statement th.it the famous league of the Five Nations was formed at a period not long subseciueiit to the ilispersion, but in the loose chronology of the Indians' verbal history no definite idea of dates can be obtained. It is onl_\- b)- coniijarison with some contempt uary e\-ent recorded in the annals of ci\ilisation, that the time of the occurrence can be fixed. Morgan places the origin of the league in 1459, ' and this date is in accordance with deductions of later historians. The fountler of the le.t/,7//.r ,'/■ C ■,'/;.! migration, the great histiirian iif llie .Senecas informed Rev. Mr. Saiihorn that the people earried their eanoe.s from one stream, or body of water, to another. Indian Occupation of the Genesee Valley. 33 did, the original western boundary line of their territory, the river was well known to all the Iroquois nations. After the destruction of Gaosaehgaah by DeNonville, the Senecas occupied the Genesee valley, and in early colonial times their great town was near the confluence of the river and Canaseraga creek. At a subsequent period it was located near the present site of Cuyler- ville. One hundred years ago it bore the name of its chief, Little Beard. It was termed the Chinesee Castle, and in the old colonial records, of a date prior to Little Beard's occupation of the place, it is variously mentioned as Chen-us- sio, Chin-as-si-o, Chen-nu-assio, Chin es-se, Chin-os-sio, Chen-ne-se-co, Cien- is-hau, Gen-nis-he-yo, Gen-ish-a-u, Jen-nis-see-ho, Gen-ne-se-o, Gen-ne-see. The apparent discrepancy in the orthography of the word is easily explained when it is understood that e\ery tribe of the Six Nations conversed in its own dialect, and that each tribe in the same nation possessed peculiarities of speech not common in other tribes. All Indian names, either of persons or of places, are significant of some supposed quality, appearance, or local situation, in brief are descriptive, and the tribes denominated persons and places in conformit\- to such quality, etc., in their own dialects. The Indians had no permanent names for places, and before Little Beard's time the town was known only by its descriptive title of Gen-nis-he-o, the pro- nunciation of which was varied by the different tribes, according to the pecul- iarities of each dialect, yet all signifj'ing the same thing substantially — to-wit, Gcn-ish-a-u, "shining- clear-opening ; " Chen-ne-se-co, "pleasant-clear- open- ing;" Gen-ne-see, " clear- valley " or "pleasant-open-\-alle\- ;" Gen-nis-he-yo, "beautiful valley." This term was local and original])- applied only to that portion of the ri\er near Cu\-lerville then occupied b\- the Chen-nus-se-o In- dians, but owing to the large size of tiie town, and its important location, the name Genesee graduall\- displaced all others and became the general designa- tion of the entire ri\-er. Ga-hun-da is a common noun signif\-ing a "ri\-er" or "creek." The Iroquois usually affixed it to the proper name of a stream, as Gcn-is-he-yo Ga-hun-da or Genesee river. The native name of the lower Genesee first mentioned b}' earl\' writers is Casconchagon. According to Bruyas, a Jesuit missionary to the Five Nations, the literal meaning of the name by which the Mohawks and Onondagas dis- tinguished the Genesee ri\er is "at the fall," Gascons-age. It is derived from Gasco, "something alive in the ketde;" as if the waters were agitated b}- some living animal' The Seneca name is Gaskosago. Morgan renders the interpretation " Under the Falls," and in his table exhibiting the dialect- ical variations of the language of the Iroquois, as illustrated in their geo- graphical names, gives the inflective differences of the name, as pronounced by the Six Nations.^ 1 .V. V. Col. Mss., I.\., 1092. - League of the Iroquois, p. 394. 34 HiSTDRV <)V 'IIIK CnV (iK RorilKSTER. In the Jesuit Ki/atioiis for 166J-3, Father Lallemant says that in the month i>i" April (l663') eiyht humhed Iroquois warriors proceeded from the western end (if Lake Ont.irio to a fine ri\er resembhuLJ the St. Lawrence, but free from fills antl rapids, which they descended one hundred leaj^ues to the principal y\ndastot,nie village, which was found to be stron-iy fortified, and tile ao.^r,xssors were repulsed. In a note, embod\-iny the above statement, on patje :-,■/ of litirly C/ia/^tcTs of Cii_vii,i;ii His/on\ by Charles Ilawley, IJ. U., (ieneial John S. Clark says: "This route appears to liave been throut;h the Genesee ri\-er, to CanaseraL;a creek, thence up that stream and i)y a short portage to Canisteo ri\er, and thence down the Canistco, L'hemung and Sus- (|ue]ianna ri\'ers to the fort. This route is indicated on the e.iriier maps, as one Continuous ri\er, flowing horn Lake ( )ntario." In the map [irepared b_\- General Claik, for Re\'. Dr. llawle_\-'s work, the route pursued b_\' the expedition is represented as extending from the head ot Irondequoit bay southwesterly to the (jcuesee ri\er, and doubtless h.ul refer- ence to the porlage trail (described in chapter VL) between Irondequoit lamhng ,uid Red creek ford. Though the route by the lower Genesee and around the fills, on the present site of Rochester, u as scx'eral miles less than b\- the Iroii- de(luoit poitage, the Ir(.)piied equall)- to river and bay, as though ha\iiig reference to one locality, but the former appears to ha\e been least known, and it is quite certain that, to all the vast coimtr)' of the Senecas, Irondequoit ba\' was the northern outRt. Its geographical position on the southern shore of Lake C)ntario, mitlway between Chouaguen (Oswego) and Niagara, reiulered it the most convenient and important place, in a militar}' view, in the Genesee country. It was the objective point of all expeditions, peaceful or warlike, ti> and from the Senecas, and from its head- waters trails ran to e\er_\- jiart of the Iroipiois territory, connecting with others to all parts of the continent. ITom the shadow of grim okl woods near its shores and dense thickets of mattetl \-ines concealing its numerous dells, the glittering e\'es of savage sen- tinels kept watch o'er the blue expanse i.if ( )ntario for expected friends and foes. Under its pine-mantled clifls the Indian chieftains rendezvoused their na\'ies of birchen bark, ami reckoned their numbers on belts of wampum. Around its borders echoed the "shrill yell of barbariiin hordes," and the deep thunder ot the pale-faces' cannon. I'alisailed fortifications of red and white men ha\e guarded the narrow passages at either extremity of the bay, and lR()XiiE(jL'()iT Bay. 35 fleets of both races battled on the lake within sliot of its entrance. Great armies of savage and civilised nations have occupied its broad sand-beach, sought refuge within its sheltering headlands and marched their serried columns o\er its tabled elevations. Ever\- point and nook about the grand old ba\' has its thrilling history; yet few among the thousands who daily roam the shady groves of Irondequoit in summer, gaining health ami strength in every draught of the pure lake breeze, know aught of the stirring events of b)--gone days enacted on these \'er_\- grounds. The first mention of Irondequoit ba>-, found in the Docunicuts Rclatiu}; to the Colonial History of New York, is that of Rew Jean de Lamberville, a Jesuit missionar)' to the Five Nations, in a letter written at or near Oncjndaga, Jul_\- 13th, 1684, to M. de la Harre, goxeriKir i>f Canada. Therein the reverend father refers to an expected visit of the French official to Kan-ia-tare-on-ta- quoat. The name, as thus given by De Lamberville, is from the Iroquois, or IMohawk, dialect, and signifies, literall}', "an opening into, or from, a lake;" an inlet or bay, from Kaniatare, "a lake," and hontontogonan, "to open."' Mar- shall sa)^s the Seneca name is O-nyiu-da-on-da-gwat, "it turns out or goes aside."- Like all Indian names of places, it is descripti\'e, anti refers to the prominent, or peculiar feature of the locality to which it is applied, and the fact that the south shore of Ontario is indented witli sexeral large ba\'s which must have been equally well known to the nati\'es indicates the superior importance of Irondequoit in their estimation, as the bay of all. F\-idence of this is found in earl_\- maps of the Lake Ontario region. The earliest known map of this part of the countr)' was published in 1632, b\- Champlain. The great explorer places a large bay on the south shore of Lake Ontario in the exact location of Irondequoit, but omits the name. The Jesuits' ma[), published in 1664. re[)resents Irondequ()it ba\- and spells it " Andiatarontaouat. ' Vangondy's map, published in Paris in 1773. renders it "Ganientaoaguat. " Upon the great map of Franquelin, hydrographer to the king, at Quebec, "drawn in 16S8, b\- order of the go\ernor and intendant of New France, from sixteen years' observations of the author," Irondequoit bay appears as " Gan-ni-a-tare-on-toquat," differing slightly in orthography, yet identical with the name mentioned by De Lamberville a few years before. A conclusive proof of the great importance of this bay in the view of past generations is found in the fact that it still bears the native name b)- which it was distinguished at the advent of the whites, over two and a half centuries ago. The dissimilarity of tribal pronunciation, and orthographic variations are illustrated in the following list collated from man\- sources: Kan-ia-tare-on-to- guoat, Ganni-a-tare-on-to-guoat, Can ia-ter-un-de-quat, Adia-run-da-quat, Onia-da-ron-da-quat, On-gui-da-onda quoat, Eu-taun-tu-quet, Neo-da-on- 1 a; Y. Col. Mss., IX., 261. ^ VeA'onville^s Expedilioii, liy < >. H. .\L-irsli.nll, in Coll,rl:ons of Xi'u> York Historual Soiicly, part second, p. 1 76. 2,6 History of the City ok Rochester. da-qiiat, Tjcr-on-da-quat, The-nc-ou-dc-quat, Tie-run-de-qiiat, Tlie-ron-de- qu' it. Tic-n m-ijc-ciuat. TIl-- ruii-tc-quct, Tis-o-rdii-dc-quat, Ty-ri m-tlc-qiint, 'riL-nind-(iuit, ( )-n)n-(_lii-k()tt, Run-di-cutt, Gc-ruii-dc-yutt, Jc-run-do-kat, lc-r(in-dL-(]uct, Jc-rf.ni-dc-quatc, jcmn-dc-kat, Jar-ion-tli-i^at, Oron-tlut iJ'J^—'J — but Mississauges. The tribe is niiw settled nn Rice Like, in Canad.i, and as late as 1853-4 ])arties crossed Lake ()ntaiiii in caimes tn lish and hunt at In aidequi lit baw Doctor Peter Crow aiul nther nati\e Missies, luges still \ isit their white friends at Ironde- qtioit. rile name Teoroiito was acce]3tetl b}' Rngiish writers, ami is occasion- all)- rex'ived in foreign guide bnoks. Marshall tells us that the wurd is not .Seneca but Mnliawk. ,ind its true significatimi "a place where there is .1 jam of fliiodw.Mid."- CHAPTI'Ti \T. local Tiails of the { Ilik-sll- — Indian Fords. To« n^ and Foriifications — Ruilci \ Kanyers — 1 dian Sin-inL; — .S.ia-ifice of the- WhiiL' D.i-— Flint i.inai.y — Sij.ili-sa.is.tliah — I'oi-l.agc TraiK ■ linndi-,|iioit l.andini; — I'Ir- I'orifs- Ketrral — Indian Salt Siicin.^s — .Ancient Mounds. u JU\IA-1 the march uf civilisatimi had .uh-anced be)-ond the Genesee to the north and west, the hunting-grounds of the Senecas were still in their j)riniiti\'e state, and the cycle of a century is not yet complete since the white man came into actual possession of the Liiid and became acquainted with its topographical features. To the pale-faced aihenturer of the se\-eiiteentli cent- ury to whom all this vast territory was an unexplored blank, viewing the land I old settlers on Iron.le.|uoit liay. ,\nios Knan]). is.aac Drake and others, inform me that they knew the Webster Iniiians well, and the latter possessed neither knowledge nor tradition resjiectini; the ancient name and history of the liay. ^'O. II. Marshall, in CV//,',y/,w.( <;/ '.Y F. //,s/. .SWtr/y, part second, p. 176. Local Trails of the Genesee. t,j from his birchen canoe on Lake Ontario, the bays, rivers and larger creeks pre- sented the only feasible routes by which it could be entered and traversed, yet, once within its borders, the hardy explorer found the country marked by an intricate net-work of foot paths which spread in ever)- direction. These dark wood lanes unknown to civilised man, their soil heretofore pressed only by the feet of Indians and wild beasts, will ever be known in history as the " trails of the Genesee." They were the highways and by-ways of the native inhabitants, the channels of communication between nations, tribes and scattering towns, in which there was a never-ceasing ebb and flow of humanity. The origin of these trails and the selection of the routes pursued were nat- ural results of the every-day necessities and inclinations of the nomadic race first inhabiting the land, and time had gradually fashioned the var_\-ing interests of successive generations into a crude system of general thoroughfares to which all minor routes led. To find the beginning and end of these grand trails one might tra\'erse the continent in a fruitless search, for, like the broader roads of the present white population, man)- of wliich follow the cild trail courses, the beaten paths extended from ocean to ocean, from the southern point of Pata- gonia to the country of the Eskimos, where they were lost in the ever- shifting mantle of snow covering the land of ice — and the trails of the Genesee were but a local division of the mighty complication. In general appearance these roads did not differ in any particular from the ordinary woods or meadow path of the present day. They were narrow and winding, but usually connected the objective points by as direct a course as natural obstacles would permit. In the general course of a trail three points were carefully considered — first, seclusion ; second, directness, and, third, a dry path. The trail beaten was seldom over fifteen inches broad, passing to the right or left of trees or other obstacles, around swamps and occasionally over the apex of elevations, though it generally ran a little one side of the ex- treme top, especially in exposed situations. Avoiding open places save in the immediate neighborhood of towns and camps, it was universally shaded by for- est trees. A somber silence, now and then interrupted b\' the notes of birds or the howling of beasts, reigned along these paths. ' Fallen trees and logs were never removed, the trail was either continued over or took a turn around them. The Indians built no bridges, small streams were forded or crossed on logs, while rivers and lakes were ferried on rafts or in canoes. The main trail of the Iroquois extended from Hudson, on the Hudson river below Albany, westwardly to Buffalo, crossing the Genesee at Cannawaugus — now Avon. From Canandaigua lake a branch ran northwest to the head of Irondequoit bay, then to the Genesee falls, and along the lake ridge to the Ni- agara river at Lewiston. This was the grand line of communication between the Five Nations, and the ultimate destination of every other trail in the pres- 1 Macauley, vol, II., p. 219. 38 IIisTdRV III' iiii-; Ci r\' hf Rochester. cut state of New York. Alont; its silent course the swiftest runners of the Iro- ([unis bore their messages of peace or war witli a speed and plix'sical endurance iiicredihle, Morgan .says: — "Whenever the sachems of n nation desired to [ANTIC LeCEND. 41 and the \'ievv down the river and over the water, some two hundred feet below, \cr)- pleasing. A great fortification once stood on tliis ridge, but when or by whom constructed histor_\' tells not. Over a century ago it was a mere heap of ruins. Squier says it consisted of a semi-circular embankment, the ends of which reached the very edge of the immense ravine, and had three narrow gate-ways placed at irregular interwils.' Ever_\- part of the embankment was obliterated long _\-ears ago, but its lines have been inferred b_\- the quantities of relics found within certain sharply tlefined limits. It is a singular fact that no cemeter_\' has been disco\-ered in the \icinit_v of this place, the nearest burial- ground of the aborigines west of the (ienesee, known to the writer, being some two miles distant. There is a legend eonnectetl with some cliff near tlie lower falls of the Gen- esee river, and this ma_\', possiblv', be the spot. Stripped of the fanciful language in which the mythical narratives of the red man are usually clothed, it is a simple pathetic tale. 'Tis said that a pale-faced wanderer paddled up the ri\er one summer's da\', long years ago. He came alone directl}- to an In.dian camp on the ri\er side, and remained with the tribe. In time his nati\-e countr)- and his people were forgotten in the happiness of loxing, antl being loved b}', a beautiful forest maiden. The\' were married in the Indian fashion, and the days passed awa)- like moments in their lodge "near the singing cataract." One day a strange canoe, filled with white men, came Lip the Genesee in search of the pale-faced wanderer, who proved to be an e.xiied chieftain (nobleman) of France. His friends came to carry him back to honor and fortime, but his heart was in the wildwoods and he refused to go. Then they sought to com- ])el him, but, clasping his Indian wife in his arms, the e.xile rushed to the brink of a great cliff where the rock rose straight up above the water, and, spring- ing far out over the precipice, the two were crushetl and mangled on the rocks below. Tradition has failed to preserve the names of the white brave and his dusky britle, or identif\' tlie place of their death. The brief description of locality answers equal!)- well to the bluff opposite the (jlen House, or this dell at Hanford's landing. From the top of the clifl' within the limits of the old fort a stone can be cast to the water's edge at Hanford's landing below. From the landing a path ran along the water at the base of the bluff, up the river to the lower falls. .'\t the spot now called Buell's landing, directly opposite Brewer's landing, a path led up the face of the jutting rocks, reaching the table land in the vicinity of the flint quarry, and natives crossing the river often climbed this steep path in preference to the longer route b\- the lower laiuling. The first white settlers in this vicinit)- (Gideon King and others) widened a path leading up the great sloping bank from the old Indian landing north, to a wagon road. In 1798 Fli Granger laid the keel of the Jemima, a schooner of forty tons and the first ' Aboriginal Moniimenls of Xew York, p. 58. History of tiik City of Rochester. AniLM-ican vessel built tin the Genesee (some sa\- the first built near Lake On- tarin), at the fiieitof this roail ; the lanilin;^, then c.illed Kind's, now llanfurd's, heeanie tile lake port, and there the steamer Ontario first touehed the river bank when she commenced her trips in iSlJ. h'rom the laiidinL; a seconil path rurxetl up the little promontory on the north side of the dell, anil extended around the edt^e of the cliff to the old fort. From that place it ran up the creek to the main or RidL;e tiail, which it cr- foot of the L;round from the feeder dam to Red creek, b_\- the earl\- settlers. In their anxietx' to distance Sulli\an's soldiers, Butler's men rid themselves of e\er_\-thinLj possible at this ford. Ammunition and arms were buried in the ground near the springs and concealed in hollow trees in the \icinit\'. In 1 8 16 Mr. Houghton found ninet_\--six pounds of bullets in the bottom of lied : "Stiaight as the arnjw flies, riuis the carrying- path." j\ \'erihcation of this assertion may be f )und on an_\' map of Monroe county shdwing the fillowing jxiints : Mnunt Mope a\enue and Clarissa street, South a\-enue and (jrantl street, I^ast a\enue and the Cuher road and the land- ing on Irondequoit creek. A line extending from the first to the last would ])ass in as nearl_\- a direct course through the intermediate points as the original firm of the ground wnuld atlmit. I'^rom Snuth avenue to East avenue the trail ran over a section ol low gi-nund which extended southw.u'd to the base of the Pinnacle range of hills, s Knapp. The mounds were fimn t\\ent\' to thirty-fne feet east nf north ot the present wooden " ob- ser\-ator\'." Squier says they were small, the largest nut exceeding fi\'e feet in height. Lqion e-\c,i\ation he fiund they had been prex'iousK' tlisturbeil, ami his examination I'esulted in the discm-cry ut a few fragments of bone, char- coal, potter}- cUid arrow-heads.^ (. )ld settlers inform me th.it W'm. H. I'enfield opened these mountls about I Si 7. He obt, lined m.ui_\- cui'ious things, in- cluding sword scabbard-bands of siKer, belt buckles, belt and hat ornaments and other articles of niilitar\- dress l)irectly east eif these mounds is a deep gullw now crossetl by two rustic bridges. The Indian canoe Landing was at the mouth of this gullw where a fine spring furnisheil giioil water. A trail came up the hill from the sand-bar west of the mounds along the edge of the gully to its beginning. A few rods east of this point was a burial-place where Indian remains are still found. The gully or landing tr.iil united with the other, ran southwest to the riilge in the \'icinity of the Forest House, and due south to the west end of the float- liridge ixiad, where it joined the trail already described, leading to the camping-ground on Judge Kelley's farm and onward through the Allen's creek "defile" to the I'ittsford road. This was the main trail, west of the ba\-, from Lake Ontario to Irondequoit landing, Vict. 57. Early F"rench Missions. 47 back into a great valley. It is a secluded localit)-, immense forest trees still standing about the shore, but was once frequented by the native inhabitants. A brawling stream curves through the valley bottom and enters the little bay, which has become nearly impassable by the growth of rushes. A trail ex- tended the whole length of the valley and the old path is yet quite distinct in places. It followed the original upward course of the stream to the north end of Culver street. A trail left the creek at the head of the valley and ran south across the float-bridge road some two miles to the Irondcquoit creek landing and Genesee falls trail, which it crossed near the old Thomas road, and contin- ued up the bank of a creek to the portage trail at Oliver Culver's old home- stead on East avenue. Numberless side paths connected these principal trails at intervals, and threaded the forest in every direction to springs, deer-licks, and other places of interest to the native inhabitants. Other trails will be mentioned in their proper connections, but many interesting facts are omitted, enough having already been presented to prove that a numerous population occupied the territory of the lower Genesee long before the white man came upon its soil. CHAPTER VII. Early French Missions — Tsonnontouan — The Jesuit's I'^scape — La Salle at Irondequoit — Struggle between the French and English for Possession of the Lower Genesee Country. THOUGH the Eranciscan Le Caron is supposed to have passed through the Iroquois (Mohawk) country about 16 16, coiirciifs dcs Iwis are known to have traded with tribes on the south shore of Ontario before De la Roche Dallion passed the winter of 1626-7 with the Neuters, the whites possessed no definite knowledge of Western New York or the water connections of Lake Ontario with the west, until 1640, when Brebeuf's mission to the Neuters per- fected their knowledge of the Niagara river and Lake Erie. "Could we but gain the mastery of the shore of Ontario on the side nearest the abode of the Iroquois," the Jesuits said, "we could ascend by the St. Lawrence without dan- ger, and pass free beyond Niagara, with a great saving of time and pains." To accomplish this end the French bent all their energies. In the canoes of the traders, ofttimes preceding them, went the brave priests to plant the standard of the Roman church and extend the dominion of France, in the wilds of Western New York. With varying success they advanced from Onondaga westward until, in 1657, Chaumont preached the faith in the towns of the Sen- ecas, but in two short years war between the French and Iroquois again drove 4' KlacUsmith, the principal chief of the .Senecas. He said the whole Tillage was supplied by one spring, which issued from the side of a hill. To procure water more conveniently the Indians made troughs or conductors of bass- wood bark, w hich, when stripped from the tree, curls readily into the proper shape, and with these they conducted the water to a point where it could be caught in their vessels. The fact that this was the only spring in the vicinity gave prominence to the use of the basswood bark, and hence, according to the Indian custom, arose the name Ca-o-sa-eh-ga-aah, or "the basswood bark lies there." — L). H. Marshall, in DeNonvillc's Expedition, p. 159. La Sai.le at Irondequoit. 49 savages. They remained with the Senecas one month, and faiHng to accom- plish their purpose departed westward along the shore of Lake Ontario. Dur- ing tlie following two years La Salle was upon the soil of We.stern New York many times, and undoubtedly explored every foot of the Genesee river from its mouth to Portage, in his efforts to discover the route to the Ohio and Mis- sissippi. That he visited Irondequoit ba\- on several occasions is well known. With their first faint knowledge of the interior of New York and the great lake region, the whites keenly appreciated the sagacit)' of the red men in their selection of Irondec]uoit bay as the general landing-place of the Senecas and harbor of the league, and recognised the important bearing its possession would have upon the steadily increasing interests of trade and future civilisation. With the h'rench on the north, and the luiglish and Dutch on the south and east, to all of whom the great lakes and streams presented the only practicable channels of communication with the west, the Iroquois countr)' became the center of conflicting interests, and, simultaneously with the supremacy of the Knglish in Eastern New York, came the struggle between that nation and the French for possession of the great lake region and control of the Indian trade. Niagara was the key to the western lakes, and Oswego and Irondequoit the ports through which all the costly loads of Indian goods and rich cargoes of furs must naturally pass to the west and east ; for, though the French held possession of the St. Lawrence and had free access to Ontario, the journc)' thither was long and perilous, and Indian goods could be purchased in Albain- and transported to Montreal at a less rate than the)- could be imported direct to that place from France,' while the trails of the Irocjuois, which could be traveled from Alban\- to Irondequoit on horseback, and the waterct)urses of the interior of New York presented shorter, safer and more profitable routes for unrestricted traffic ; hence the desire e-tiuctiis,07'i-iy of l/u- Grait IVcst, hy Francis I'arUman ; Historical sketches in the Victor Herald, liy J. \V. \'an Denhurgh. and the writer's privale journal. '-Kinestoii. DeNonvili.e's EM'EDITIOX. 51 tired and thirty miiitia, over one liundred coionial scouts and four liundred In- dians. Of tliis force M. de Callieres was commander-in-chief, under the orders of the Marquis DeNonville, Chevalier de Vaudreuil, commander of the regu- lars, and General Sieur Duguay (Du Gue) commandant of the militia. The troops were formed into eight platoons of two hundred men each, the regulars under Captains D'Orvilliers, St. Cirg, de Troyes and Vallerennes, the militia under Captains Berthier, la Valter)-e, Grand\-ille and Longueil Le Moynes. In the order of march a battalion of regulars succeded one of militia, alter- nately. Six bateau.x were assigned to each compan\', each boat carr_\-ing ei'dit men, baggage and provisions, each captain having charge of t\\ent_\--f()in- ba- teau.x. The Indians served as guides and scouts and marched without order. The army arrivetl at Cataracouy Jul\- ist, after a terribly laborious voyage up the rapids of the St. Lawrence, and engaged in preparations for the contem- plated expedition. Two of the little vessels were loaded with supplies, and two large bateaux furnished with cannon and long guns to cover the troops while landing. The third vessel was sent to Niagara laden with provisions and ammunition for a party under Sieurs de Tonty, de la Durantaye and du Lhu (Du Luth), who had received instructions the previous summer to collect all the French, and Indian allies from the western woods, for this expedition. Or- ders were also forwarded by messenger for the reinforcements to meet Gover- nor DeNonville at Irondequoit bay on a certain date. Notwithstanding the warlike preparations of the French, which drew an official remonstrance from Governor Dongan of New York and e.xcited the alarm of the Fi\-e Nations, DeNon\'ille stoutl}' declared his pacific intentions, and, under a pretense of holding a great council for the ratification of peace, induced the Jesuit missionaries to decoy to Canada a number of Iroquois. Upon their arrival at Cataracouy these people were made prisoners and fifty of the men, including several sachems and chiefs, sent to Montreal, in company with certain other Indians who had been captured while fishing on the river during the upward voyage of the French army. By order of Ins most Chris- tian Majesty, the king, these proud zvarriors were shipped to Franee as slaves for the royal galleys. When news of DeNonville's infamous act reached the Onondagas, "among whom F'ather Lambcrville was then residing as a mis- sionary," says Marshall, " the chiefs immediately assembled in council and send- ing for the father related the above transaction with all the energy which a just indignation could arouse, and, while he expected to feel the full eftects of the rage which he saw depicted in e\er_\- countenance, one of the old men unex- pectedly addressed to him the following remarkable language, as related by Lamberville himself: — " It cannot be denied," says he, '■ that many reasons authorise us to treat you as an enemy, but we have no inclination to do so. We know you too well not to be persuaded that your heart has taken no part in the treachery of which you have been the instru- ment, and we are not so unjust as to punish you for a crime of which we believe you 52 History ok the City ok Rochester. iiinf)cent. wliich vou undouhteilly detest as mucli as we do, and for having been the in- strument iif which wc are satislieil you are now deeply i,M-ie\ed. It is not [irojier, how- e\er, that \ciu should remain here. All will not, jierhaps, render you the justice w!ii( h we accord, and when once our youni; men shall ]ia\e suiil; their war sont^, the)' will look upon )-ou only as a traitor, who has delivered over our chiefs to a cruel and igiiohle slavery. They will listen onl\ to their own rage, from which we will then be unable to sa\e you." Having said this, they obliged him to leave immediately, and furni.shed guides to < onduct him b\- a safe route, who did not leave him until he was out of danger. July 4th the uniiy cnibaiked at daybreak, and crnssino; the lower end of Lake Ontario coasted the smith shore westward. .So ;ulmirably were the plans of DeNonvillc arraiiocd and executed that, thoiiL;h aware of the inipeiulini; blow, the Iro(]iiois knew not in what quarter it would strike, and hence could adopt no ;general measure of clefense. The little barque that had been dispatcheel to Niagara met the army near Sodus bay Jidy yth with news of the reinforce- ments, anel then returniiiL; westward hovered about the mouth of Ironde- (.luoit ba\'. Irocpiois scouts stationed there immetliately reported the presence of the vessel, and the Seneca sachems sent warriors to the lake. Posting thcm- seh'es in the wnoels at the' west i:n^\ of the samJ-bar, near the present location of the Sea Hreeze, the)' were surpi'ised and iiearl)- cut oft' by Indians of IJe- Nonville's Niagara part)' who came elow 11 the lake shore on foot, the main botly being in canoes. This part)' consisted of one lumilred and sevent)' French lOinriirs ihs /'oi's. and three hundred western Indians of all nations, enemies of the Iro(|uois. They arrixed at the month of Irondeqiioit July lOth, at the same moment with the ami)' under 1 )eNon\'ille, "by reason of which," re- marked Haron La Hontan, "our savage allies, who draw predictions from the merest trifles, foretold, with their usual superstition, that so punctual a meeting infallibly iinlicated the total destruction of tlie Iroquois." "The first thing with W'hich I occupied m\'self on my arrival," writes the P'reiich go\'ernor, " was to select a post eas\' to be fortified for securing our bateau.x, to the num- ber of two hundred, and as man\' canoes. Jul)' 1 ith was spent in construct- ing palisades, fascines and pickets, for securing the dike that separates the lake from the niarsh, in which we had placed our bateaux." On their vo)'age to Niagara Durantav'e's forces had captured and pillaged two parties of English traders, bouiul to the west under the guidance of a young Canadian named La I-'ontaine Marion. Baron La Hontan mentions him as an unfortunate young man who became actjuainted with the country and savages of Canada b)- the numerous voyages he made over the continent. After rendering his king good service Marion asked permission of several of the governors-general to continue his travels in further prosecution of his pett)' traffic, but could never obtain it. As peace existed between the two crowns, he determined to go to New luigland, where he was well received on account of his enterprise anel knowledge of Indian languages. He was engaged to pilot two companies of I'higlish through the hikes to the west, and it was those DeNoNVILI.E'S I'lXI'KDITIoN. 53 peaceful traders upon whom Durantaye had laid violent hands and brought them captive to Irondequoit. DcNonville had previously sought and received the sanction of the king to treat all F"renchmen found in the service of the English as deserters. While the sixty Englishmen were sent to Montreal and subsequently released, Marion was adjudged a traitor and his doom pronounced. The morning following the arrival of the army at Irondequoit the sentence of death was imposed. On the calm surface of the lake rode the French navy of three small sail. Covering the broad sand-beach were o\erturned boats and canoes, on the elevated part of the sand-bar stood the half- finished fort of pickets surrounded b)- the arm\- tents and equipage. "Never," saj-s an eye-witness, "had Canada seen, antl never perhaps will it see, a similar spec- tacle. A camp composed of one-fourth regular troops with the general's suite ; one-fourth habitants in four battalions, with the gentry of the country; one- fourth Christian Indians, and finalh' a crowil of all the barbarous nations, naked, tattooed, and painted over the bod)- ^vith all sorts of figures, wearing horns on their heads, queues down their backs, armed with arrows." For a moment there is a profound hush in camp. All eyes are turned to an open square in the center • — ■ a file of soldiers facing the lake and a poor wretcii standing alone at the water's edge casting a last despairing glance at the wild scene about him. ' Then a sharp command is given, a loud report follows, and France has sacrificed another victim to her cruel policy in the form of humble Marion. The fort, requiring some two thousand palisades in its construction, was completed during the forenoon of July i 3th. For its defense and the protec- tion of the boats and stores, DeNonville detached four hundred and fort\' men under command of D'Orvilliers.' At three o'clock in the afternoon the army commenced its march upon the Seneca towns in the interior. The advance guard consisted of three hundred Christian Indians under guidance of an Iro- quois afterward known as the grandfather of Brandt, with the western Indians on the left, supported by three companies of courciirs dcs bois, one hundred Ottawas, three hundred Sioux, one hundred Illinois and fifty Hurons. Then I This palLsade fortification was built on the sand-bar, at the mouth of Irondequoit bay, about eighty rods from its eastern end. The bar, which is only a narrow sand ridge to the west, is some thirty rods wide at this point, and at the advent of the first white settlers was from fifteen to twenty feet high in places. Several small mounds were scattered over the ground, and many graves were discovered, one marked by a tablet of iron bearing an inscription in some unknown language, which is said to have been neither Spanish, Dutch nor French. During the construction of the Rome, Walertown & Og- densburg railroad, which crosses the bay on this sand-bar, several button-wood trees, each from twelve to eighteen inches in diameter, were removed. Under some of these were found iron bullets, parts of gun-barrels completely oxidised, iron and stone tomahawks, flint arrow-heads, etc. In 1880 the writer discovered several stone relics and portions of two human skeletons under the roots of a tree then standing on the edge of an excavation near the railroad. The channel connecting the waters of the bay with those of the lake has changed its location three several times within the memory of persons now living; shifting from the extreme eastern end of the bar to the western end, back two-thirds of the distance to the eastern shore of the bay, and finally to its present location in the center of the bar. 54 lllSldin ()!• IIIK L'll\ III' Re irilKSTKR. followed the regulars and militia, with the rear guard of savages and wood- rangci's. Ascending the bluff at the end of the sand-bar and following a well-beaten trail, the army retiiiiied to the south among lofty trees sufficiently open t,ii|i|iom-c1 lo have l)eeii alcoul two iicile-, --oiitheast of East .\von, al llie souixe of a Miiall stream which emiilie^ into the C'oneMis. near .\von springs. It w,as called l>vu-cl()-ii.sot, liy the Senecas. from its location "at the spring." ToTiAKTON — Its Anciext and Modern History. 57 this village that we found the arms of England, which Sieur Dongan, governor of New York, had caused to be placed there contrary to all right and reason, in the year 1684, having antedated the arms as of the year 1683, although it is beyond (|uestion that we first discovered and took possession of that country, and for twenty consecutive years have had Fathers Fremin, Gamier, etc., as stationary missionaries in all these villages. On the 22d we returned to Totiakton, to continue there the devastation already com- menced. On the 23d we sent a large detachment of almost the entire army to complete the destruction of all the corn still standing in the distant woods. About seven o'clock in the morning seven Illinois, coming alone from their country to war against the Iroquois, arrived at the camp as naked as worms, bow in hand, to the great joy of those whom Sieur de Tont\- had brought to us. .\bout noon of the same day we finished the destruction of the Indian corn. We had the curiosity to estimate the whole quantity, green as well as ripe, which we had destroyed in the four Seneca vil- lages, and found that it would amount to 350,000 minots of green, and 50,000 of old corn [1,200,000 bushels]. We can infer from this the multitude of people in these four villages, and the great suffering they will experience from this devastation. " Having nothing more to effect in that country, we left our camp in the afternoon of the same day to rejoin our bateaux. We advanced only two leagues. On our way a Huron surprised a Seneca who appeared to be watching our movements. He was killed on the spot because he refused to follow us. On the 24th of July we reached our bateaux after marching six leagues. We halted there on the next day, the 25th, in order to make arrangements for leaving on the 26th, after having destroyed the redoubt we had built. We dispatched the barque for Cataracouy, which we had found with the other two at Ganniatarontagouat, to advise the intendant of the result of our expe- dition, and by that opportunity sent back those of our camp who were suffering the most from sickness. On the 26th we set out for Niagara, resolved to occupy that post as a retreat for all our Indian allies, and thus afford them rhe means of continuing, in small detachments, the war against the enemy whom they have not been able to harass hitherto, being too distant from them and having no place to retire to." CHAPTER IX. Totiakton — Its Ancient and Moilern History — DeXonville's Return Route to the -Sand-Har. THE history of Totiakton is a matter of local interest, and the positive iden- tification of its former site will explain to many inquiring minds the "mys- tcr\" regarding the numberless antiquities discovered in its neighborhood. In 1677 Wentworth Greenhalgh made a journey from Albany to the Indians west- ward, lasting from May 27th to Jiil\- 14th. In his Observations {Col. Mss., III., p. 252) Mr. Greenhalgh says: — "Tiotehatton lyes on the brinke or edge of a hill, has not much cleared ground, is neare the river Tiotehatton, which signifies 'bending;' itt lyes to westward of Canagorah about thirty miles, contains about one hundred and twenty houses, being ye largest of 58 History of the City of Rochestkr. all ye houst-s wee saw, ve ordinary being alinut fifty or sixty feet and some one hundred and thirty or one himdrcd and forty foott long, with thirteen or fourteen fires in one house, tliev have a good store of coriie growing aliout a mile to ye northward of the towne. lieing att this place the 17th of June, there came fifty ])ris(>ners from the south- west-ward, thev were of two nations some whereof have few gunns, ye other none at all; one nation is about ten da\s jmn-ney from any Christians aiid trade only with one greatt house nott farre from \e sea, and ye other trade only, as they say, with a black people ; this day of them was burnt tud women and a man, and a chilil killed with a stone, att night we heard a greatt no\'se, as if \'e houses had all fdlen, butt itt was f)nlv ve 1 I'l.liaktc.n ;. ^. 2 Cemeteries. ^, i, , niuffs. 4 P.-ilis.i(iL-d l-V.rt. 5 Spring. 6. 6, 6 H(.nei>ve Ouile Sl.cU.,n. 8 J. Kussell. g SheWun\ PLiin, 10 SiWeyville 1 1 H.meoye Falls. 12 Line between Miiidun and -)K 101 I.\K I I ,\NIi VII IM I V. inabitants driving away ye ghosts of ye murthered. The i8th, goeing to Canagorah, wee overtook ye prisoners ; when ye soldiers saw us the\- stopped each his prisoner and made him sing, and cutt off their fingers, and slasiit their bodvs with a knife, and when they had sung each man confessed how many men in his time he had killed." Location of Totiaktox. 59 Totiakton was distant from Gannagora just eleven miles in a northwest direction. Its former site was located by O. H. Marshall in 1847. Blacksmith, the aged Seneca chief from whom Mr. Marshall obtained much information, called this village De-yu-di-haak-doh, which he said signifies "the bend," from its location on a bend of the creek. In this he agrees with Greenhalgh. The present w riter has searched out the old town site and prepared the foregoing map of the locality from personal sur\'ey. It is in the town of Mendon, Monroe county, on the northcasternmost bend of Honeoye outlet, two miles north of Honeo)'e F"alls, and exactl}' tweh'e and one-half miles in an air line due south of the center of Rochester. In this vicinity the Honeoye flows in a beautiful valle\- varying from one-fourth to three-fourths of a mile in width, and the channel t\\ ists and turns in all direc- tions through the fertile bottom. The ancient town w-as located on the table land which projects into the west side of the valley in the form of a bold bluff, facing the east, at an elevation of about one hundred and fifty feet above the water. This ground was purchased by Abner Sheldon, in 1802, and is now included in the estate of his son J. F. Sheldon, a gentleman whose courtesy and valuable assistance in the collection of many facts connected vVith this sub- ject will be long and gratefully remembered. The so-called "clear ground," when Abner Sheldon came in possession, consisted of "oak openings," and a number of large trees were then scattered about the old town site. Judging from the limits within which relics have been found, the Indian village occu- pied an area of about twenty-five acres. A plentiful supply of water was ob- tained from springs situated along the base of the bluff to the north. A fine "medicine" spring of sulphur- water is now in operation. The ground has been under cultivation seventy-five j'ears, yielding an annual harvest of antiquities including human bones, gun-barrels, locks, knives and hatchets of iron ; toma- hawks, arrow-heads, pestles, skinners, etc., of stone ; wampum and beads of clay ; pottery, brass kettles and trinkets, brass rings bearing the legend I. H. S., pipes, bullets, etc., etc. Three cemeteries have been discovered in locations designated on the map, and all skeletons unearthed have been found in a sitting posture, facing the east. On the edge of the bluff", about eighty-five rods southeast of, and overlook- ing the old town, Mr. Sheldon discovered the ruins of a palisade inclosure, occupying half an acre of land. It was nearly square in form and built of logs twelve feet long set closely together in the earth to the depth of four feet. At the date of its discovery the timber was greatly decayed, many of the palisades having rotted to the ground. It was doubtless erected by the Indians who rallied immediately after DeNonville's departure, as a temporary abode and defense prior to their permanent settlement elsewhere. The statement of De- Nonville and other historians of the expedition, regarding the immense amount of corn destroyed by the French troops, has been questioned by late writers, 5 6o History of the City of Rochester yet a thorough survey of old Totiakton and its environs cannot fail to impress one with a sense of the good judgment exercised by the aboriginal inhabitants in its selection as a place of permanent abode, and the superior advantages possessed by the natives fi>r the cultivation of the soil. About two hundred acres of ground lying southwest of the old Indian village presents a surpris- ingly smooth, level surface, and was long known as "Abraham's plain." It is now termed "Sheldon's plain." The Indian corn fields mentioned b_v (ireen- halgh were in the oak openings on this plain, and the rich flats in the valley bottom were undoubtedly cultivated to some extent. DeNon\iIle states that the French left Totiakton in the afternoon of July J^d, and ad\anced two leagues (six miles). On the f illowing da_v the\- reached their bateie] lake 64 miles, to Swege creek and from thence to W'awachtonok 160 miles." He also recommended a fort on the Onondaga river, to be garrisoned with 100 youths, and remarked : " It is true that the French do trade, and have small hutts and berks which they call forts at some of those Indian habitations where they have priests." The governor of Canada also desired to erect forts, one at Niagara, "the second at Jerondaquat, that is, on this side of Cadaracqui lake where the path goes up to the Sinnekes castles, about thirty miles from where the Sinnekes have now their castles." August 20th, 1701, Lieutenant-Governor Nanfan reported to the lords of trade that he had procured from the Five Nations an instrument whereby they con\'eyed to the crown of England a tract of land Soo miles long and 400 broad, including all their beaver hunting, which tract began at Jarondigat." ' In 1 7 16, the French erected a building near the present site of the Sea Breeze hotel at the northwest angle of Irondequoit bay and Lake Ontario.- It was known to the French as F"ort des Sables, and appears to have been con- sidered quite an important station. At a private conference held in June, 1717, between Governor Hunter of New York and two sachems of each of the Five Nations, the latter said : — "We have had two messages from hence — one last fall and another this winter — lo inquire if the French had built a fort and planted a garrison on this side the great lake, at a place called Terondoquat, belonging to the Sinnekes; we could not give them a positive answer till we had sent as far as the Senekes; but now can tell your excellency that there is no such thing, but that the French have built a trading-house at the said place, where they supply our Indians with powder and lead to fight against the Flat- heads and other enemies of the Five Nations ; and we must likewise acquaint you that 1 Co/. Mss., IK, 888. - For the identification of tliis location I am indebted to my good friend B. Fernow, keeper of his- torical documents of the state library al .Mliany. 64 HisTuKV OF THE Ci'iv OK Rochester. our peoplL- are furnished with nlher gnoils also at the saiil FreiK h trachng-house, as rlothin.L; ami other necessaries. whi( h slo]is a '^wM ileal of |ieltrv coming; hither; but the French are supplied with all those -onds from tlie people here at Albany. whi( h goes tirst to Canada and from thence up Mount Roval river and so on to Teromloiiuat. where the Frenc h trading-house is built upon ,L;round belonginti; to the Sennekes. If you will stop that trade of goods being carried from hence to Canada the other trade will tall of coiirse." In Ma>', 1720, Lawrence Clawscn was sent tu Niagara to protest against the erection of forts on the Seneca lands, b\- the French, and in his journal says: "On the 7th I returned to Tjerondequatt, where I mett a F'rench smith sent by the governor of Canada to work for the Sinnekies gratis." It would seem that l'"ort des Sables was not in the ordinary sense a military post. Charle\-oix tells iis that the h'rench erected cabins, surrounded by pickets, "to which they give beforehand the name of F'ort, for they say that in tiiDc it will be changed into a real fortress." Rev. John Durant, who passed Ironde- quoit in 171S, sa\-s the F'rench left only one storekeeper and two sokliers at such posts during each winter. In ( )ctober, 1720, the Sieur de Joncaire left Montreal for Niagara, with two canoes laden with merchandise, and twelve soldiers, "whereof he sent six when he arrived at the fort of Cataraque. He pursued afterward his voyage, but the ice stopped him thirty-five leagues from the mouth of the river of Niagara, where he was obliged to go into another river called Gaschonchiagon, where he passed the winter." Father Charlevoix stopped at Irondequoit bay in May, 1721, on his journey westward, and, writ- ing soon after from Niagara, says : — •■I departed from the river of Saliles the 21st. before sunrise; but. the wind con- tinuing against us. we were obliged at ten o'clock to enter the bay of the 'Fsonnon- thouans [Bradtlock's bayj. Half w ;iy from the river of Sables to this bay there is a little river [the Genesee], which I would not have failed to have visited, if I had been sooner informed of its siiigularity. and of what I have just now learned on my arriving here. 'I'hev call this river Casconchiagoii. It is very narrow and of little depth at its entrance into the lake. A little higher it is one hundred and forty yards wide, and they say it is deep enough for the largest vessels. Two leagues from its mouth we are stopped by a fall which appears to be sixty feet high, and one hundred and forty yards wide. A musket shot higher we find a second of the same width, but not so high by two-thirds. Half a league further ,1 tiiird, one hundred feet high, good measure, and two hundred yards wide, .'\fter this we meet with several torrents; and after having sailed fifty leagues further we meet a fourth fall [Portage] every way equal to the third. The course of this river is one hundred leagues, and when we have gone uj) it about si.\ty leagues we have but ten to go by land, taking to the right, to arrive at the Ohio, called La Belle Riviere. The place where we meet with it is called Ganos : where an officer worthy of credit (M. de Joncaire) and the same from whom 1 learnt what 1 have just now mentioned, assured me that he had seen a fountain the water ot which is like oil, and has the taste of iron. He said also that a little further there is another fountain exactly like it, and that the savages make use of its waters to appease all manner of pains. The bay of the Tsonnonthouans is a charming place. .\ pretty river winds here between two meadows, bordered with little hills, between which we discover SI ir I III' Asi \ II u II I III 1 I \ 1 \ CASCONCHIAlKlN (iRliriIFsr\l(\skl\ll I76S. \Ki-: ' iv I .\\ii< SOUTHEAST VIFAV OF IT I F I.i-iWFR r\r\RACT ■ CASCONCHIAGON [GENESEE] OR UTTLE SENECA's RIVER, LAKE ONTARIO. 176S. Trading House at Irondequoit. 65 valleys which extend a great way. and the whole forms the finest prospect in the world, hounded by a great forest of high trees: hut the soil appears to be somewhat light and sandy." The actual occupation of the Seneca country by the F"rench was an incen- tive to the English to adopt measures for protection of the Indian trade, and in the early summer of 1721 the as.sembly of New York pas.sed an act for raising the sum of five hundred pounds for securing the Indians to the English interest. This sum Governor Burnet expended chiefly in the establishment of a settlement at Irondequoit. His project met with the hearty approval of the authorities at Albany, and a small company of volunteers was promptly organised to carry it into effect. This company consisted of Captain Peter Schuyler, jr.. Lieutenant Jacob Verplanck, Gilleyn Verplanck, Johannis Van den Bergh, Peter Gronendyck, David Van der Heyden and two others whose names are unknown. Governor Burnet's instructions tcj Captain Schuyler were as follows : — '' Vou are with all expedition to go with this company of young men that are will- ing to settle in the Sinnekes' country for a twelvemonth to drive a trade with the far Indians that come from the upper lakes, and endeavor by all suitable means to persuade them to come and trade at .Albany or with this new settlement. You are not to trade with the four hithermost nations but to carry your goods as farr as the Sinnekes' country to trade with them or an)- other Indian nations that come hither. You are to make a settlement or trading-house either at Jerondoquat or any other convenient place on this side of Cadarachqui lake upon the land belonging to the Sinnekes, and use all lawfull means to draw the furr trade thither by sending notice to the farr Indians that you are settled there for their ease and incouragement by my order, and that they may be assured they shal have goods cheaper here than ever the French can afford them at Canada, for the French must have the principal Indian goods from England, not having them of their own. You are also to acquaint all the far Indians that I have an abso- lute promise and engagement from the Five Nations that will not only suffer them to pass freely and peaceably through their country, but will give them all due encourage- ment and sweep and keep the path open and clean when ever they intend to come and trade with this province. Being informed that there are sundry French men called by the Dutch ' bush loopers,' and by the French courciirs dii boh, who have for several years abandoned the French colony of Canada and live wholly among the Indians, if any such come to trade with you, with their furrs, you may supply them and give them all possible incouragement to come hither where they shall be supplyed with Indian goods much cheaper than at Canada, .\ltho the place where you settle be land be- longing to the crown of Cireat Britain, both by the surrender of the natives and the treaty of peace with France, nevertheless you are to send out skouts and spyes and be upon your guard, the French not being to be trusted, who will use all means to prevent the far Indians coming to trade with you or their coming to Albany. You are to keep an exact dyary or journall of all your proceedings of any consequence, and keep a constant correspondence with the commissioners of the Indian affairs at Albany, whom I will order to give me an account thereof from time to time, and whenever you shall receive orders from me to treat with the Sinnekes, or any of the Five Nations, you are to be carefuU to minute down your proceedings and their answers, and to send them to me with the first opportunity, inclosing them to the commissioners of the Indian affairs 06 History of the City of Rochester. who will forward them with all expedition, and it" any matters of great moment and fit to he kept \er\' secret do on ur, nou are to send an account thereof to me in a letter sealed, uliic h nia\- be inclosed to the commissioners in order to he forwarded, and \ou are not obliged to mention such matters in your letter to the commissioners. When you come to the Sinnekes' couiUrv \ou are to gi\e them a belt of wampum in token that the\' are to give credit to you as m\ agent to treat with them of all matters relat- ing to the public service and the benefit of tlie trade, and at your desire to fm-nish you with a lumiber of their people as you shall want fir your assistance antl safety on such conditions as yoti and the\ i an agree upon. When \ou have pitched uijon a con- venient place for a trading-house, you are to cndeaxnr to purchase a tract of land in the king's name, and to agree with tlie Sliinckes for it which shall be paid by the publick 111 order that it may be granted by patent to those that shall be the first settlers there for their iiu ouragemeiit. You are not to hinder or nlole^t an\- other Uritish subjects who are willing; to traile there on their own hazard and a( count (or an_\' Indian goods, rum onl\ excepted. You are to lommuiiii ate to the compaii\- such articles of your instruc- tions as shall be proper fir their regulation from time to tune. If you jtidge it neces- sar\ \cui ma\ send one or two of \our comiiany either among the lar Indians, or to come to Albany, as the necessary ser\ u e of the company shall reijuire, but not abo\e tw(i of the said re\er i]uit ( laim untn mir most gracious So\-ereign Lord (leorge the second 1)\- the grace c}f Cm] <>( (ireat llruain i''ranre and Ireland King Defender i>f the taitli elc. his heirs and Successors all our Right title and Interest Claime property profession and demancl of in and lo all that tract of land Scituate lying and being in tile c cniiil\' of Alliain heginning on the hank of the Oswego lake six miles easterd of 'I'lerondeciuat and runs from theiic e ahmg the Lake westward twenty miles and from the Lake southeastward thirty miles keeping that distance from the Lake all the way from the beginning to the end with all and Singular of woods underuciods trees mines miiieralls i|iiarr\s herechtainenls and appertenances whatsoe\er and the Reversion and Reversions Remainder and Remainders Rents Issues and I'rohtts thereof to ha\e and to hold all and siii-ular the above bargained premisses with the appurtenances unto our said most giac ioun Sovereign Lord his heirs Successors and Assigns to the sole and only proper use lieiietitt and behoof of our said Sovereign Lord his heirs Sue cessois and Assil;iis forever, in Testiinony whereof we have hereinto sett our marks and seals this tenth dav of Januarv in the fourteenth year of his Majesties Reign annoc| : Doni ; i 74". Sergrmen. o Siahiirksi;h DKKCISClt I'KN d/zas TlvNEHOKAIWKli Signed Sealed and Delivered In the presence of Hendrvck W'kMI'KI, Jacciiu's Van Ei's Phii.ii' Rvokr '• Alljany 3d ()ctolier 1741 appcarecl before Philip Livingston Kscjuire one of his Majesties Council I tor the I'icimhc e of New \'ork Hendrik Wemp Jacobus Van Lps and Philip Ryder vviio dec lared on the holy Kvangelisls of Almighty God that they saw the within named leiiehokaiwe Tew assajes and Staghreche Sachims Sign Scale and deli\er ye within cleecl as tlieir volunlarv act and deed for the use therein mentionec_l. '• P : LiviNosiciN." Cicjvenior Clarke iiiadc repeatcil ctTorts to effect the settlcincnt of an Enolish colony at Iroiicleciiioit, without success. Oswego, being on the main water communication between /Mbany and Lake Ontario, and Niagara, controlling the p.assage to \iv\tj and the western lakes, became the ])rincipal pciints of contest, and great fciris were built at those places while Irc>ndeqiic}it remained a simple trading station. July ist, 1759, Genercd I'rideau.x, with Sir William Johnson sect)nd in command, left Oswego with an army of two thousand men and five liundred Indians on an expedition against h'ort Niagara, at the mouth of Niagara river, then occupied by the French. The expedition was supplied with heavy artillery and all necessary military equipments for a protracted siege, and was transported in vessels, bateaux and canoes. Coasting the south shore of Lake Ontario, the first night's encampment was at Sodus, the second The Seneca Castles on the Genesee. 69 at Irondequoit and the third in l^raddock's bay — which latter place was then named Prideaux ba)-, in honor of the English commander, who was killed a few days later during the siege. At each halting-place discharges of artillery were made to inspire their Indian allies with courage, and their foes with terror. Upon the surrender of I-"ort Niagara Sir William Johnson, with nearly all his army antl six hundred prisoners, retiu'ned down the lake to Oswego, again camp- ing at Irondequoit. In 1764 General Hradstrcet left Oswego upon an expedi- tion against the hostile western tribes under I'ontiac. During the passage up Lake ( )ntario his army, consisting of twehe hundred troops, followed by Sir William Johnson with si.x hundred hulians, also encamped at Irondequoit. Israel I'utnam, of Bunker Mill fame, was then lieutenant-colonel of the Con- necticut battalion in the exjicdition, and several other men who subsequently became illustrious patriots of the Revolution, were officers of Hradstrcet's army. CHAPTER XI. The Seneca Castles on tlie (k-iiesee — Treaty of Peace with tlie iMiglish — Decline of Iroijuois Power — Sullivan's Camjiaign ai;ainsl the .Senecas — Fate of Lieutenant Boyd — .Sullivan's Troops on the Site of Rochester. THE red men seldom rebuilt upon the site of a town destroyed by enemies, though they occasionally settled in the near vicinity of such places. As a rule the surviving inhabitants removed to a distance. After the destruction of their four principal villages by DeNonville, the Senecas sought other local- ities for their settlements. Towns sprang up in the lower Genesee country, mainly on the trails leading to Irondequoit bay, but as early as 17 15 their cas- tles were located on the middle and upper Genesee. The frequent removals and establishment of new towns render any chronological account of the Seneca settlements impossible. The soil of the Genesee valley is rich with humble memorials of their presence in every part of- its rugged uplands and alluvial flats, and, did space permit, it might prove an interesting theme to point out existing evidences of several large Indian towns w hich were located in the im- mediate neighborhood of Rochester ; but this shall be our task at some future day ; at present we must hasten with the record of changes contemporary with the close of aboriginal occupation. I'or a period of twenty }'ears following the termination of French dominion in Western New York in 1759 there are few events of direct local bearing recorded in history. The Iroquois had steadily maintained their sole right to possession of the Genesee country against all comers, and upon the overthrow of the French at Niagara naturally sided with them against the conquerors, entering into active preparations to rid the coun- History nv the City of Rochester. try of L'\'cr\' Englishman. ImnicdiateK' .succeeding tlie treaty of I'aris in 1763 and consecjucnt end of the Trencli war, tlie Iroquois decided to acquiesce in the general submission to liritish rule. April 3d, 1 764, a preliminary treaty was arranged between the Senecas and Englisli at Jolmson Hall, aiul ratified at Niagara the following summer undei" a peremptor_\' threat of General I'rad- street to at once destroy the .Seneca settlements if the peace compact was not promptly and fully confirmed by all the nation. This treat)' was the beginning of the end of Indian domin.ition in the (/lenesee countr}'. Among other con- cessions wrung from the Senecas b\- the terms of this peace was the surrender of title to lands along the Niagara ri\'er between Lakes Ontario and Erie Having large military forces at ( )sw ego and Niag,u-a, the I'aiglish were [jrepared to fillow up this acquisitiim of title by actual occui.)atiries to Irondecpioit and the mouth of the river. The rangers certainK- believetl that Sullixau's men were in their immediate vicinit}', as they concealed themsehes in the brush and ilareil not shoot a gun, build a fire or expose their precious carcasses until the a|)pearance of Walker with the boats for their remo\-al. The Indians retreateil to l^'ort Niagara, and most of the Senecas remained there tluring the winter, which was unusually severe. The food furnished b\- the British being insufficient and of inferior qualit\-, hun- dreds of Indians tiled from star\-ation and scur\-y. Few ever returned t(.i their old homes east of the Cienesee, the main body of Senecas settling at l^ufifalo creek, Squawkie hill. Little Beard's Town ami Cannawaugus. Some came upon the lower Genesee, and as late as 1796 the town located on the Culver farm in Irondequoit (see chapter \T.) numbered o\er three lumdretl inhabitants. Their power as a nation was completely broken, and upon the conclusion of peace between the United States and ICnghmd, the latter nation made no i)ro\-ision for her defeated Indian allies, leax'ing them entirely to the mercy of the Americans. 1 Sid/h'aii's C(? »//><> ii^ii, ])y A. Til'faiiy Nortmi, p. l66. While tliis st.itement of Norton's would appear to efteclually ili.siiose [if the question, it is quite certain that the pioneers of the lower Cienesee firmly believeil that Sullivan's army, or some considerable portion of the troops, actually came within the present boundaries of Kocliester. In iSlo Jacob Miller settled the Red creek ford farm on the east bank of the (ienesee, and found a nunilier of decaying boats near the mouth of Red creek. Mr. .Miller was repeatedly informed by Indians that these were the remains of boats used by Sullivan's soldiers who came do\\'n the ri\'er in jnirsuit of the tory rangers. .■\bout 1821 Charles M. Barnes, Calvin and Russell luaton and a fourth boy named Stanley were at play on the bank of .\llen's creek in Brighton, near the crossing of East avenue. I'hey noticed a man, apparently about seventy years of age, looking around at various objects, and inquired what he was searching for. The stranger replied " I was in Sullivan's army, and the first night after the fight I slept under a large white oak tree that stood near this s|iot. The jilace has altered yery much, but I recoiled thai it wa^ under a tree that stood cL.se to the creek." The boys pointed out a large while oak slump standing on the east liank of the stream some rods lielow, and the stranger thought that might have been the exact spot where he sleiit, but could not say jjositively, as the surroundings were so changed. He told the boys his name and rank and related several incidents of Sullivan's march. Mr. Barnes is still living, hale and hearty at seventy-three, and has a distinct remembrance of the cir- cumstance, though the name of the stranger was forgollcn years ago. The relation of siinilar incidents was common among our early settler-., and there can be lillle iloulit that they were founded on fact. First White Occupancy. n CHAPTER XII. The White Man'.-, ( )ecii|),iiKy nf ihe Ceiicsee Country — The Native Title Kxtingiiished — Indian Reservations — Present In"3£ isssf x: ritiE ~tv^ thTT -fnr ssrcmf Tf^ ir ~Te 5:23: 3riIL "^^ri- -rttr ~tttt ^ -v^s j-mc n Iche^ Scoie. Ix ~^ sil zz z ~i^ rsET SrtHi"" im; iis sens ?='-p— anf janc., rsxar aninr tie jac i rnnnnns-ic jrc junse iit Jis sm- -rrs; riTm-T^ ^- ar-: : mo iesr ^'ss. imr i^r ::ie I^msis. ^?m-^ rne- iiu i-rf i:if s?is:r7_ _. _ _ _--i :r ?^»ris tTH' ' -»'! i-^nr Seme anrx a - ->- jf - - in— —nl ■ j,-.4ri-TT Tm- -V'^OLj ~^Ti^^ it TrTrrTTL ir me rfos: sen Tra; :; . _^ icrss. -a-^»^ ^°t- T- -TV- -;^^^llc^ Tr rt^ rr- Erectiox of Aixax's Mill The mill firame was ljea\-\-. bewed tiinber. tweni>--iix by thirty feet. It stood nordi of die saTr-nuII r - apos wiiat was afterward known as tbe "oM red mili" ate. do- 2." This exact spot Ls directly ir " nnmbeis 3-^ iau 4; Zist Main street, hab" way betwe«i Aque- c_ -.Tes streeL The j-:-"-^ -^ now occapied by M. F. Re\-nolds's paisi niii., iuK2 EL R. A- _ eaablishment- Allan procured mm fr:— 1 t-ii rz "-•:" it -, .e- ir.i '";u:r -.- "free as water." T XI tbe gronac : r for the mill r - . sawed and was ; , ^ i^jmIs indulging evening and then sleej»ng on the new floor. The iron for _ :.. __ ._- _ _::aght ns. horseback frcwa Conhocton to Allan's brm. and thence down the river in canoes. In bringing die mfll irons down, a Dutch- man EL=2ned Andrews,, having them in charge, went o^ier the upper hS and was dirowned- The iron was recovered, bat Andrews »^s ne\-er seen again, and "r - ^^^ an EJigS^ travder, pass, ^ die I; — , 3^i :z iii ^ "the Allan grist —ill says ; "It c , iir of stones m^i r stone of a neighboring qnarrv% which is ;^.;^uid to be verj- suitable for rr..^ piirpQse." This carious statement of M2r-:?e> has beoi repeated b\- every historian writing on this subject. ?- fsr a5 ire. to die presseat day. The "quarrj-" mentioned ha5 :h-5 fir •t^^'^V and Mr. Maudes infc— -:l=: !r; '-;~ 15, one -of which was tl - 1 , rrfells(50-e — e=:. - - - :, : :^ aT _\ zo ChariercKx's desc- v e Genesee in 172 1 shows that ic - z were then identically u:- ;, : at present, as regards dis- tance The —.in rf stooe used in Allan's grist mill were made firom boulders c- - - -- -- _- -- ■-- -jjjL With the 1 - -- — -"'--'-ans, .-. ,i- He was a bli tge r^ ; i: .^-ti - ited tl - with his re- pair- , W^i : lazy. He -^35 - ap- p; , -iner had a b-Did, detc 2nd ti^ , He osuail}- had from : In- c 1 m return saopiseu Laem and their lamiiies wiia cvcjyr'ning r, 1 "'hif'-n ""he'ever Allan went, a company of Indian satel- 1" I uring his stay at the grist mill the Senecas ci li ;irer:, ind at thelniim ;ini 1 He .vi^s ^- - Tas knov. " - r--. ,- 1 . . -_. _ J - -i with the 1 ; - : 1 m Allan " bv the greadv disliked him. About the time of So Ilis'iiiin (IF riiK Cnv oi- Rochkster. liis first appearance on tlie Genesee, Allan married a Seneca squaw named K\en-da-nent. Her l^n,L(lish name was Sally. They had two (.lauL;liters, Mary, born in 1780, and Chloe, born March 3d, 17S2. While at the falls in 1789 a man named Chapman stopped with his family on their wa_\- to Canada, and Allan proposed to the daughter Lucy, to wIkjui he was mariied b)- a sham magistrate. Chapman went on his journe\' to Canada and Lucy was taken back to Allan's farm, where she found his squaw wife and children. About this time Allan beat a boy to tleath. and pushed an old man into the Genesee, intending to drown him and marry his wife. The man gut out of the river, but died next da\-, and his murderer added the widow to his harem. lie also married the half-breed slaughter of a negro named Captain Sunhsh, and robbed the old man of his mone_\'. C)n his removal to Mount Morris .Alhm married one Millie McGregor, daughter of an Lnglish tor}', and is said to have had half a dozen other wives during his residence in the Genesee valley. Luc_\' Allan had one child, Millie six. and Sally two. L^pon the ci.impletion of the mill Allan moved inti:> a ro^ ^i/t^ i:^tirt^ /^'^y '^/ ^ci^^ 9^u./-i(j •^''^'d ^^^t-n-c-^.i^ ^/"^^ ^/P^^ Al^^^-^^y /^^^^y■e^Ji^~~lSL-^.l^<'^ifxA^^.t..<^ 84 I^isTiiRV OF THE CiTV OF Rochester. This deed has a curious history. Its existence appears to ha\-c passed from pubHc nieuK-iry until (Irsnmus Turner beyan the collection of material for his i^rand histories of the Phelps & ("lorham and Holland purchases. DuriiiL; a visit to the faniii_\- residence of Brandt, the noted Mohawk sachem, at Brantford, Ontario, Mr. Turner found the .Allan deed, among other papers formerh- be- longing to Brandt, stored in a bari'el in the garret. No information could be obtained regarding the ti'^- ■ >r manner in which Brandt came into possession of the document, whicn ; reatlih- given to Mr. Turner. In June, I S49, he retiuested D. M. Dewt . • [jresent the old deed to the Rochester Athenaeum for safe keeping. It passed into the possession of Isl. F. Re_\-nolds, with otiier effects of the Athenit-um. and is now carefull\- treasured in the Re\-nolds librar)'. Soon after his return to Mount Morris, Allan induced the Seneca chiefs to give a tract of land four miles square, where he then resided, to his half-breed daughters fir their sup|)iirt and education.' He artfulh- framed the con\'e\'- ance so that he could appropriate the land to his own use, but, in accordance with its proxisions, sent his Indian girls to a school at Trenton, New Jersey; also sending his white son to I'hiladelphia, to obtain an English education. In 1792 Allan built a saw-mill on the millet of Silver lake, at Smoky hollow, near the Cienesee ri\er. He sold the land (.leeded to his girls to Robert Mor- ris, and remo\ed them from school. In 1 797 Allan disposed of all his prop- erty- in the (jenesee valle_\- and removed to iJelawaretown, in Upper Canada, leaving his squaw wife behind. He also arranged with two men to tlrown his white wife, Millie. The men brought her tlown the river in a canoe and pur- posely' ran the boat o\er the upper fill, but Millie escaped to the shore and followed Allan to Canada. Gox-ernor Simcoe granted him three thousand acres of land upon condition of certain impr(}\-ements, and Allan became rich. In 1806 his white neighbors combined against him, and he was repeatedly arrested upon charges of forger}', larcen_\', etc., but was in\'ariabl\' acquitted. Losses of propert}' followed, and about 1 8 14 y\llan died in greatl)' reducetl circum- stances, willing all his interest to Millie and her children. About 1820 a son of I'Lbenezer Allan came to Rochester and set up a claim for his mother's right of dower in the One-hundrcd-acre tract. It will be seen, by reference to the conveyance given to Barton, that Allan's name alone is attached to the instru- ment. A compromise was effected with parties holding titles in the propert}', but our informant, the venerable Mrs. Abelard Reynolds, has too indistinct a remembrance of the affair to aid us with particulars. 1 Tlii-s deed was recorded in the office of the clerk of Ontario county, at Canandaigua, .\ugust I-.t, 1791, in book of deed.s number I, page 134. It was signed by eighteen sachems, chiefs and warriors of llie Seneca nation, So-go-u-a-ta, better known as " Red Jacket," being of the numlier. Christopher Dugax — Josiah Fish. 85 CHAPTER XIV. Christopher Dugaii — Colonel Fish — The First Dwelling-House — Early .Settlers — .Maude's \ isit 10 Uenesee Falls in iSoo— Destruction of the .Mian Mills — The Old Mill .Stones — Rochester, Fitz- hugh and Carroll Purchase the One-hundred-acre Tract — Early Towns and Pioneers. M^ R. BARTON sold the One-hundred-acre tract to Samuel B. Ogden, De- cember 24th, 1793. The latter transferred the property to Charles Will- iamson, of Bath, agent for Sir William Pulteney, and it thus became a part of the Pulteney estate. Upon his removal to Mount Morris, Allan placed his brother- in-law, Christopher Dugan, in charge of the mills, and Dugan's was the second family on the site of Rochester. Allan's sister is said to have been a lady of education and culture, who married an old British soldier, and followed her wayward brother to the wilderness, where she clung to him through all his wickedness for years. She became housekeeper for her brother, and with her husband formed a part of Allan's family until the latter left the mills. August 9th, 1794, Dugan wrote to Colonel Williamson, saying: — "The mill erected by Ebenezer Allan, which I am informed you have purchased, is in a bad situation, much out of repair, and, unless attention is paid to it, it will soon take its voyage to the lake. I have resided here for several years, and kept watch and ward without fee or recompense ; and am pleased to hear that it has fallen into the hands of a gentleman who is able to repair it, and whose character is such that I firmly believe he will not allow an old man to suffer without reward for his exertions. I wish to have you come or send some one to take care of the mill, as my situation is such as makes it necessary soon to rernove." Mr. Dugan left the mill soon after, and settled on his farm near Dugan's creek. At the time of Aaron Burr's visit to the Genesee falls, the following summer, not a soul could be found about this vicinity. In 1795 Colonel Josiah Fish purchased a farm at the mouth of Black creek and with the aid of his son Lebbeus commenced improvements. They came down to the falls late in the season and boarded with a man named Sprague, whom they found in charge of the Allan mills. The fare consisted of "raccoon for breakfast, dinner and supper, with no vegetables. On extra occasions cakes, fried in raccoon oil, were added." It would thus appear that Sprague was the third resident of Rochester, though no mention was made of his family. In 1796 Mr. Williamson expended about five hundred dollars in improvements at the falls, and engaged Colonel Fish to take charge of the mills. The latter moN^ed his family, consisting of his wife, a son and one daughter, here in No- vember. They did their cooking in a board shanty which was built against the stone ledge at the present northwest corner of Basin and Aqueduct streets, and resided in the grist mill, which was minus glass windows and other com- forts. The next fall Colonel Fish put up three sides of a log house against the stone ledge, which constituted the back wall, in which a chimney-place was excavated. Turner says this house stood on the site of the old red mill near 86 His'iokv (iF THE City of Rochester. Child's basin. It has been assumed that he was in error, but one fact appears til be ii\erIiKikcd, (ir is uiikiniwii tn certain writers; there were two "Red" mills, the secdiul one occuiiyinL; the present (1S.S41 site of the Arcade mills on tlie east side nf Aqueduct street. The ruins nf a Iol; house remained there in 1812, and Turner liad reference to this sput. Colonel h~ish was the foiu'th res- ident nf R<.ichester, .uid the Imuse erected b_\' him w.is the first building occu- pied exclusive!)' as a dwelliiiL;', within the present bounds iif the I'dower cit_\'. When Thomas Moi'ris escorted Louis Philippe, afterward king of I'rance, and his brothers, the Duke tie Mont[)ensier and Count Heaujnlais, from Canandaigua to \-iew the (ienesee falls in 1/9/, they entirely o\'erloiiked the humble duell- ing at the mills; but in 1 800 a party bciund up the lake, r safet\', came up to view the fdls. "Upon the present site of Rochester they came to a solitary log cabin, knocked and were bitl to come in. L^pon entering they found that in tlie absence of the fuiiih' a parrot had been the hospitable representative. The family (Col. f^ish's) returned soon, however, and ga\'e them a supper of pfitatoes and milk." In 1798-9 Jeremiali Olmstead nn)ved to the falls and lix'cd in a hut south of the House of Refuge. This shanty had been erected by one Farewell, who re- mained there but a short time. He was the fifth resident of Rochester and Clmstead the si.xth, so far as is known, but future researches ma_\' change the ortler of succession. Turner says the clearing made b)' Olmstead "was the first blow struck in the way (.if impro\-ement, other than the Allan mill, on all the present site of the eit_\- of Rochester." In 1 800 Oliver Culver purchased a farm on what is now Last avenue and the Culver road, cleared seven acres and sowed it to wheat. Suspecting that his title was imperfect, Mr. Culver left the fu-m until 1 805, when he returned and became a permanent settler. He was the sex'cnth resident within the present boundaries of Rochester. The same year Wheelock Wood, of Lima, built a saw-mill on Deep hollow, and operated it one j'ear, but the terrible fever and ague, the enem\- of all earl\^ settlers, prostrated his wurkmen and forced Mr. Wood to abandon the place. He is supposed to have been the eighth resident. In the journal of his visit to Western New York in 1800, John Maude sa)'s that on August 19th he arrived at " Genesee Mills." •• .-\s Colonel Fish, the miller, had not those accommodations which 1 e\pecte- the " IiuHiilo road," which ran through Bhiomheld, Avon, Cale- donia and other towns wcstwaril. In all tliat portion c)f New York between this road anil Lake ( )ntario not ,1 single post-office or mail route had been established. In the e.irlv season of th.it \ear Dr. Le\i Ward recei\'ed author- it)' from Gideon (iranger, then postmaster-general, to transport a weekl_\- mail from Caledonia, v/'ir Higa, Muria\-, I'.uiiia and Northampton, to Charlotte. According to the terms of the conti.ict the mail was to leave Caledonia ever)- Monday niornmg .it eight o'clock, ;ind arri\e at Ch.irlotte, a tlistance c)f about thirt\'-t\\o miles, at four p. m. Tuesd.iy. The postmaster- general agreed to appoint deput\' postm.isters in locations design.ited by the contractor, which were seven miles distant from each other. Dr. Ward's compensation was the net proceeds of letter and newspaper postage collected on the route. The rate was from tweiitv to t\\enty-fi\e cents per letter, according to distance, and for newspapers one cent e.ich. The pi. in was at once put in operation, and the success and satisfaction resulting induced the postmaster-general to enter into ;i new contract with Dr. Ward, for the extension of routes along the Ridge ro.ul t<:i U.ik Orchard creek; from I'arm.i through ( )gden ami Riga to I^ergen, .iml from IVigen to li.itavia; in f.ict, the arrangement gave Dr. Ward discre- tionar_\' ■■authorit)- to design.ite the location of post-offices wherever he would agree to deli\'er mail once a week, for all the postage he might collect, in nearl_\- all the countr_\- fjctueen Canandaigua .ind the Niagara river, and from the Canandaigua and l^ufl'alo road northward to Lake Ontario."^ The s\steni continued in operation, suppl)-ing the convenience of mail facilities to a wide, sjjarsely populated region until 1.S15, and on some of the routes until 1820, when it was generalh' superseded b\' the ordinary contract system. As earl)- as 1804 the business men of Canandaigua contributed to the impro\-ement of a road that had been constructed many years before from Canandaigua to the crossing of Allen's creek on Hast avenue ;ind thence north to Tryon's Town near Irondequoit landing, and extended it northwest through 1 Shh/i,:< 0/ J^oi/iati;; 1S38, Ijy Henry O'Rielly, p. 331. Early Mail Facilities. 91 the present town of Irondequoit, passing in the rear of Hooker's cemeter)- (where the old road-bed still exists) and across the country to tlie east bank of the Genesee river and Charlotte, or Port Genesee, as the place was variously termed. All travel from Canandaigua, north of the Buffalo road, was over this so-called "Merchants' road" to Charlotte, and mail matter was occasion- all)- carried b}- teamsters. In 1812 the latter place was looked upon as the future great lake port and rising town of Western New York,' but no means of regular communication existed between that place and Rochester until I 8 14, when Gideon Cobb started a semi- weekly o.x-team line for the conve)-- ance of freight and passengers. C)n the establishment of Dr. W'artl's postal s\'stem F. BushncU was ap- piiintctl postmaster at Charlotte, and through the kindness of individuals who "called for mail," the residents of Rochester — numbering fifteen people all told, July 4th, kS 1 2 — were enabled to correspond with the world at large, and receive news via Canandaigua or Bath, Avon, Caledonia, Parma and Charlotte. This roundabout course was not considered a sufficient accom- modation, and the subject of direct mail connections with the east was ear- nestly discussed. The late Edwin Scrantom (whose record of early local e\-ents is invaluable) was authorit)- for the statement that "the first mail received in Rochester arrived in Jul\-, 1812." If the date is correct the mail must have been carried b}' pri\'atc iiidivitluals during tiiat summer, as no post-office existed and the first postmaster, Abclard Re\-nulds, was not appointed until October, and his commission not issued until November 19th, 1812.- P'or this appointment Mr. Rej'nolds was indebted to the influence of Colonel Roch- ester, through Henr_\' Chi}-, his intimate friend, and son-in-law of Colonel Thomas Hart, the business partner of Colonel Rochester. It was agreed upon (.luring an interview between Colonel Rochester and Mr. Reynolds, held at Dansville some time in Jul}-, 1812; no regular application for a post-office in Rochester had been made to the department at that time. While here in Jul}- Mr. Reynolds purchased lots 23 and 24 north side of Buffalo street, built tlie wall and frame of a dwelling twenty-four by thirty-six feet, upon lot 23 (now numbered 10, 12, 14, 16, East Main street), contracted for the completion of the house, and late in August returned to Pittsfield, Mass., for his famih'. In his unpublished memoir's Mr. Reynolds refers to his appointment as postmaster, in the modest manner peculiar to himself: — "While in the post-office at Pittsfield, in October, Colonel Danforth, the postmaster, informed me that he saw by the papers that I had been appointed postmaster at Roch- ester. I replied that I had not iieard of it, but it was not an unexpected event, as an office had been applied for at that place and my name recommended as a proper person to discharge its duties." 1 Memoirs of Abelard Reynolils. 2 Records of Post-Office UeparUnent, Washington. HlSIURV OF THE CiTV OF ROCHESTER. Leiirning- that the contractor had done nothing to liis house, Mr. Rex'iiolds cncjat^ed CJtis Walker of IiriL;hton, to carry himself antl a load of furiiituie to Rochester, where he ari'iv'ed Xoxeniber 1st. He at once set about the erection of a buildiiiL; "n lot 24 (now luinibered 1 S, 20, 22, h'.ast Main street) which was completed janu.u'y 15th. ReturniiiL; to Massachusetts lie en_L;aL;ed William StroUL; to bring a load of furniture, and with his own horse antl cutter brought to their new home iiis wife, their son William, and Mrs. Re\-n(ilds's sister llul- d.ih .Strong, arriving at Rochester earh' in hebruary. Mi'. Rex'nolds was a saddler aiui occupied the front rcmm 1 it his house lor business [lurposes. There the citizens nf Ruchesler ,ind other earl_\' settlers of tlu- \icinit)' cime for their Ul.Lil .\mong the lurnitui'e bi'ought hum Pitt-^lield was a l.irge desk of pine, three and a half feet in length, two wide and f )ur feet high. It had a pigeon-hole comj),n-tment in the top and two large drawers underneath furnished with neat brass lang-pulls ; it was stained to resemble black walnut, and the sloj)ing top was co\ered with black \el\et trimmed with brass-headed tacks. This desk- was pi, iced in the shop, where it served a triple [lui'pose as the receptacle of toiils and pi'ixate and public pajiers. .\11 mail matter received was put in the pigeon-holes, ,uid jiractically the desk was the first post-office of Rochester. It was in constant use as the depository of mail and post-office papers during Mr. Re\-nolds's term of office, and now occupies an honored p(.)sition in the Rex'Uolds librar)-, firm and substantial as when first made, though plainl_\- e.\- llibiting the marks of t)\er se\'ent\'- two \'ears of service. ^\ cut of the desk sup- plements this chai.)ter. The first I'cgular mail was brought to Rochester from Canantlaigua on hvirse- back. It was received once a week', and pait of the time a woman (whose name histor)- fails to reveal) performed the dut)' of post-rider. The letters were carried in saddle-bags which hung across the horse in rear of the saddle, to which the\' were attached, and the old mail saddle-bags were usually well filled. The com- pletion of the bridge at Main street in R -'■ mail, A nil 111;,; t '-■■ and a half k ciinipartnien brass rinL;-p' was c<)\ered was placetl till lis and pi piijeiin-hiile It was in co Mr. Keynnl Reynokls li hibitini; the plcments th The first back. It w histnr)' fails in saddle-b. w ere attach pletion nf tl Canandaiiji tra\-el from fremi Roclii road betwe impassable, out the pat the tide of steadily ini. ished the I into it, tra desk pre\'i( mail matter a stacje betwev.ii i^ ■'■I'.'V '.' : .".i-i house, Mr. «■ . N'-ei- ■: . :i !ei,ld of (l, ■■:. v.. r. ,r ■ se'- about t' , 3.. :-■ ■ -■ Maipso \[' '■ :■ ■ ■ 'tS 'le en;;,: ; - c ^' l!h . ;-• ■. Dofse and cutter brou nd the sloping t.i.;ks. Tlli^ d Ji^ll^-ti ^^-.,, Early Mail I'Acn.niEs. 93 that purpose, consisting of William Hildreth of Pittsford, and other tavern- keepers along the route. Mr. Hildreth put a light wagon on the road in No- vember, 1815, the post-rider discontinued his trips, and the mail was carried to and from Rochester by wagon twice a week. In January, 1 8 16, the company placed a coach body on runners, and it was the first four-in-hand mail coach that ever entered Rochester, the enthusiastic reception accorded to it by the villagers nearly reaching the proportions of a public celebration. Messrs. Bond and Ely extended their enterprise to the Ni- agara river, by enlisting the tavern-keepers along the Ridge road, their princi- pal supporters and earnest co-laborers being Messrs. Barton and Fairbanks of Lewiston. In the early spring of 18 16 General Micah Brooks presented a res- olution to congress, inquiring "as to the expediency of establishing a post route from the \-illage of Canandaigua, by wa\- of the \illage of Rochester, to the village of Lewiston in the county of Niagara and state of New York." The mail was then carried by stage, the company taking all postage received in payment. Congress soon after authorised the route proposed by General Brooks, and the company contracted to carry the mail for a set price. A tri-weekly four-horse coach was put upon the route in June, 1816, and within a )-ear there was often a necessity for sending out three and four extras a day for passengers. The travel increased to such an extent that for several years coaches ran in such numbers that they were seldom out of sight of each other along every mile of the Ridge road. In 181 5 Mr. Reynolds opened his house as a tavern, and in 18 17 rented it to Lebbeus Elliot for two years. During that time the post-oflice remained in the same building, to which Mr. Reynolds returned in the spring of 18 19. He added a' wing to the east side of the building for a bar-room, with a portico in front, at the east end of which he located the post-office, connecting it with the bar-room. The partition between the office and open part of the portico con- sisted of a glazed, pigeon-holed case for mail, and the delivery was through an opening in this case to the portico. Persons could thus step from the street into the portico, obtain their mail and pass onward without entering the ta\-ern. The steamer Ontario commenced her trips from Sackett's Harbor to Lewiston in 181 7, and once a week came to Hanford's Landing. The postmaster-general having authorised the carrying of mails by steamboats in 18 15, the American lake ports and Canada were thus brought into regular communication with Rochester. In 18 19 a mail route was established between Cuylerville and Rochester, and in 1820 mails were received once a week from Bath, Dansville, Geneseo, Avon and intermediate towns. It is said that mails from Canandai- gua and Lewiston reached Rochester daily in 1820; but "as late as 1821 there was not a single post coach in the United States west of Buffalo. The Erie canal was staked out but not a shovelful of earth had been removed from its bed in Buffalo, railroads were unborn and telegraphs unthought of" ^ 1 Doty's History of Livingston County, p. 597. 94 HisioRv di' TiiK Cri'v i>v Rochester. In 1.S24 the mail stage between Rocliester and Geneseo ran three times a week e.ich wa\-, lea\-ing here IMDiidays. \\'e(hiesdays and Frida_\-s at half- past five in the morninfj. In April, 1SJ5, ]■".. |-"iske established a daily line of stages from ("lenesen, "intersecting the east and west lines at A\'on, thus giving daily cnninnmication with Rochester. Canandaigua and Batavia." I'degant coaches were placetl i>n the mute in December, but the regular mail was carried only three times a week. In lSj6 the citizens of Rochester regularl)- receiveti thnnigh the post-office twent_\--si\ daily, t\\ointnient, were as follows: John B. Elwood, .Iune29th, 1S29; Henr_\- O'Riell}, Ma_\- J4th, 1838; Samuel G. Andrews, Janu- ary 18th, 1842; Henry Campbell, July 1 8th, 1845; Darius Perrin, April 12th, 1849; Hubbard S. Allis, June jofh, 1853; Nicholas E. Paine, July 6th, 1858; Scott W. Updike, Jul>- 26th, 1861, and July 12th. 1865; John W. Stebbins, Postal Statistics of Rochester. 95 Marcli 28th, 1867; Edward M. Smith, January 1 6th, 1S71 ; Daniel T. Hunt, March nth, 1875 ; March 3d, 1879, and March 3d, 1883. The changes made in the location of the post-offices have been few. In a letter written to Postmaster- General Barry, April i8th, 1833, Mr. Reynolds inclosed a plan of the Arcade and among other things said : — "The first room 'on the west side of the hall, as you enter from Buffalo street, is the post-office. It has a small recess in front, which is closed at night, where the citizens re- ceive their letters and papers. The whole arrangement is admirably calculated to ac- commodate the public, the Arcade hall being sufficiently spacious to contain all who will ever congregate on the arrival of the mail." The rapid increase in population, however, exceeded even Mr. Reynolds's ex- pectations, and he soon after made arrangements for a better accommodation of the post-office and the public. The old tavern post-office building was re- moved from the rear of the Arcade to the north side of Bugle alley (Exchange place), where Corinthian Academy of Music now stands, and in 1848 was moved to numbers 11 and 13, Sophia street. There the frame was bricked up and in its new form the building has been in use as a private residence to the present day. Upon its former site, in the rear of the Arcade, Abelard Rey- nolds erected a brick building, forty-six by twenty-two feet. This stood fifteen feet north of the Arcade, to which it was connected by a frame building, or cov- ered-way and was used solely for postal purposes. It extended to Exchange place, and walks along each side afforded free passage through the Arcade to Main street. About 1842 this post-office building was torn down, the Arcade extended to Exchange place, and the post-office located at the northwest end of the hall. In 1859 it was removed to the east side. To meet the require- ments of increasing business additional space has been acquired from time to time, until the post-office now includes 15, 17, 19 Arcade hall, },j . 39 Arcade gallery and i 1 to 23 inclusive. Exchange place, covering an area of floor room exceeding 8,000 square feet. A comparative statement of postal statistics will illustrate the wonderful changes that have occurred during the span of a single life and within the memory of many persons now living. The population of Rochester January 1st, 1813, did not exceed fifty people, all told. The mail, then averaging about four pieces, arrived and departed once a week after that date, and the receipts of the post-office for the first quarter of the year were $3.42, the expense and profit to the government nothing. Until 18 19 all mail matter was kept in a desk, and for a period of twenty years following its establish- ment the duties of the office were performed by the postmaster and one assistant January 1st, 1884, the population of Rochester numbered 108,971. Mails were received daily by twenty-two railway trains and six stage routes; the letter pouches and sacks received averaging 1 19 and those dispatched 379. 1 No. 4, present Arcade hall. 96 II- -I'llK ClIV I IF RoCHESTKR. The number of pieces liandlecl b)- carriers clurini; 1883 was 12,891,375. The niimber of pieces liandled daily b\- the entire office force axeraged ioo,000, and the aggregate fir the year was 3ri,ooo,000. The total transactions of the rnone\' order department were 100,695 amounting to $863,751.92. The registry department registereil 12,754 letters and 4,034 packages, and deli\ered at the office 48,870 letters. The gross simi received by the post-office in 1883 was $259,840.13; the total expense $57,466.41, leaving a net profit to the gcn-ernment of $202,373.72. The officials of the (iffice were: Postmaster, Daniel T. Hunt; assistant pd^tinaster, W. Seward Whittlesc}'; superintendent (if carriers, ("leorge F. l.iider; assistant superintendent of carriers, James T. Sproat; chief clerk, (_'al\in Wait; money urder tle[i,irtiiunt, Willis G. Mitchell; registr}' deiiart- meiit, I-'rank A. Bryan; st.unp de[iaitment, Jacob G. Maurer; mailing depart- ment, William C. Walker; assisted by a force of twent\--fi\-e clerks and thirtv- three letter carriers. .\'f the City ok Rochester. sufticient to account tor the late start of Rocliester; to explain to the readers of the present ilay uh\- \alualilc liydraiilic pri\'ileges, in the immeiliate nei^hboriiood of shippiiiL; ports of Lake ( )ntano. were so loni; principalU' shrouded li\' the prinie\al forest, after settlement had approached and ahuost surroumled the locahty. To these causes the reader may adil uhat he has ah'eady observed of the tenilency of things toward the main tlioroughfare, the lluffalo road, in early years, and the fact that (piite up to tlie period ol the start of Rochester the i iimmercial enterprise and e\pe( tation of a large settled portion of the (k-nesee country was turned in the direi tion of the headwaters of the .Mlegliany and Sus(|uehanna ii\ers." In this Djieniiii; year the bricl,L,'c across the Genesee ri\cr was finislied, and lolly alter its completion it was regarded with far more pride and admiration than \\ere e\er bestowetl y it." Mr. Scrantoni is the .iiitln )rity for the statements yivcn imnietliately above, as tcikl to the writer scvcr.il ye.irs A-j^n, aiitl siibscqncntl\- published by Mr. Scraiitoiii. Not in conflict with those recollections, but as settiny the matter in another light ,ind show in- th.it, while the Iol;- hut above alhided to was doubtless the first dweiliiiL; Ijuilt on the west side of the river, the first frame house erected in that neiL;hborhood w.is put up by other parties, the following extracts are given froiii the piiwite di.uy, or "memoirs and reminiscences," as he st\-les them, of the late Al)el,irtl Reynolds, who c.mie here from Pittsfield, Mass., in April, iSiJ : — "On arming at the falls I called on Knos .Stone .md inlrodined m\sclf as being in searih of a location in the western \\ilils for m)-self ami little family. Mr. Stone replied that he was from Lenox, w hi( li .idjoiiied I'ltlslield ; that Messrs. Rochester, Carroll and Fit/hugh had a|i|iointed him as their agent to dispose of the lots in the Hundred-acre tract on the other side of the river, that the name was the \ iUage of Rochester, which, instead of inhabitants, consisted only of trees. He gave me a warm invitation to settle in Rochester and become his neighbor. 1 crossed near where the aciuediict stands. He' gave me on the west side a button-wood tree as an object to guide me on the |ierilous vojage. at the same time remarking th.it the fall previous a man with his family mo\ing to the West, in attempting to cross with his team (his famil)' ha\ ing left t(.) cross on the unfinished bridge), was swept o\ er the rapids, and the man, wagon and horses, with a load of furniture, were carried over the falls and lost. Having crossed in safety 1 proceeded to Charlotte and passed the night at a respectable hotel kept by Erastus Spalding. The next day I retraced my steps, called on Mr. Stone, examined the ma]) of the village of trees, viewed falls, etc. 1 finally concluded to settle at Rochester, pro\ ided 1 could be suited m the selec tion of a lot. He said I should have my choice, and, taking the map of the \ illage of trees, we < rossed the unfinished bridge on loose plank, descending the long ladder at the west end. Then walking up to the four corners and glancing at the map. 1 said I would take number i ('Kagle' corner), but he said that lot was sold to Henry Skinner. He rei ommended the Cdinton House lot, because it had a view of a handsome lawn opposite, in front of the Allan mill. It did not suit me. I told him I would take lots 23 and 24 | where the Arcade now .stands ]. but he said they were also sold, the former to Captain Stone and the latter to himself, in payment of ser\'ices rendered, Ijut that 1 might ha\ e his lot. \Ve recrossed the bridge and called on CajJtain Stone, who was told that I wished to settle in Rochester and purchase his lot. 'Well,' he said, 'for five dollars I will assign the article.' I paid him the five dol- lars and he made the assignment. I now commenced operations. I found a mason by the name of Sampson in townshi]) number 7 (now Irondequoit), who agreed to build the basement w all on which to erect my two-story frame building, twenty-four by thirty- six feet square. I engaged a carpenter by the name of Nehemiah Hopkins to frame First Store Erected. and raise the building, and on the i6th of August, 1812, said building was raised and planked. I then arranged with Hopkins to inclose and finish the house to the extent of the joiner's work, while I should return to Pittsfield to remove the family." Mr. Rej-nolds tlien went back to Massachusetts and completed his arrange- ments for the transfer of his family to their new home, when, stopping in at the Pittsfield post-office for the final letters which he might receive before set- ting out, two surprises met him — a gratification and a disappointment. He was informed of his appointment as postmaster, and received a letter from Mr. Stone, telling him that Hopkins had done nothing to the house after he left Rochester. This news, of course, deranged his plans for the removal of his family. Returning alone, to his western possessions, Mr. Reynolds decided that it would be more trouble to complete the large house than it would be to erect a smaller one on lot 24, and thus fulfill the purchase contract, b\- which he was bound to put up a house within a j-ear. The timber was growing in the forest, but determination overcame all obstacles, and b\- the middle of Jan- uary, 18 1 3, the new house was framed, raised and finished except the plaster- ing, the lime for which he could not obtain at that time. A second return to I'ittsfield, a third journey to Rochester, this time with the family, the traveling being done in a sleigh, ended with another surprise, though easily overcome. He says: "We found our house occupied by Israel Scrantom, but he vacated at once and gave up possession, and, comparatively speaking, we considered ourselves in comfortable quarters, for it was the best house in the place." In this house, on the 2d of December, 18 14, occurred the birth of Mortimer F. Reynolds, the first white child born on the west side of the river within the precincts of the present city, and in fact the first white child born in Rochester, as that name did not apply to the east side until the incorporation of the vil- lage. The "large house" was finished within a )-ear after the first one, and stood on that spot till 1826, when, as the building of the Arcade then began, it was moved to Sophia street, opposite the Central church, and there it still remains, inclosed within brick walls. Here was established the post-ofiice, a full description of which, from that time to this, has been given in the previous chapter. In July the first merchant's store, which was built by Silas O. Smith, was opened by Ira West, and about that month Isaac W. Stone, in a house which he had just built on St. Paul street, near where the Chapman House now stands, opened a tavern, the only one in this locality for the next two or three years. Moses Atwater and Samuel J. Andrews (the father of Samuel G. An- drews) then began to make improvements on the east side of the river, while on the west Francis Brown, Matthew Brown, jr., and Thomas Mumford laid out village lots, to which they gave, in honor of the first-named of the three, the title of Frankfort, an appellation which the district has borne almost up to this day, From this place to Lewiston the highway (or what should have been History of the City op" Rochester. sucli) ran along b_\- tlic Ridge mail, but. as it was then almost impassable, the legislature granted, in 1S13. $5,000 for clearing the path and bridging the streams between the two [)laces. Three houses were built on the west side during that year, and. what was of mure importance to the growth of the vil- lage and the development of that iiidusti-y from which so much of its wealth was to be subsequently derived, the mill race south of Mast .Main street was opened b\' Rochester & (_ o. The year 1814 witnessed the first mercantile operations of any importance in the little village, but in that time an e\'ent transpired which for \-ears after- ward f ii-med a leading theme of conversation among the oliler inhabitants and was the subject of at least one poem l.)_\- ,i resident author, the late George II. Mumford. though no copies of it h.ix'e been obtainable f)r a long time past. "Matlison's war" — to use the name which the opponents of the national ad- ministration gave to what is generall\- known as the war of 1.S12 — had been in progress for two \'ears, and. although no gunpoxscler had been burnt here for an_\- other purpose than t(.) kill the bears and other animals that lurked in the surrounding forest and occasionall}' came among the houses, still it had some effect in causing the emigration hither to slacken perceptibh'. Man_\- of the able-bodied men in the \icinity liatl gone to the Niagara frontier, lea\'ing this point .ilmost defenseless, and to make matters worse Sir James Yeo, the officer in command of the Hritish fleet on Lake Ontario, had fret]uently cruised off the mouth of the Genesee, and had in June, 1813, come to anchor and sent a part)' on shore for the purpose of plunder. No resistance was made, as there was no military organisation thei'e to ofter it, and the eneni)', who had landed in the afternoon, remaiileil over night, keeping sentinels posted, and retired early in the morning, taking with them a ipiantity of salt, whisk_\- and pro\'isi(jns from the store-house of 1^'rederick Bushnell, fir which they kindU" gave a receipt to George I.atta, the clerk. Turner thinks their speedy departure was owing to their getting inf irniation that an armed f H'ce was collecting at Ilanford's Land- ing, and says that a Imdy of armed men which had gathered there marched down, arri\-ing at the Charlotte landing just as the invaders were embarking on board their boats. The men tee river ( ould not follow the precedent of their countrymen at Oswego. 'Co back and tell tlie (jffic er,' said he, 'that he may say to .Sir James Yeo that any public i)roperty tliat may be lierc is in the hands of those who will defend it.' Soon after this, a gun-boat, sloop-rigged, of from ninet\' to one hundred tons burden, sailed out from the fleet, approached the mouth ot the river and tired a six-pound shot, whii h (omplimeiit was returneil from the eighteen-jjounder on tlie .\merican batterv. 'i'lie gun-lioat then fued fifteen or twentv-six eight-pound shots, but one of them, strik- ing the store-house, doing any damage. Soon al'ler this occurrence Peter B. Porter arri\ed and assumed command, .\notlier Hag of truce came from the British fleet at 4 o'clock p. m., bringing a peremptory demand from .Sir James Yeo tliat the public prop- erty be delivered up, and the threat that, if his demand was not complied with, he would make a landing with his marines and 400 Imlians. 'I'o this General Porter re- plied, through his aid, Major N'cjon, that lie unuld endeavor to take care of any force that Sir James felt disposed to send on shore, accompanying the reply with an intima- tion that a tliird flag of truce, sent up(jn the same errand, could not be res|iected." Thus ended the net^otiations and the projected invasion, e.vcept that for a few hours alterward several heavy balls were thrown, harmlessly, from the fleet, nian\' (jf wliich missiles were picked up and tised afterward for breaking stones in the erection of )Hiblic buildings. For the ne.xt two or three days troops kept coming into Charlotte, but the number never c-xccedeil 800, a force utterly inadecpiate to cojie with tlie bod)' of nien that the ICnglish admiral coidd lia\e laiuled had he chosen to do so. Why he retreated without action is a matter of conjecture, there being onl)' two plausible stippositions — one, that he considered the victory, though certain, to be a barren one, as the amount of propert)- here was \er)- small, ami the other that he was reall)- deceived, by- some clever maiueiures that were preformed b)' our militiamen, into a serious over-estimate of the strength opp(_)sed to him. Rochester's warlike experience being thus happily coiicludeti, we may turn our attention, as the settlers turned theirs, to the consideration of peaceful pur- suits. Immigration soon set in with redoubled spirit, and in 181 5 the prosperity ot the hamlet greath' increased. Mail facilities receivetl an unwonted impetus. .Saniticl Hildreth, of Pittsford, began running a stage and carrv'ing the mail twice a week between Canandaigua and Rochester, a distance of twent)--eight miles, ,ind a pri\'ate weekly mail route was established between Rochester and Lew iston, dependent tor its suj^port on the income of the post-offices along the route. In this vear was erectetl the tirst building here of an\- magnitude — the old "red mill," on West Main street, near Atjueduct — -which was put up by Hervey VAy and Josiah Bissell, assisted, in the elevation of the roof-timbers, by every man and boy in the place; it was destroyed by fire in 1837. The first wedding in the settlement was on October 8th, when Delia, daughter of Ham- Incidents of i8i6. 107 let Scrantom, was married to Jehiel Barnard, in a house on the top of a hill on Brown street, next to where the school of St. Patrick's parish now stands; Mrs. Barnard lived to a very advanced age, and died in this city in 1881. Abelard Reynolds opened the first tavern on the west side; the first religious societ\- was organised, consisting of sixteen members; the first book store was opened, op- posite the Arcade, by Horace L. Sill and George G. Sill; the Genesee Cotton Manufacturing company was organised and work was begun on the factory, at the foot of Factory street, completed in the following spring, which ran 1,392 spindles, contained the only cotton machincr)- west of Whitestown and had the first bell hung west of the Genesee ri\-er; the stead)- purchase of produce fmm the surrounding country began; in December the first census was taken, show- ing a population of 33 I. The year 18 16 witnessed a variet_\- of stirring incidents, of which the follow- ing are worth recording ; Rev. Comfort Williams was installed as pastor of the Presbyterian congregation, being the first clergyman settled here; Matthew and Francis Brown finished the mill race which still bears their name — eighty- four rods in length, thirty feet wide and three feet deep, blasting through rock much of the way ; Colonel Rochester, then living in Bloomfield (whither he had removed after residing in Dansville), built for his residence a frame structure, which afterward became the Break o' Day house, on Exchange street, but he did not move into it for two years, as Dr. Levi Ward, who then came here from Bergen, occupied it till I Si 8, when Colonel Rochester settled permanentl\- in the village which bore his name ; Caleb Lyon began the settlement of Carthage; the Buffalo road was surveyed and laid out to Batavia ; the first trees for orna- ment appeared, sugar maples set out (ui the west side of Washington street by Hervey Ely and John G, Bond ; the first newspaper was established, a weekly, called the Gazette, published b_v Augustine G. Dauby and John P. Sheldon, afterward b}- Derick and Levi W.' Sibley, and still later b>- hxlwin Scrantom as the JHoiiroe Republican, after which it became and is now the weekly edition of the Union & Advei-tiscr ; the summer was one of the coldest ever known in this part of the country, before or afterward, a hard frost on the i6th of August destroying all the growing crops anti making a distressing scarcit)- the next winter. The late Judge Moses Chapin has left a sketch of the future city in this year, which marks the close of its embryonic epoch, and for that reason it ma\^ be given entire, except as changes are made in it to conform to the alterations that have taken place since 1847, when it was written; — "The principal settlement on West Main street was l)et\veen the Powers block and the bridge over the Genesee. The buildings were rows of small shops on each side of the' street, mostly a story and a half high. Here and there was a building further west on that street, and the brush had lately been burned to clear the street along in front of where the court-house now stands. A frog-pond occupied a part of the court-house yard at the base of a high stone ledge. From the bathing-house on the west side was io8 History of the City of Rochester. n log cniisewav ovtr n ilcep swain]), in uliirh the forest trees were then standing; be- yond Washington street west tliere was an unliroken forest. State street had been cleared of trees, but the stuni]iswcre reni.iining. The forest came almost to the west line of the street, between .Allen and ihown streets. On the west side of Kxchange street a small frame buildini; stood |a-rc lied on a high le( the Ol.l A.|Ue.hlet — ■|-heOhl C,,urt-H<.use — John l,)umry .\.lains. "ITTK ha\-e seen the trembles tlircuiL;h which our earl_\- settlers passctl — the \\ \v;isting disease, the difficulty of comnuinicaticui, the alarm caused by the menacing' army of the liritisli. These siirmcuinted, and the further growth of the place being reasonably .issiired, it seemed that the collection of buildings, of stores, factories and dwelling-hciiises, should be bound together by corporate ties. Accordingly the legislature passed an act in Aj)ril, 1817, incorporating the village of Rochesterville, thus placing a suffi.v, which was probably ccinsid- ered a mark cjf dignity, to the shorter name of Rochester, which the place had pre\iousl\- borne. The village belonged, until its incorporation as a city, to the towns of Gates and Brighton, and lay in the counties of Genesee and (Jn tario. Cn the 5th cjf May the \illage election was held, at which the five trus- tees prox'ided for in the charter were chosen, Francis Brown, Daniel Mack, William Cobb, Everard I^eck and Jehiel Barnard being the persons for whom the votes of the villagers were cast. Of these Francis Brown was chosen pres- ident of the board — and theiefore of the village — and Hastings R. Bender was elected clerk, Frederick F. Backus being subsequently appointed treasurer. Improvements Folliiwinc; Ixcorporation as a Village. 109 The assessors for that year were Isaac Colvin, Hastings R. Bender and Daniel I). Hatch, with Ralph Lester as collector and constable. Thus fairly launched into corporate life, the village took a new start in prosperity, antl with each succeeding year advances were made that indicated a determination on the part of those then settled here to make the best of their surroundings, and extract from nature all the assistance that could be secured to their strong hands and firm hearts, while at the same time the continued stream of westward emigra tion, which droi)ped many of its components at this point, made the task lighter for each, though the aggregate became constantly heavier. In addition to those who came to locate permanently, many were attracted hither tempo- raril\- by the prospects of advantage in trade. The village had by this time become the principal wheat market for the whole valley of the Genesee, so that the continued influx of teams coming in with this and other grains made a scene of activity and enterprise, heightened by the constant buying, selling and bartering at the various stores. Wheat rose to $2.25 per bushel, but the millers took all that was offered, and an easy sale was found for the flour. Buildings of all kinds increased in number, the most important erected in 1S17 being the church that was built on Carroll street (now State) for the Presby- terian society, the first house for public worship in this neighborhood. In spite of all the prosperity, it must not be supposed that Rochesterville was yet out of the woods. On the contrary, the forest still inclosed it on every hand, on each side of the Genesee, for when Klisha Johnson purchased of Enos Stone, in this \'ear, eighty acres of his farm adjoining the river on the east side, the back land of the purchase was the primeval wood. Mr. Johnson surveyed the whole into a village plat, constructed a dam across the river, and excavated a large mill canal from thence to the bridge, four feet deep, sixty feet wide, and nearly seventy rods in length, thus opening, at an expense of $12,000, exten- sive water privileges, of which William Atkinson, for one, immediately availed himself, building on this private canal the "yellow mill," with three run of stones. The venerable Schuyler Moses, now living on Chestnut street, worked on the erection of this mill. Another important edifice was the old Mansion House, built by D. K. Cartter and Abner Hollister, the first three-story build- ing erected here. Precautions were taken, in a thorough and systematic man- ner, even at this early date, against the destruction of the property of the village by fire, and every citizen had to be supplied with fire buckets, besides which arrangements were made for hooks, ladders and other apparatus included in the paraphernalia oftho.se days. A sketch of the fire department from that time to this is given further on. Of course, the lighter accomplishments, as well as the more solid branches of industry, must be cultivated, and therefore an instru- mental band was formed at this time, the first meeting being held at Reynolds's tavern, when arrangements were made to procure instruments from Utica. Preston Smith was chosen leader, and the members of the musical organisation HlSTnRV (iK IIIK Cll'V dK ROCHESTER. who pla_\-ed under him were Josejili Strong,', Bradford King, ILdwin Scrantom, K'hiel liarnard, IVikins, 1, I,, Miller, James Caldwell, Jedediah Stafford, II. T. MeGer.rge. Nathaniel T. Rochester, Selkreg, M\-n.)n Strong, l':ras- tns Cook (who brought the first piano to Rochester), Horace L. Sill, Alfred Judson, Alplieus Bingham, Levi W. Siblev anil Isaac Lijomis. Not alone on land but on water ditl the new \-illagc make its influence felt, for the steamboat Ontario now began to make regular trips from Sackett's Harbor to Lewiston, stopping at the port of Genesee, and to make connection with the vessel several craft were kejit bus_\- transporting produce and manufactured ar- ticles d(.>wn the ri\er, besides which many boats were at frecpient intervals com- in.g up to Hanf )rd's Landing from ports below. No statement is obtainable of the commerce for 1817, Init in the ne.xt _\ear the exports from the Genesee river down the lake to the Canada market, during the season of na\'igation, were 26,000 barrels of tloui', 1,653 l)arrels of |3ot and pearl ashes, i.ijj barrels of polk, 190 barrels of whisky, 214,000 double butt staves, which made a total \'aluation of $380,000. I'hat was not a bad showing for the foreign commerce of a little village during its first hill yeai' of corporate existence, ,uid l S i (j showei.l a fair increase upon that, fir the exports to Canada then amounted to $400,000. The v'ear 1818 was not remarkable for any thrilling events in the vil- lage or any striking adx'ance in its mateiial prosperity, but the strictest atten- tion was paid to the devising and enf H'cing of orth'nances for the promotion of health, the security of propert)' and the conxenience, as well as safetx', of the jieople. I\Litthew Brown, jr., Roswell Hart, William P. Sherman, Daniel Mack and II. R. l^ender were ap]Kiinte(.l as street patrol, and in their persons the maj- esty of the law was did_\' respected. The second \\eekl_\- newspaper was estab- lished — the Roc/ustcr rihi^ni/'/i (not Koclustrrvi/lc, for the appendix does not seem to ha\e been generall}' used e\en when it was officially a part of the name of the ])lace), edited, published aiitl printed by Kverard Peck & Co., the first number appearing on the Jth of July in this year. For the manufacture of the material used b\- the two journ.ils Gilman and Sibley built a paper-mill on the east siile, near Atkinson's tlour mill. In September the second census was taken, showing a poj)ukition of 1,049. 1^^'t however little of interest or excite- ment took place in the pro.ximity of the two cataracts then known as the Upper and Middle falls — the latter of which now bears the name of the former, while the continued deportation of the rock from the river bed above and below the Court street bridge has destro)-e<.l the precipice of fifteen feet for the "upper" fills to flow o\'er — enough w,is going on at the Lower falls to call our attention in that direction. The settlement then known as Carthage — an appellati(.in b(.)rne by that locality long after it was embraced within the cit}' limits, by which it was generally designated till a ver_\- few years ago — was a rival of Rochester, or rather it was hoped by those living" in the \-icinity of the lower falls and on the east side of the river that that point would be the very center of the future The Bridge Between Rochester and Carthage. hi city which they felt sure was to grow up somewhere in tlie neighborhood. Ca- leb Lyon, who was probabi)- the first settler there, had been on the ground for several years, had made a small opening in the forest and had erected a number of log cabins, but the few families upon the tract were mostly squatters, and Elisha B. Strong, from Windsor, Conn., may be considered the real pioneer — in fact, almost the "patroon" of the place. In company with Elisha Beach he pur- chased, in 1816, 1 ,000 acres embracing the site of Carthage and made the most de- termined efforts to build up a town that should be of enduring vitality. A pub- lic house was erected, ke[it by Ebenezer Spear ; stores were opened for business ; at least one lawyer, Levi H. Clark, had his office there, and Strong and Al- bright built, at the upper step of the fills, a flour mill with four run of stones. In spite of all this it was evident that more must be ilone ; one further act was necessary — the spanning of the Genesee and the uniting of the Ridge road, which was broken by the gorge of the river. For that purpose a stock com- pany was formed by Messrs. Strong, Beach and Albright, together with Heman Norton, for the erection of a bridge at that point, and at the same time — as the onl\' highway leading from the Brighton road to Carthage was the "Merchants' road," which had been cut by merchants of Canandaigua several years before — Franklin street was laid out. People who have wondered why that thoroughfare was put through at so unaccountable an angle with the contiguous streets will be satisfied with the explanation that it was done by the modern Carthaginians with the hope of diverting the tide of westward emigration from the "Buffalo road" and turning it in their direction. The bridge was begun in May, 1818, and from the beginning it attracted far more than local attention, though the re- marks were not always unmixed with bitterness. For instance, some one pur- porting to be a "traveler in the West" wrote at the time to the New York Spectator, pronouncing the structure "a monument of folly" and describing not only its projectors but the inhabitants of Rochester as a class as "bankrupts and adventurers without capital." To this ill-natured scribe replied a resident of Carthage, in a long letter to the New York Evening Post, demonstrating the utility of the work and vindicating the business integrity of the dwellers by the Genesee. As the edifice approached completion it became evident that it was to be one of the most admirable of its kind in existence, a writer in the Catskill Recorder observing that "it will almost rank with one of the wonders of the world." The bridge was finished before the winter was over, and how far the laudation quoted above was justified by the facts may be seen by the follow- ing, taken from the Rochester Telegraph o{ VehT\.\a.ry i6th, 18 19: — '• It is with pleasure that we announce to the public that the Carthage bridge is com- jjleted an- \-ears later, the effort was unsuccessful and the bill passed, aided in its adoption b>' the strenuous arguments of Daniel D. Barnard, Ash- ley Sampson and others, who went down to Alban_\- to facilitate its passage. Morris S. Miller, Robert S. Rose and NathcUi Williams, the commissioners ap- First Deed Recorded. "5 pointed for the purpose, located the new county building on a lot given for that object by Messrs. Rochester, Fitzhugh and Carroll, and on the 4th of S^-p- tember the corner-stone of the court-house was laid The first deed of land sold in the county after its erection was placed on record on the 6th of April in this \-car, bearing date of the 19th of March pre- vious. The conveyance was of a piece of ground in the town of Brighton (for the village was in the two to'vns of Brighton and Gates), on what is now the northwest corner of North St. Paul and Mortimer streets. The grantors were Elisha Johnson and Betsey his wife ; the grantees, Andrew V. T. Leav- itt and Charles J. Hill ; the witnesses, Lucinda House and Charles Harwood. The property was purchased in 1850 from Messrs. Leavitt and Hill by George G. Clarkson, who continued till a few )-ears ago to li\-e in the house which had been built there b}- Mr. Leavitt, when the demand for ground for manufactur- ing purposes caused him to sell it ; the old dwelling-house was then torn down and the Archer building erected in its place. In this \-ear (182 i) a female charit}- school was opened for the gratuitous instruction of poor children. In August the erection of the old aqueduct was begun. William Britton, who had been a keeper in Auburn state prison, was the contractor for the work, and, as it was a state affair, he was authorised by a special act of the legislature to employ a hundred convicts on the work. He seems, howe\-er, to have taken only thirty of those gentlemen at first, a number quite sufficient for the purpose, as it turned out, for they all made their escape, one after another, and sought else- where for more congenial fields of labor and a wider range of enjoyment. The force employed to guard them had probably been insuflicient, and what few custodians there were had evidently not practised shooting to any great extent, or perhaps they were Communists before their time, and sympathised with the fugitives; at an}- rate, it is certain that of all the shots fired at the escaping prisoners, not one took effect. Building went on apace in 1822. The third house fir public w(.irship was built in the \'illage by the society of Friends, and the fourth was begun b)' the Methodists, a brick chapel, on South St. Paul street, where the Opera House now stands. The county court-house was completed, and, though many of the readers of this volume will remember well its appearance, many others will not be able to go back so far as that, while both classes will be interested in the following description of the old building, taken from the directory of 1827: — "The natural declivity of the ground is reduced to two platforms — the first on the level of Buffalo street, forming a neat yard in front of the building, which recedes sev- enty-five feet from the line of the street, the other raised about six feet above the former and divided from it by the building itself and two wing walls of uniform appearance, presenting, toward Buffalo street, the aspect of an elevated terrace, but on a level with the streets immediately adjoining. This last, together with the yard of the Presby- terian church, now comprehended within the same inclosure, tbrms a small square, laid ii6 ■ HisTiiRV OF THE City of Rociifster. out in grass plats and graxcl walks, and needs only the further attention ot" the citizens, in ])lanting it uith shade trees and shruMiery. to render it a verv |)leasant and \alual)le accommodation as a |uilili(- walk. This is now known In' the name of Court si|uare. The courtdiouse liuililini; is fift\-four feet long, forty-four wide and forty high It presents two fronts — the one facing Court square, showing two stories and a base, the other toward Buffalo street, two stories and a full basement. Each front is finished with a projecting; portico, thirty feet long and ten feet wide, supported Ijv four fluted Ionic columns, surmounted li\' a regular entablature anil balustrade, which returns and con- tinues along the whole fmnt. From the center of the building arises an octagonal belfry, covered by a cupola. The basement affords convenient offices for county and village purposes. Tlie court-room is in the second story, extenduig the entire length and breadth of the buildnm. and is a remarkafily well lighted and air\- apartment." Tile basement relerrcd to was not always used for ofTicc- room alone, for durini; the hitter pinrtion of the existence (jf the structure the cells of the police station were located in the mirthwcst corner. The county jail, erected about this time, contained two tiers of cells, di\'idecl by ;i hall throut;h the center, incloseil in a secure manner. It stood in the rear of a handsome antl commo- dious brick house on what was then Hugdies street (now the north part of Fitzhui;!!), nil the site afterw.u'd occupied by the Unitarian church, cUld now by the (iermaii ICvangelical church of St. Paul. y\fter being usetl for its intended purjiose for about ten \-e.u-s, it was, after the erection of the jail on the island, occupied for a lon;_; time as a recruiting station b_\- officers of the United States army. Business w.is brisk in this \-ear, e\en in the winter, and it is recordcil that on the 5th of I^'ebru.ary 7,000 bushels of wheat were taken at the mills in Rochestei' and Carthat^^e. In the autumn the canal was extended as far as this place, and on the 2yth of October the first canal boat left the vil- lage for Little Falls, laden with flour. In Sejjtember the fourth census was taken, slmwing that the population had nearly doubled in two years, the num- ber recorded as p)erni.uient being 2,700, besides 430 laborers on the public works. Thurlovv Weed came here in November and obtained cmph.iyment on the Tcliy:raph. In 1 823 a fifth house of public worship was built, St. Patrick's (Roman Catholic I church, on Pkitt street, where its successor, the cathedr,d, now stands. It was constructed of stone, .and was forty-two feet long and thirt_\- eight wide. The great e\'ent of the year was the completion of the canal aqueduct across the Genesee river, which was signalised by a public celebration, consisting of an address by Ashley Sampson, and the passage of boats through the new water- wa\', escorted b\' the militar_\- companies, Masonic societies and citizens generally. The work C(.)st $83,000, and although far inferior to the existing structiu'e, both in expense and in workmanship, it \\,is considered at the time a "stupendous fabric," as it was denominatel by the civil engineer who superin- tended its construction Its west end was on the same spot as that of the pres- ent aqueduct, while its eastern terminus was a few rods north of where this one turns southward. The walls were composed of red_ sandstone, with pilasters Canal Aqueduct Fi.xisHED IN 1823. 117 and coping of gray limestone, and man)- of the blocks, particularly in the piers, were of great size. These were trenailed to the rock, in which excavations were made, by large iron bolts, and were so cramped and cemented as to form a mass which was supposed to possess the consistency and firmness of a single piece. The aqueduct was 804 feet long, and was built on eleven arches, one of t\\ent)--si.x feet chord, nine of fift\- feet each, and one of thirt\" feet, the re- maining distance being of masonr)- put up on the land. The piers were thirt)'- six feet long, ten feet wide, and four and a half high, with eleven feet for the rise of the arch. Many of the stones of which it was composed were used in building the high wall which runs along the bank of the canal north of Court street, and others went into the construction of private dwellings in the city. In the latter part of the }-car, meetings were held to devise means for aiding ,the Greeks in their struggle against the Turks. Ralls were given, money was subscribed to the extent of $1,500 throughout the county, and a fat ox was slain and sold by the pound, the proceeds being donated to the Greek fund. John Ouincy Adams, both during his presidential term and long afterward, frequently alluded to the fact that his first nomination for the executive office came from Rochester. The Telegraph had, in an early number during 1823, urged in its editorial columns, probably by the pen of Mr. Weed, who was then associate editor, the claims of the distinguished statesman, and was the first paper in the country, so far as is known, which placed his name at the head as the candidate for the presidency. Shortly afterward a public meeting was held here, at which Mr. Adams was nominated, which was the first action of the kind taken an\-where, and was as authoritative as any nomination could be, for national conventions were then unknown. The legislature of New York chose at that time the presidential electors, and Mr. Weed, though not a member of either house, went down to Albany and presented the claims of Mr. Adams as set forth here and elsewhere, for the movement had by that time become gen- eral throughout the state. It was owing in great part to Mr. Weed's influence that the friends of Henry Clay were induced to join with those of John Ouincy Adams in a union electoral ticket, to defeat William H. Crawford and General Jackson, which scheme was successful, and of the electors thus chosen thirty voted for Adams, five for Crawford and one for Jackson. ii8 Ilis'i'dRY oi' Till': Crr.v of Rociiestek. The I-'ii-st I'.ank in K. Tlu- .\1>. limi. .n ,.r Willir ion anil I'un i-liin.-nl <,r Tartv F. MIIK-. .1 — liillrrn Mlllll.K-. \Vh ich :' — IV) of Sam : I'alcl 1— ilic Ml CHAPTER XYIII, TIIF CROW ill dl' IHF NILLACE. lestcr — 'I'Ik- Fii'sl I'resliytt.-nan (;lnuxli — EaFayelte\ Visit to Rodu-stc-r — .Mi)ii;an — Tile E\ritc-nicnt in Ri iclic^trr ami Elsewlit-rf — Trial. Confess- e (Irii^inal AliiUiclois — Oilier liial- in Hiffeiriil ( uunlies — Anti-Masonie . of Feelins; Kngen.lereil — The lii.ily I'ouml al Oak Oivhanl — Morgan or |,s Xiaiher— Tlu- I'ir-t Villa-e 1 )n ee'tm y — Tlie Fate i.f (.-atliM — The Reap 11. n Rihle— The First Cholera Year — St. Patrick's Day in 1833. THE reciiril <>( 1SJ4 may bc^in with tlie cstablishiiiciU of the ]5ank nf Roch- ester, which was iiiCDrjjnratcd by act of the legishiture ; the Btiflalo street bridLje, beLjiiinint; to decay, was rebuilt by the county at an expense of $6, OOO, Samuel Works beini; the commissiniier and l^lisha Johnson the contractor ; the Episcopal society iilo\ed their old edifice to the rear atul erected .St. Luke's chiircJi, which is still st.iniJiiiL; and bids fair to last through another generation ; the I'irst J'resb_\"terian society ha\-iiig disposed of their old building to another congregation, erected a new church — the sixth in the x'illage — on h'itzhugh street, back of the couit-house, the church aiul its session-rnnm, which was separate from it, occup_\'ing the present site of the cits' hall. It fronted north and was eiglity-si.x tect long, by si.xt_\'-fotir wide aiitl thirty high, with a tower projecting three feet from the face "f the buikling and running uj) se\ent}'-one feet from the base, surnmunteil by an nctagntial spire of se\'enty-niiie feet, so that the whole height of the steciile was one lumdred and fifty feet. The \'es- tibule was entered Irom three iloors, from the middle one of which the stair- case rose, leading to the g, tileries. Unlike the arrangement in most churches, the pulpit was at the tVoiit of the auditorium, and all the pews were so arranged as to fice it directly. It was built of stone, covered with cement in imitation of whitish free-stone, ami the cost of the whole building, with the lot on which it stood, was about $16,000. .\ few ye.irs ;ifter its erection, while Rev. Dr. Einney was conducting a revival there, the plastering began to fall on the heads of the crowded congregation, and in consequence of the alarm then occasioned the walls were strengthened 011 the outside b\' buttresses rising between the windows and aht^ive the eax'es. In 1825 the qtiestion was agitated whether the commutiitv should apply for a charter as a city, since the powers granted to the village trustees b}' the act of incorporation were inadequate; after corisiderable discussion, the people con- cluded not to make the application but to rest content with an amendment, which was obtained, increasing the ])owers of the board of trustees. The growth of the place during the spring and early summer of this _\-ear was surprisingly large, for the \'illage census, taken in I-'ebruary, showed the population to be 4,274, while the state census taken on the istof August, ga\'e the number as 5,273, an increase of a thousaiul less one. On the 7th of June LaFayette vis- Visit of LaFayette. 119 ited the cit)', coming on a canal boat from the west, though the canal was not completed till four months later. A deputation of eighteen leading citizens had gone to Lockport the day before, to meet him and bring him hither, and, as the morning advanced, the flotilla came in sight, six boats leading, then a craft bearing the illustrious guest, then six other vessels completing the procession. Not only did all the village turn out to do honor to the idolised Frenchman, who had done so much for the independence of this country, but an equal num- ber of persons came in from the surrounding towns to participate in the ova- tion. From a stage erected over the center arch of the aqueduct, William B. Rochester made an address of welcome, to which the general gave a reply, of which the following words are a portion : — "Sir, when, about ten months ago, I had tlie hai)j)ines,s to revisit the .\merit'an shore it was in the bay of New York, and within the limits of her vast and flourishing empo rium of commerce, that I made a landing. On this western frontier of the state, where I am received in so affectionate and gratifying a manner, I enjoy a sight of works and improvements equally rapid and wonderful, chief among which is the grand canal, an admirable work of science and patriotism whereby nature has been made to adorn and serve, as seen in the striking spectacle which is at this moment presented to our view." During the firing of a salute LaFayette landed, and, in company with Col- onel Rochester, rode through the streets to Colonel Hoard's, where he received the veterans of the Revolution. Frorn thence he was taken to the Mansion House, where a dinner was served, with some two hundred guests, and at four o'clock in the afternoon he set out for Canandaigua, where he passed the night. In this year the old Museum building, on E.xchange street, was built ; Josiah Bissell purchased what was called the Cornhill tract, a district now lying in the third and eighth wards, which has almost to this day borne the name of Corn- hill. The appellation of the tract came from the fact that it was then a farm, the greater part of which was a cornfield. In 1826 the seventh house for public worship was erected, a meeting-house built by the Dissenting Methodists; a bridge was built at what is now Court street, the. money being raised by subscription, and the work done by a com- pany of land proprietors, who cut the street through to the Pittsford road (now East avenue), on the east side of the ri\-er, and at the same time built the Rochester House, on the west side, on the southwest corner of Exchange street and the canal, hoping to draw the travel in that direction ; Luther Tucker & Co. established the Rochester Daily Advertiser (with Henry O'Rielly as ed- itor), the first daily paper between Albany and the Pacific ocean ; the village census showed a population of 7,669. This year is rendered memorable by the abduction, from the jail at Canan- daigua, of William Morgan, a former resident of Rochester, who had been engaged in preparing for publication a book purporting to reveal the secrets of Freemasonry. When it was understood that Morgan was intending to pub- lish these things, every effort was made to suppress them ; menaces, threats History of the City of Rochester. and bribes were resorted to in vain ; an attempt was made to burn the printing- office in which the pages were being put in t)-pe, and finally Morgan was sub- jected to a number of harassing arrests, which his intemperate habits and general character made easy, for he was nut nf high standing in the communi- t)'. He was repeatedl)- put in jail for small debts, and at last arrested on a charge of pett\' larceii)', being accuseil of borrowing a shirt from a ta\'ern- keeper at Canandaigua and not returning it. He was taken from his home in Bataxia to the former \illage, where the charge was promptly dismissed, but he was immediatel}- re arrested on a debt of two dollars, which he admitted, and was thrown into prison, on the lith of September. The ne.xt night several men came to the pris-ears, during which the trials in fi\e dif- ferent counties of those charged with the abduction were going on — special sessions of the courts being sometimes ordered for the jnirpose — and finall}' entering into the arena of politics, where it broke up the parties then existing, divided the politicians into friends and opponents of the order, and created a distinctly Anti-Masonic political part)', which for years influenced the elections in this state, and put a presidential ticket into the field in 1832. Rochester was the center of excitement, and the Monroe county Morgan committee, with Herve\- El)-, Thurlow Weed, Frederick F. Backus and Frederick \Vhittlese_\- as the most active members, was earnestly engaged in bringing to light all the facts that could be obtained with regard to the dark afiair. The first indictments found were those against the four persons supposed to have been engaged in taking Morgan from the Canandaigua jail and putting him into the carriage in which he was driven awa)-. Three of the accused — Chesebro, Sawyer and Lawson — pleaded guilty, to the surprise of the court and the spectators, as it had been supposed, from the eminence of their coun- sel, consisting of John C. Spencer, Mark H. Sibley, W. Hubbell and H. F. Penfield, that a determined defense would be made. The fourth defendant, Sheldon, was tried and convicted, but it was generally admitted afterward that his case was one of mistaken identity and that it was some one else who stood b}- the door and was supposed to be Sheldon by Mrs. Hall, the wife of the jailer, who let out the prisoner and his captors and who witnessed the struggles of Morgan as he was being forced into the coach. Chesebro and Sawyer pleaded in mitigation of their ofiense that they supposed that the object in removing Morgan was to get him away from the control of Miller, who had been influencing him to publish his disclosures ; that they supposed, until the last moment, that Morgan had consented to go away freely and that they did The Abduction of Morgan. not know what had become of him, all of which was probabh- true. Sawyer was sentenced to one month's imprisonment in the county jail, Sheldon to three months' and Chesebro to one year's, while Lawson, who had hypocritically paid Morgan's debt and beguiled him to his doom, was sentenced for two years. The admissions made by some of the witnesses on the trial of Sheldon, as well as the persistent inquiries of the Morgan committee, resulted in tracing, stage by stage, the route that was taken by the carriage containing Morgan from Canandaigua through this city down to Hanford's Landing and thence west to Lewiston, where, as was alleged, he was taken across the Niagara river to Canada. Upon these data indictments were found against a great number of persons, some of prominence, others insignificant, and the results of the different trials were as diverse as possible, the verdict of "guilty" being ren- dered in some cases, of "not guilt}"" in others, while in the majority of in- stances, perhaps, the jury disagreed. The testimony was of course conflicting, but it seemed to be fairl\- established that the prisoner was taken to Canada and an eMort made to induce the Masons there to take care of him, perhaps, as was said b\- many, to send him to some distant point of the British domin- ions. Before most of the trials took place Gov. De Witt Clinton, who was him- self a Mason and the highest authority in the order in the United States, became so well satisfied, from private information which he had obtained, of Morgan's transportation to Canada that he wTote officially to the earl of Dal- housie, the governor of Lower Canada, and said, after giving a description of Morgan : — " During the la.st year he put a manuscript into the hands of a printer in Batavia. pur- porting to be a promulgation of the secrets of P'reemasonry. This was passed over by the great body of that fraternity without notice and with silent contempt, but a few desperate fanatics engaged in a plan of carying him off, and on the 12th of September last they took him from Canandaigua by force, as it is understood, and conveyed him to the Niagara river, from whence it is supposed that he was taken to her Britannic majesty's dominions. Some of the offenders have been apprehended and punished, but no intelli- gence has been obtained respecting Morgan since his abduction. I have therefore to appeal to your justice and humanity on this occasion, and to request your excellency to cause inquiry to be made respecting him, and. if he is forcibly detained, to direct his lib- eration and to communicate to me the results. It is conjectured that he is confined in some fort or prison under false pretenses." Lord Dalhousie was unable to give any information with regard to the matter. The narrative from the point of Morgan's passage across the river into Canada grows more uncertain. The evidence is circumstantial, but that which is practically unimpeached goes to show that he was brought back — pre- sumably because the people on the other side would have nothing to do with him — and was confined for a few days in an old magazine in Fort Niagara, at Lewiston. What was done with him after that is not historical, but the story which is more nearly substantiated than any other is that he was taken out of History of the City of Rochester. the fort, put into a boat, rowed out in the Niagara river to some point near where its waters widen into Lake Ontario, and drowned. No direct testimon\- til that eftect was obtaineel at any of the tri.ds, the witnesses who were sup- posed to kn(.)w something of tlie ni.itter eitlier refusing to answer on tiie ground that b_\- so doing they might criniin.ite iheniseh'es or else testif\'ing to complete ignorance as to the ending of the tragedy. The evidence outside the court- room is indirect, consisting of reports of confessions and of narrati\'es made from hearsay, and onl\' in th.it it is cumulati\e does it ofier better claims to credibility than the vague ruuiois from time to time that the missing man had been seen in remote parts of the earth. The secret was v\ell kept, and was undoubtedly told to but few outside of those engaged in the work. Th.it the \,ist body of Masons both here and elsewhere were not onl_\' guiltless of ail)' complicity in the crime at an\- of its stages but were, then and ever after, in profound ignorance ot its consumm.ition. no one at this da)- can doubt for a moment. Not so in that unhappy time. The righteous indignation of the peo[)le o\'er the commission of the deeil extended to a grountlless hatred of the whole order, the members of which were subjected to persecutions of \arious kinds, were generally ill tre,ited .uid in some instances — as on the occasion of a jjrocession at Hata\'ia, Morgan's old home — narrowly escaped death from the blind fury of the mob. The constant trials in courts of justice for nearly three years were enough to keep ali\e the ill teeling that was engendered, but other events occured to fan the flames of passion and intolerance. I-'or ten years from the incorporation of the \illage Dr. F. F. Backus h,ul been annnall)' elected treasurer of Rochester, but after the abduction of ^forgan he had come out as an opponent of Masonr\'. As the \illage election in the summer of 1827 approached he was again placed in nomination, fjut, though the societ}- in this locality in- creased rather than diniinish( d in bitterness, the part of wisdom was taken and all the Masonic institutimis in Rochestei' and the surrounding countr)' ceased to e.xist, being abolished 1)_\- surrendering their charters to the grand lodge. Man}' of our prominent citizens who were instrumental in the adoption of this conciliatory course uniteti publicly in assigning their reasons, which were after- ward L-mlxiilicd in an address that was circulated through the newspa]5ers and in pamphlet firm. After remaining thirmant fir more than a d--eight lawyers, seven clergymen, thirt_\--one printers, etc. The trade in lumber is spoken of as very considerable, and the commerce on the canal is mentioned, with the statement that "passengers are charged one and a half cents a mile, exclusive of board, which is about fifty cents a day." The public edifices are described, including the market, which was then building on the northeast corner of Main and Front streets, and which fell into the river a few years later. The little book con- cludes with this sentence: "We look forward to this place at some distant day as a flourishing city, flourishing not merely in wealth and power but in knowledge and virtue, an honor and a blessing to sister cities around, and the home of a great people, enlightened and happy." The year 1828 was signalised by no important incidents, but the fate of a young artist excited the deepest sympathy for a long time after his death, wliich occurred on Sunday, September 2 1 St. The Mechanics' Institute had commissioned the celebrated painter George Catlin to execute a portrait of De Witt Clinton, which when finished was brought to Rochester b\' Julius Cat- lin, a younger brother of the artist. Young Catlin, who was also a painter, set out one fine day to make sketches of the lower falls. Descending to the water's edge he endeavored to reach a sand-bar near the center of the river, probably to get a better view of the scene. When about half way across the channel he was seized with cramps and ere assistance could arrive he had per- ished. An elegant gold watch and chain, seen in his possession a short time before he entered the water, were missing, and the suspicion arose that he had been foully dealt with by a man who was fishing at the time near by, but this gave way upon investigation. The funeral of the unfortunate Catlin was held at the Episcopal church in this city on Tuesday, September 23d, and a sermon was preached by Rev. Mr. Gear, after which the body was followed to the grave by a large number of persons and interred with appropriate ceremonies. No event particular!)- conducive to the growth or welfare of the village marks the year 1829, but it is made forever memorable in local histor_\' by the last and fatal leap of Sam Patch. Sam was a person whose celebrity was not con- fined to this neighborhood, though his home was here, at least as much as any- where else, for he hat! acquired a reputation, some time before his final plunge into the water, by making an aquatic descent at Paterson, N. J., and by jumjv ing into Niagara river from a rock projecting from the bank more than half the height of the cataract. He had a habit, more prominent when he was in his usual condition of inebriety than when he was perfectly sober, of saying that "some things can be done as well as others," and it was the reduction of this platitude to an absurdity that cost him his life. On the 8th of November he leaped over the precipice close to the Genesee falls, a distance of ninety-six 126 History of the City of Rochester. feet, accompanied in his iilunc^e h\- a tame hear. Both beings came to the sur face soDii after striking the water, as much satisfied with the entertainment as were tlu cmwd of spectators. Not content with lliis success, Sam announceil that he would exceed that performance, ami so on the 13th of the same month he ascendeti a scaffolding twent\- feet higlier than the brink of the falls, where he harangued in maudlin fishion the immense throng that swarmed on earth and roof and brancli. As he proceetled, he became conscious of his weakness, and to re\i\e his fiiling courage lie took another draught of liquor. The effect was the reverse of what he hoped for; his nerves became unstrung, but he was not the man to retreat, e\-en with death staring him in the face; in desperation he rushetl firward and took the terrific plunge, falling rather than leaping, and striking the water, not with his feet but upon his side, and with a force, as was estimated at the time, of more than 4,000 pounds. He diti not rise to view, and no trace of the rash adventurer was found throughout the winter. Rumors were afloat that he liad lieen seen, but they were baseless and were dispro\'ed in the following s[)ring, when his mangled body, with the limlis broken, was found at the mouth of the ri\er, and was buiied in the little cemeter)- at Char- lotte. It was in this \-ear that our village narrowly escaped the attainment of celeb- rit\- on account of its connection with another mountebank, of brighter intellect than [)oor Sam Patch, and of infinitely greater capacity for mischief, who was then about to introduce to the woi'ld a new religion, tlestined to carry in its train a long line of miseries that would ha\-e aiijialled even the stolid heart of its founder, could he ha\-e foreseen them, and probably deterred him from his course. The stor\- is told b_\- Thurlow Weed, in his autobiography, in these words : — ■' A stout, rounii. smoolh-faced young man, between tuenty-fivc- and tliirty, with the air and manners of a person uilhout oc ciqiation. came into the Rochester 7rl,\'raii/i ol'tice ant! said lie wanted a book printed, and nddeil that he had been directed in a vision to a place in the woods near Palmyra, where he resided, and tliat he found a •golden Bible,' from whi( li he was directed to co]))- tiie book that he wanted published. He then iilaced what he called a 'tablet' in his hat, from which he read a chapter of the 'hook of Mormon,' a ehaiiter which seemed so senseless that I thought the man either crazed or a very shallow impostor, and therefore declined to become a publisher, thus depriving m\self of whatever notoriety might have been achieveti by having my name im])rinted upon the title page of the first Mormon Bible. It is scarcely necessary to add that this individual was Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon creed. On the day but one t"ollowing he came again, accompanied by Martin Harris, a substantial farmer residing near Palmyra, who had adopted the Mormon faith and who offered to become security tor the e'x])euse of printing. But I again declined, and he subsetjuently Ibund a publisher in V,. B. Grandin, of Palmyra, in 1830." In 1S30 St. Paul's church was finished and consecrated, the builder being Klisha Johnson, whose authority as president of the board of trustees at the time enabled him to procure a change of the name of the street on which the edifice The Cholera Epide.nhc in 1832. 127 stood, from River to St. Paul. The last wolf seen wild in the count)- was killed in February, near Irondequoit ba\-, after being hunted for fi\-e days by nearly a hundred persons from Rochester and adjacent villages; he was five and a half feet long, and had destroyed many sheep before he was tracked; up to some twent_\--five )'ears ago his stuffed skin stood before a hat store opposite the Ar- cade. In this \-ear Dr. Joel Parker, then pastor of the Third Presbyterian church, preached a discourse for the benefit of the Female Charitable society, at which was sung an ode composed for the occasion b)' Judge Harvey Hum- phrey, the first verse of which is as follows : — "All hail to thee, Charity ! daughter of heaven ! Best, sweetest of mercies to lost mortals given ! Oh. dark were our journey, through life's weary day, Without thy bright smile to illumine our way." The next year seems to have been marked by few events of local im- portance. Col. Nathaniel Rochester died on the 31st of May; a sketch of his life will be found in another place. The first cargo of wheat from Ohio to Rochester was brought by the old Hudson and Erie line, to Hervey Ely. The Monroe County Horticultural society was organised on the 8th of October, with James K. Guernsey as president, Orrin E. Gibbs as treasurer, and Hestor L. Stevens as recording secretary ; a fine exhibition of flowers was made in the Arcade. No charge of lack of interest can be made against the record of 1832, but the predominant interest is of a sad and gloomy character, for it was the first year of the cholera in this locality. Toward the close of the spring the dreaded scourge had appeared in New York city and Montreal, and in anticipation of its arrival in this village a public meeting was held here to devise measures to prevent its coming, if possible, or, at the worst, to mitigate its destructiveness. Dr. Ward, Dr. Coleman, Dr. Reid, Everard Peck and Ashbel W. Riley (who became a major-general in the militia service a few year later, since which time he has been universally known by his title) were appointed a board of health, and Dr. Coleman was sent to Montreal to learn as to the best methods of pre- vention and of treatment; the village was districted and every precaution taken, but all in vain. The first case was that of a stranger, whose name was never learned. He had just arrived here and was stopping at a little tavern on South St. Paul street, below Court, kept by J. Polly. When his case was re- ported Mr. Riley attended him and did all that could be done for him, but he died the same day and was interred in the old burying-ground on Monroe avenue, where the bodies of all the victims of the disease in that year were laid. From that time on, all through the blazing months of July and August, the pestilence stalked through the .little town, and wherever it went Mr. Riley went with it, without hesitation, without fear, without rest, except what was absolutely necessary. One hundred and eighteen died during the summer, and eighty of that number he placed in their coffins with his own hand, almost 128 HiSTORV OF THE CiTY OF ROCHESTER. invariabl)- unaided and alimc. His nld codper-shup on Brown street was fitted up as a hospital, where those smitten with the disease were taken unless the)- had friends to take care of them at home, but, in spite of all, fift_\'-four died and their remains were buried in the cemeter)' on West avenue. St. Patrick's da_\' fell nn Sunda_\- in 1833, and so its obser\'ance was post- pimed till the next ila_\-. March i8th, when the celebr.itiun consisted principally of a public dinner at the Franklin House, then kept by Jcunes Tone. Henry O'Rielly presided, with Gen. Hestor L. Stevens, Isaac R. Ehvood, W, A. Rab- beson and John O'Donoughue officiating as vice-iM'esidents at the different tables. Long speeches were made b\' Mr. O'Rielly and Judge P. G. Buchan. In the first month of this x'ear a charity school was established b\- the society of St. Luke's church lor the free ei.lucation of the poor children of the cit\-, which was undoubtedl)' not denominational in its work, for the directory of 1834 states that upward of 400 persons under the age of fifteen had received instruction in it during the previous )'ear. The teacher was G. P. Waldo, and the school was established during the rectorate of the Rev. Dr. Whitehousc, afterward bishop of Illinois. With the mention of this noble though inf the granting of any licenses for the sale of artlent spirits, confident that their public use was a seri- ous detriment to the welfare of the cit_\'. The common council of the first \'ear, although opposed in licensing in general, differed with him as to the strict ap- plicatinn of the jirinciple and had pei'mitetl four gr(jcers to sell the intoxicat- ing fluid, believing that a gradual reform would be more satisfactor)- to the cit- izens than an absulute denial of all applications. The new board, however, which came in in June, 1S35, were far more lax than their predecessors and at once granted so man}' licenses that Mr. Child, rather than sign the permits, re- signed on the 23d of that month the office of mayor, from which he would have otherwise have retired on the first of the ne.xt January, as the nia)'or and com- mon council were not, after the beginning, to enter upon their duties at the same period. The resignation was accepted and the recorder, Isaac Hills, was authorised to sign all tavern and grocery licenses till a new mayor was chosen, which election took place on the 2d of July and General Jacob Gould entered upon the duties of the office. A great flood occurred in this year, which, though not so disastrous as that of thirty years later, was worse than anything that had taken place before its ou n time ; up the river vast damage was done to hay and Corn; ,it this point l^uffalo street was overflowed as. far west as the Arcade and much injur_\- was done to goods in cellars ; at the lower falls the new bridge was swe|)t awa}' ; careful measurements made by Hervey Ely showed that the quantity of water which then passed was as much as 2,164,000 cubic feet in a minute. 1 he Rochester Academv of Sacred Music w,( life, foi' there was nobody (in board of her when she de- scended the tails. More recruits rushed to the island, gun-houses were rifled of their contents here aiul elsewhere, and a real war seemed about to be precip- itated between the two couiitiies liy the ])opular madness. Before the patience of the Canadian government g.ive out, however, our own interferetl ; General Scott was ordered to the frontier; with a few troops he cleared off the isl.uid ; the authorities on the other side sentenced about a dozen persons to transpor- tation to Botan_\- Bay (nv life, though it afterwai'd pardemed those of the con\icts wIki were American citizens, .md so the Na\_\- island raid came to an end. Mackenzie, the leader of the rebellion, escaped to New York, an<.l fmall)', in Jan- uar\-, lf^39, came uj) here, where he started a weekl_\- pa|ier, called the (hizcttc, intending to make furthei' ti'ouble fir the CcUiadian goxernment ; in June of that )-ear he was tried at Caiiand-iigua fir violation of the neutralit)' laws, was C(.in\icted and sentenced to imprisonment in our jail fir eighteen months ; within a \-ear he was jiardoiled anil disapi)eare(.l. An affair of more purely local intei'est, though prodiicti\'e of an excite- ment almost equall}- gre.it, and an interest more lasting, was the murtier of William l.\'m.in by (.)cta\ius liarron, on the night of the 23d of Octobei'. Ly- man was a grain bu\er employed by Joseph Strong, the proprietor" of the City mills, and he started homeward f h' the last time with nearly $6,000 in his pos- session. H' returned, and the procession, augmented by the fire de- partment of the city, moved at once to Mount Hope. Just as the line entered the grounds it was joined by Governor Seward and his stafif, who had come from Batavia on a special train, b_\- the fastest time e\'er made up to that point, a fact that was chronicled in newspapers throughout the country. The two receptacles containing the precious relics were united in one structure and placed on an elevation which had been deeded for that purpose, and a short address was delivered by Rev. Elisha Tucker of this city, dedicating the spot under the name of -Revolutionary hill — though the title subsequently gave place to that of Patriot hill. Vice-Chancellor Whittlesey then introduced the governor, who made an address befitting the occasion. On the /th of January, 1842, Jesse Hawley died at Cambria, Niagara cocmt}-, and was buried at Lockport, which had been his [permanent residence since 1836; he was the original projector of the overland route of the Erie canal and was one of the most prominent citizens of Rochester during its existence as a village, holding many offices, among others that of collector of the port of Genesee, to which he was appointed by President Monroe in 1S17 and held it until Jackson's election in 1828. The fourth of July was grandly celebrated, all the military, civic, literar\' and benevolent societies turning out and going to Washington square, where Chancellor Whittlesey delivered an address and temperance pledges were circulated, receiving many signatures. During the summer the Auburn & Rochester railroad had a prolonged quarrel with the National Hotel, a temperance house, in the course of which the agent of the road tore down the sign of the hotel ; an indignation meeting of the citizens was held, nearly 2,000 attending. A duel was fought on Pinnacle hill, between two young men whose names are not given in the newspapers of that time; no one was hurt, and it was thought that the seconds, in loading the pistols, forgot to put in the balls. The new aqueduct was finished at a cost of $600,- 000. Ireland's wrongs seem to have agitated the minds of many of our citizens during the summer of 1843, many meetings being held to advocate the repeal of the union with luigland and the restoration of Ireland's nationality, the largest of them being on the loth of July, in Monroe hall, when addresses were made by the chairman. General Hestor L. Stevens, George Dawson, Dr. Thel- ler and others. John Ouincy Adams visited Rochester on the 27th of July; was received with great honor by a committee, three of whom had been pre- viously appointed to go to Buffalo to meet him; grand torchlight procession in the evening in his honor, and an address by the venerable statesman from a platform erected in the court-house square. Up to the time of the November election in 1844, the whole state was agitated by the presidential canvass, and Rochester was in no wise behind the 136 History of the City of Rochester. other cities in the enthusiasm dispku'ed. On the I 2th of April the friends of Henr_\' Cla_\- celebrated tlie birthday of their favorite b\- a larye gathering at Irx'ing hall, at which Gnvernor Seward was expected to be present, but he sent, instead, a two-column letter; l^lisha B. Strong presided and an oration was de- livered b>- iJr. D. F. Bacon, of New York. .August 24th Levi W. Sibley died; he was one of the pioneers, having come here in 1818 with his brother Derick; they were printers, antl after working for some _\-cars on the Tclcgrapli they purchased the Gazette in 1S21, and published it foLir vears. The census taken in March showed a population of 23,553, '"i increase of 3,358 in three years. Three hundred and ten new buildings were erected during the year, about equall)' di\'ided between the two sides of the river. Temperance, the canal and sla\-ery seem to have troubled the minds of our people a good deal during 1845; Washingtonian gatherings were held to pro- mote total abstinence, and a grain con\'ention, attended by delegates from all the western part of the state, took place here January 29th and 30th, to pro- test against the competition of the Welland canal in diverting traffic from the direct line of the Krie; James Seymour presided, man_\- speeches were made and resolutions were adopted calling upon the legislature to equalise the tolls, so as to make western forwarelers pa\- the same whichever wa_\- the produce went. On Februar_\- 5th, Ca\\ and 7th the Western New York /\nti-slavery society held a convention, Isaac Post presiding. The mayoralt)- election in March was quite exciting; Rufus Keeler, the Locofoco candidate, and John Allen, the Whig, were within two votes of each other, and the common coun- cil, acting as a board of canvassers, were tied on the question of allowing three imperfect votes to John Allen, which would have elected him; Mr. Allen, having, as mayor, the casting vote in the council, magnanimousl>' decided against himself, and Mr. Keeler was declared elected; he declined to accept the office, and Mr. Allen, w ho b)- that means would have held o\-er, sent in his resignation and the common council appointed William Pitkin ma\-or. On the 19th of Ma)' an anti-gambling meeting of prominent citizens was held, at which J. H. Green, "the reformed gambler," made an address; two da\'s later a societ)' was formed, with P'rederick Whittlesey as president, Messrs. Champ- ion, Kempshall, Buniphre\-, Smith, Bloss, Wheeler and Bart(jn as vice-presi- dents; L 1'". Mack as corresponding secretary, and J. H. Babcock as treasurer; under the auspices of the society Mr. Green delivered a lecture at the court- house five da)-s afterward. On the 1st of October Edwin Scrantom, one of the best known auctioneers of the day, sold off a large quantity of central real estate, in several small parcels, to the highest bidders; twelve lots on the east side of Front street brought $4,815; thirteen on the west side, $6,660; three on Mumford street sold for $1,275; nine on Mill street realised $1,740; five on a back street then running between Front and the river bank went for $1,490; the Selye house and lot, on the corner of Mill and Fish (now Center) Franklin's Birthday. — Famine in Ireland. 137 streets reached $3,600, and other property was knocked down for $8,645 — '" all $28,225, to eleven purchasers. On the 22d of October a state temperance convention was held here, presided over by Chancellor Whittlesey. The widow of Colonel Nathaniel Rochester died on the 9th of December, leavin' officers were to be after that year elected by the people, except the clerk of the board, the superintendent of Mount Hope cemetery and the messenger of the ciiuncil. On the 30th of September the Society of the Pioneers was organised, at a dinner held at the Blossom House, with I'Lnos Stone as president. Judge Sampson. Ralph Parker and Oliver Culver, as vice- presidents ; si\t_\--two were [iresent at this first festival, or sent letters joining the organisation, which at the outset was to comprise tnily those who were here before 1816; of that ()riL;uial number, not one is now living, the last to pass awa\- being Charles J. Hill, who dietl last _\'ear ; the limit of time was then ex- tended so as to admit all who resided in Western New York prior to I 820; the number of members then rajjidly increasetl, so that in i860 there were ninety men and f^rty women connected with the societ)'. In Jul_\- a new railroad bridge was built across the river by the Auburn & Rochester railroad, to take the place of the okl one laid down se\en years before. In this year coal was first burned as fuel, as will be more fully told in another chapter. The mor- tality for this )'ear was 747, a death rate ot more than two and a half percent. In P'ebruary, 1S48, much excitement was caused by the disappearance of Porter P. Pierce, a \'oung woolen manufacturer; a meeting was held at which sixty-eight prominent citizens, with Dr. Webster at the head, were appointed a vigilance committee to unravel the mystery; other meetings were held, and rewards offered; the bod\' was afterw,u'(_l found in the river with marks of vio- lence ; the murderer was nevei' discovered. On the 2d of August there was a woman's rights con\'ention at the Unitarian church, the building being filled to overflowing; Am_\- Post called the meeting to order; Abigail Bush was presi- dent, with other women to fill the remaining offices; proceedings were opened with prayer b}- Rev. Mr. Wicher, of the Free Will Bajnist church; Miss Burtis, a Quaker school-teacher, acted as reader, as the secretaries could not be heard. Frederick Douglass, William C. Nell and William C. Bios-; spoke in favor of the emancipation of women from all artificial disabilities; Mile Codding and three other men spoke against this, contending that "woman's sphere was home," to which Lucretia Mott replied vigorously, followed by Mrs. Stanton and others ; letters were read from Gerrit Smith and William Lloyd Garrison, cordially approving all the objects of the meeting; there were three sessions, each well attended. On /Vugust 23d a citizens' meeting was held for the relief of Alban\-, nearly a cpiarter of that city being burned, with a loss of more than a million of dollars ; a draft for $1,000 was remitted by the ma)-or, Joseph F'ield. The gas work's having been completed in this year, the illuminating fluid was supplied on the 13th of December, the first consumer being C. A. Jones, who resided on F'ranklin street. Incidexts of 1850. 139 Cholera visited the place again in I S49, in spite of the fact that the utmost precautions had been taken in the early part of the )-ear to cleanse the filthiest places, and put the city in a sanitar\' condition ; about one hundred and sixty deaths resulted from the disease. In Ma\- the trial of Dr. Ilardenbrook, for the murder of Thomas Nott, took place, the motive alleged being the desire to marr\' Mrs. Nott ; strong testimony was offered to show that death occurred from poison administered by the doctor, who had professionally treated the deceased ; the jury, after being out five hours, rendered a verdict of acquittal. Fanny Kemble read here, May 9th and loth, "Othello" and the "Tempest." Corinthian hall was opened during the summer, having been begun in the spring of the previous year ; Bugle alley was changed in name to Exchange place, and the title of Mill street was given to the whole line of-that thorough- fare, whose southern end had hitherto been known as Work street. As navi- gation was nearing its close, the City mills, which were overloaded, fell with a crash, in consequence of the great strain upon the floors; eleven thousand bushels of wheat were precipitated into the raceway and the flumes, which be- came dammed up and the water burst through, carrying the grain into the river; an almost total loss. On the 13th of Alarch, 1850, General Ebenezer S. Beach died; he came here in 1820, and almost from the first was engaged in the milling business, in which he was, so dxr as known, more extensively interested than any other person in the United States. John T. Talman, another of the early settlers, died February 12th. Hamlet Scrantom, who was the first white resident of Rochester, on the west side of the river, died in this year, in the house on State street (subsequently occupied by Martin Briggs, his son-in-law) where the family had resided since 18 16. The corner-stone of the court-house was laid on the 20th of June, with imposing ceremonies, all the military and the city officials turning out and moving through the principal streets ; the prayer was by Rev. Dr. Hall, the address by Judge Chapln, and the stone was laid by Mayor Richardson and the chairman of the board of supervisors ; in the box under it were placed copies of all the newspapers of the day, city directories, daguerreotypes of officials, statistics of various kinds, and man\' other objects of interest. A mournful occasion caused the passage of a similar procession, augmented b}- the fire department and the secret societies, on the 13th of July, in token of the national loss sustained b\' the death of the president. General Taylor, on the 9th ; at Washington square a eulogy was delivered by Rev. Mr. Hickok, of the Bethel church ; most of the buildings in the city were draped, and the railroad trains that passed through were covered with the em- blems of mourning ; General L. B. Swan was marshal of the day on both of these observances. In September Powers's "Greek Slave" was exhibited here for several days. Lectures were given during the early part of the year by- Horace Greeley, President Hopkins, of Williams college ; Richard H. Dana, 140 History of the City of Rochester. John B. G()u,l;1i, Senator John P. Hale, Hishop Hopkins, of V^-rmont, and Rev. Dr. Lord, of Buftalo. The L'ni\ersit_\- of Rochester and the theological sem- inar)' were established here in .uitunin. The census taken during the summer shoueil a popukition of 36,561, an increase of I 1,296 in fi\e _\-ears. This fin- ishes the first half of the nineteenth centui')', though not the first half century of the existence of Rochester, which hatl, howexer, even at this time, taken her place as one of the most [prosperous, and in some respects one of the most important, cities in the state. CHAPTER XX. THE CITY'S I'ROC.RESS Ti 1 THE \V.\R IIMI',. ViMt of EilliiKMX- and hi> r.,l.iiK.-t. an.l ..f Daniel Wcl.Mer — Smgins^ cf Jenny Eind — Civic Ee- lival in 1N51 — Iluililin.^ llie New C.iurl-l Inu^e — I'lie .Meridian .if Roeliester —The .Moelv Funeral ..f llenrv I 'lay — Tile Cholera in I.S52 — the Ira St. .at Mur.ler — The •• Irrepres^ilile Cnnfliel " — De Lave•^ Knpe-Walking — Heath „( E.v-.Mayorv .Mien an.l Child. PRI'lSIDIiNT PTLLMORK concei\ed the idea that some of the unpopu- larit\' which he had incurred at the Xorth, and especiall}' in his own state, by signing the fugitive slave bill, would be removed b_\' making a tour with his cabinet and explaining matters as he went along, so he set out with three of the secretaries and was gener.dly well receixed; he reached here i.m the 20th of May, 185 I, and was greeted by a fine turnout of tl'ie militar)- and other organisations; much disap[)ointment was felt over the absence of Daniel Web- ster, then secretary of state, who had lagged behind the party for some time, not getting to Buffalo till two days after the others had left; salutes were fired and the visitors were escorted to Washington square, where the mayor made a long address to the president, \sho responded, followed by Attorne)'-General Crittenden and ex-Go\'. Graham, secretary of the navy; in the afternoon the party dined at the P^agle Hotel, where more speeches were made. Mr. Web ster reached here three da\'s later, but was not honored b)' an official recep- ti(.in, which he had probablv' expected and which he would certainU' have received a few x'ears beRire ; the ne.xt morning he spoke, from the south end of the Arcade galler\', to a large crowd, but the circumstances under which his speech was deli\'ered were not such as to enhance his great reputation. Jenn)' Lind sang here Jul\' 22d and 24th ; the desire to hear her was so great that e\'er)' nook and corner in the adjacent streets was occupied, and as the heat of the e\'enings caused the wintlows of Corinthian hall to be kept -wide open it was estimated that the notes of her voice reached as many outside of The New Court-House. 141 the building as listened to it within. For her second night the tickets, to keep them out of the hands of speculators, were sold at auction, and they all brought a premium, which aggregated $2,501.41; this amount she sent the next day to the mayor, N. E. Paine, to be distributed as follows : To the Fe- male Charitable society $800, to the Rochester orphan asylum $500, Catholic orphan asylums $300, Home for the Friendless $300, German Lutheran church $200, Cartmen's Benevolent association $200, Firemen's Benevolent association $201.41. The annual fair of the State Agricultural society was held here in September, with greater /(-/<•?/ than in any year since then; the address was delivered b_\' Stephen A. Douglas ; and the crowd in attendance was by far the largest ever seen up to that time in Western New York; one evening during the progress of the fair a civic festival was held in Corinthian hall, which was attended by Gov. Hunt and his military staff, ex-President Tyler, ex-Gow Marcy, ex Gov. Morton of Massachusetts, Gen. Wool, John A. King, Horace Greeley, many judges of the Supreme court and other nota- bilities. Chancellor Whittlesey, one of the most distinguished citizens of Rochester, died September 19th; resolutions of respect were passed by the university, the courts and many other bodies. Enos Stone, generally con- sidered the first settler upon the east side of the ri\er, where the city now stands (as is fully described in the first portion of this work), died on the 23d of October. Matthew- Brown, who came here in 1817, died December 28th. The new court-house was finished in December at a cost of $61,93 1.95 (though additions a few years later increased the amount by something over $i 0,000), of which the city paid $33,465.98 and the county $28,465.97; Gideon Cobb, who took the old court-house at $500, did the mason work, and Henry T. Rogers was the carpenter; the original appropriation was for $25,000, by the supervisors, for a county building alone, but the common council afterward joined with them to erect a court-house, with rooms for both city and county officers; the plans for this included wooden columns to support the roof of the portico, and it was mainly by the exertions of Gen. Swan that the massive stone pillars which do more than any other part of the structure to give dig- nity to its appearance were raised, instead of the miserable posts which would have become mutilated long ago by time and mischief It will be of interest to our readers to know — what has perhaps never been printed before — the exact meridian of the city of Rochester, which may be given in this connec- tion because the figure of Justice, which surmounts the upper dome, was taken as one of the points of triangulation by the officers of the coast survey in 1876; the image is in latitude 43° 9' 22.44", longitude ^^° 36' 50.97". On the 6th of February, 1852, a Portuguese family, named Antonio, left on the cars for Alban\- — an innocent proceeding, in itself, but it gave to those who had been their neighbors on Lyell street an opportunity to dig in the cellar of the late residence of the family and to find buried there the body of Ignacio 14- Histlirv of tiik City of Rochester. Pinto, who liad li\'ed with the others and had been missed since the previous Nmeniber ; one deatlly wound was in tlie breast, another on the liead ; an offi- cer was sent after the family and bronL;ht them back ; Maurice Antonio was tried for tlie murder in April — an interpreter bein;^ used as medium all through the trial — and was hanged on the 3d of June. Sail)- Holley, the daughter of Myr(}n Holley, tlelix'ered an adtlress nn anti-slavery on the l6th of February. Ralph Waldo I'Imerson, Leonartl Bacon, Hoi'ace Mann, T. D'Arc\- McGee, Horatio Seymour and Donald (}. Mitchell were among the lecturers of the winter. Horace Gay, formerly district attorne)-, master in chancery, member of Assembl}', etc., tlicd June 9th, at Haltimore, ha\ing been taken sick while (in the way to attend, as a delegate, the Democratic national convention in that cit\'. Henry Cla\' ha\'ing died on the 9th of June, one week after General Scott obtained the \Miig nomination as c.mdidate for the presidenc}-, this city, in common with all others in the countrw was deeply moved b_\- the general feeling of sorrow; resolutions of regret were passed by the council and all the literar}- organisations ; an immense throng gathered at the depot as the remains passed through here on the 6th of July, on the way to Kentuck)' ; forni.il obse- (juies were held here July 13th. with a eulogx- at the First Methotlist church by Re\-. Mr. Hickok, of the P>ethel ; this was not all, for on the 23d of the .same month there was a nuick funeral procession — "under the direction of the \'oung men of Rochester," as the newspapers had it — with more imposing pageantry than had ever been seen here before, sur|iassing that displayed after the death of Taylor, of John Ouincy Adams or c:)f Harrison ; all conceivable associations and companies turned out, to precede or follow the funeral car to Washington square, where an oration was delivered by Charles G. Lee; the court-house was hung in black from basement to cupola, draped flags were hung across the streets at interwals, and all the bells tolled as the procession moved. Rut, before the summer was o\er, the streets were filled with mourners on account ot the actual presence of the tlesti'o_\'er, antl the mimic demonstrations of woe .ga\'e place to the manifestations of a far more personal grief, perplexity and dread. The cholera returned, and its ravages here, as in Buffalo and elsewhere, were more frightful than in any previous year. Its coming had been foreseen, as former!}' ; the boai'd of health began its wm-k of purification early in the spring, though the unusual fall of rain through April and May retarded their work, and on the first appearance of the disease a building on High street (now Caledonia avenue) was turned into a hospital and given in charge of Dr. Richard Gundry ; into this sixty-eight patients were taken, of whom twenty-four died. There were, during the summer, nearly seven hundred cases, the deaths numbering at least 420, and possibh" 473 (the discrepancy being due, in part, to confusion in untlertakers' reports), so that a little o\er one per cent, of the population was carried ofi' b\- the scourge. The first case was that of John Hart, an Irish laborer on Factor}- street, which occurred June 6th ; the last, which took place OCCURRENXES OF I 85 3 AND I 854. 1 43 early in November, was tliat of a prisoner in the jail, eight)--three years old, who, when another inmate died of the cholera, became panic-stricken, was seized \\ith the disease and soon fell a victim. Moses B. Seward, Dr. J. J. Treat and Dr. William Bell died of the epidemic in August, Dr. D. C. Phelps in Sep- tember. The mayor, Hamlin Stilwell, exerted himself effectively at first, but his health soon ga\-e wa_\- and he was oblii^ed to retire temporarily from active labor, when his duties fell upon Alderman William F. Holmes, who fortunately was a member of the board of health at the time, and to whose memory praise is due for the fidelity, courage and devotion which he showed in doing what could be done to prevent the establishment of the epidemic and in relieving the miseries of those who suffered from it. A committee of the board, consisting of Dr. E. W. Armstrong, D. M. Dewey and Hiram Banker, drew up a long and complete report of the cholera for this year, from which is taken the informa- tion given above. Clay's great rival, Daniel Webster, having died October 25th, the city hall bell was tolled here during his funeral at Marshfield on the 29th ; memorial services were held in Corinthian hall November 23d, an ora- tion being delivered by Jerome Fuller of Brockport. As the city was full of the newly developed theories of Spiritualism, with their attendant manifestations. Dr. Alclhaine, of- the First church, preached a sermon on "the arts of divination," on the 20th of March, 1853. In the same month Francis Gretter, a cand\' peddler, stabbed and killed instantly Paul Satterbee, of the same age with himself (about thirteen years); man- slaughter third degree ; House of Refuge till becoming of age. In May the seamstresses (or "sempstresses" as they were then called) formed a protective union for mutual support and to aid in securing fair compensation ; se\eral meetings were held by them in Corinthian hall. Silas Ball, one of the old pioneers, died May 8th. In May the association for juvenile reform was or- ganised, with William Pitkin as president, Hervey Ely vice-president, J. B. Robertson treasurer and S. D. Porter secretar\' ; its object was, especially, the care of truant children. Highway robberies during this month were common enough to alarm the people of Rochester and make most of them go home early at night. On June igth died John Smith, vague as to name, but with his individuality established by his having come here in 1814 and kept the first meat stall in the place, at the west end of the bridge, his shop being called — presumably in derision — "the fly market." A long-staying comet affrighted many timid people during August. The corner-stone of Plymouth church was laid on the 8th of September, Rev. Dr. O. E. Daggett delivering the principal address; that of St. Mary's (Catholic) was laid on the i8th, the services being conducted by Bishop Timon of Buffalo. Harry Pratt, one of the most re- spected of our private citizens, died at the end of the year. Lyceum oratory found good development during the early part of 1854, Henry Giles, Wendell Phillips, Agassiz, Bayard Taylor, Oliver Wendell Homes, 144 HiSTdKV OF THE City of Rochester. Tlicodore Parker and Horace Greeley being among the lecturers of the season. The \elerans (if the war of iSi2 held a mass meeting in the common council chamber on the 3d of Jaiuiar_\- and appointed ICbenezer Griffin, Jonathan Child antl S. L. Wellman to petition Congress for appropriate relief Everartl Peck, v\-ho came hei'e in 1 8 16, dietl on the 9th of February. In March forty-five ^5"^ clergymen of this city, headed by Dr. Dewe)' and Dr. Anderson, signed a pe- tition to Congress, remonstrating against the attempt to organise Kansas and Nebraska as slave territories ; similai' renmnstrances were signed by great num- bers of the citizens, and all the petitiwn-, were presented to Congress by our member. Dr. Da\-is Carpenter, of ISn ickpurt. On the 3d of May the ground of St. M.iry's church, on St. Paul street, was sold at auction f)r $4,600, the old church fir $160. This was a bad year fir the miller.s — first, b\- reason of the short crop nf grain, and consequent high prices, and, second, on account o{ the lack cif water, the drought being so great that the Phceni.x and the Red mill were idle during the whole season, antl the others ran to about half of their ca- pacity ; the shipments nf flour were less than in any pre\ious _\-ear since 1844. On the 14th of November Fanma Moore, aged thirty-seven, disappeared ; anx- iet)' was soon felt by her friends, and then by the public ; meetings were held by the citizens and a reward of $I,000 was offered by the sheriff; the body was found in the upper race nn the 19th of the following March ; coroner's jury rendered a verdict of "death b\- drowning, whether b\- her own \'oluntar_\- act or otherwise is entirel)- unknown tf the Pacific Hotel, in St. Louis — took place at St. Luke's; the church was tiensel)- packed, and emotions of sad- ness and solemnity were manifested bj- all present. Another death — that of William H. Perkins, who was killed on the I2th of May in a railway accident near Utica — produced a more general feeling of sorrow than can be appre- ciated at this da\-, when we have not }'et outgrown the calmness with which the civil war taught us to regard the most frightful casualties. The lay- ing of the first Atlantic cable was celebrated on the evening of August 17th by a brilliant illumination, fireworks, bell-ringing, procession of the military and fire companies, etc. ; the conflagration at a later hour is mentioned in an- other chapter. Though the date is not generally associated with the address, as in the case of Webster's "seventh of March speech," yet the place is indis- solubly connected with the oration, delivered at Corinthian hall on the 25th of October, b\- William H. Seward, in which, speaking of the struggle between the upholders of the systems of free and slave labor, he declared it to be "an irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces." The phrase was instantly accepted all over the Lhiited States, and was familiarly used till long after one of those forces had ceased to endure and the great statesman who uttered the sentence had passed away. Dr. F. F. Backus, one of the earliest of the settlers of Rochester, whose public services are alluded to in other por- tions of this work, died in the latter part of the year. The Jews of this city held a large meeting on the 20th of January, 1859, to express the indignation which they felt, in common with all their race throughout the world, over the abduction of the Mortara child from his parents by the Inquisition of Rome. John Allen, the ma\-(ir of the city in 1844, died in New York on the 1st of Ajiril; he was held in the highest respect not only for his executive abilities but for his rare integrity, so that he was often called "honest John Allen;" his remains, after being brought from New York, lay in state in the mayor's room at the court-house; his funeral was attended by all the military organisations, the fire companies, the Masonic associations and other bodies; the procession was under the charge of ex- Mayor Hills, and the .bearfers were ex-Mayors Child, Gould, Kempshall, Hill, Field, Richardson, Strong and Hayden. A matter in the middle of August was more than a nine-days' wonder and aroused an inordinate degree of public interest. Stimu- lated by Blondin's feats in crossing Niagara, another funambulist, named De Lave, undertook to do a similar' thing here, and after due advertising and judicious procrastination he made the passage on the i6th, (mt a tight-rope, stretched seven hundred feet obliquely over the falls, so that in walking across, from east to west, he made the ascent in front of and directly over the princi- 14^ History of thk City of Rochester. pal sheet of water; a delij^htetl croutl of not far from 20,000 people witnessed the perfoi'iiiance, which he lepeated two or three times in the course of the next ten tiays, so that it L;ot to be an old stor_\'. The first locomotive explo- sion in this city took place on the iJth of September, when the boiler of the entwine Oiitdrio, of the New York ("eiitral road, was blown to pieces, just west of the de|)ot; the engineer was so badly hurt that one leg had to be amputated, and the fireman was severely scalded, but both recoveretl and were employed on the road for many years. Ai^ricultural fairs of the state association had l)een held from year to year, here and elsewhere, but b_\' I S6o it was f umd that the disjjlay was too larye aiul the interests were too divergent to allow of jus- tice being done to each exhibitor, so a com-ention was held on the 15th of March fir the pur[iose of firming the Western New York -Vgricultural, Horti- cultural and IMechanic.il association. Rew Dr. Joseph Penney died on the 22d ; he w.is the pastor of the I'irst l'i-esb_\'tei"ian church fir man)- year.s and subse- quentl\- president of 1 lamilton college. On the 1st of May the new building of the Home for the l-'riendless was opened, with appropriate ceremonies. The first parade of the Genesee river fleet took place on the I ith of that month. On the 17th the general assembly of the Old School I'resbyterian church began its session at the First church in this city; Dr. Hreckenridge, of Kentucky, being detained by illness, Di'. Scott, of C.ilifornia, opened the session with a sermon; Dr. Yeoinans, of I'ennsyK ania, was elected moderator; the assenibh' dissolved on the 30tli, after a session of undisturbed harmony, contrary to pre- vious expectation. Political excitement raged high in this year, both sides en- tering earnestly into the strLiggle th.it was felt to be decisive; a great Demo- cratic demonstr.ition was made on the i 8th of September, when Stephen A. Douglas spoke to an immense crowd at Washington square; still greater en- thusiasm was dispkued by the Republicans, who got up the organisation tif the Wide- Awakes, which paraded the streets night after night during the campaign, the largest manifestation being on October 1 8th, when Senators Wade and Doolittle spoke here. Jonathan Child died on the 26th of October; he came herein 1 820 and after holding various offices under the village go\'ernment he became in 1834 the first nKiyor of the cit\', in the administration of which office he has been surpassed by none of his successors; at his funeral, on the 30th, citizens of all classes displayed the respect in which he was held. As the ending of this year marks the termination of the era of peace, it ma_\- bring this chapter to a close. The War of the Rebellion. 149 CHAPTER XXI. THE WAR TLME A.\U ]!K\'oND. Tireaking out of tlie Rehellion — The fall for Volunteers — Enthusiastic Response from Monroe County — Formation of the (.)ld Thirteenth and other Regiments — Support of the Government during the War and Rejoicing over tlie Return of Peace — The Mock Funeral of Abraham Lincoln — The Oil Fever and the Western Union Excitement — The Flood of 1865 — Performances of the Fenians — ".Swinging around the Circle" — Seth Green's Fish-Culture. IN accordance with the proclamation of President Buchanan, and the recom- mendation of Governor Morgan, the 4th of January, 1861, was observed, here as elsewhere, as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, services being held in most of the city churches, of all denominations, and at .the university. With the shadow of the impending war hovering before all minds, the people were in no mood to discriminate justly, and an Abolition convention at Cor- inthian hall, on the iith, was broken up by a mob, some of whom were nat- urally of the baser sort, while with (jthers the dread of a dissolution of the Union extinguished their regard for the right of freedom of speech. In the early morning of February i8th thousands of citizens turned out to welcome the president elect as he passed through here on the way to Washington, though but a small portion of them could see him and still fewer could hear the speech which he made from the rear of the train. The crash came in April ; Mr. Lin- coln's call for volunteers, on the 15th, stirred every heart; the common council immediately appropriated $10,000 to defray urgent expenses; on the iSth a meeting was held at the city hall to pledge support to the Union cause ; a sub- scription of over $40,000 was raised in a few days for the benefit of families of volunteers ; in a week more a regiment of men had enlisted here, under the di- rection of Prof Isaac F. Ouinby ; early in May they left for Elmira ; on the 29th nine of the companies were organised, with one from Livingston county, as the Thirteenth New York volunteers; they passed through Baltimore, under com- mand of Colonel Ouinby, on the 30th, being the first volunteer regiment (to- gether with the Twelfth New York) to reach that city after the attack on the Sixth Massachusetts on the 19th of April. In the autumn the PLighth cavalry was recruited here, and on the afternoon of Thanksgiving da\', November 28th, it left for Elmira. The record of these regiments, with that of others and parts of others raised here, will be found in another chapter of this work. Among the deaths of the year were those of Dr. Levi Ward, who came to the Genesee country in 1807, settling at Bergen; in 181 1 was one of the commissioners to settle the accounts of the builders of the first bridge across the Genesee at this point and came here to live in 1817 ; Selah Mathews, one of the eminent law- yers of his time ; General Lansing B. Swan, who had been prominently con- nected with the militia for many years, had organised the "Grays" in 1835 ^"d had, in connection with Gen. Burroughs, codified the military laws ; of Orlando History of tiik City of Rochester. HastiiiL(s, of I^benezcr Griftin, the last incumbent uf the office of cit)' recorder; of Joshua C(inke\- ani.l I if Cahin llnsdn, jr.; tlie hist-named, who was formerly ilistriet-attoiiicy, d\'inL; in prison at Richmimd, VirL;inia, where he had been hekl in cunhnement since bein;^ captiiied, to!_;cther w ith Alfred I{1_\-, mir mem- ber see was fiauilulently and forcibl)' talcen out of the Un- ion. ( )n the 28th of July the bells were tolled ,ind flags hung at half mast, for the funeial of e.x-President \'an liuien. who IkkI died on the 24th. In Sep- tember the state fair was held here ; Clarissa street bridge was completed and ojjcned for tra\el on the 25tli, at a cost of about $15,000. Of the deaths in the city during the year were those of Mrs. Hamlet Scrantom, in P'ebruai)' — who came here in 1812 and lixed in the first house built on the west side of tile river — and of Hervey VAy. in No\-ember ; he came here in 18 1 3, and his promi- nence ma\- be known b\- the fre(]uency with which his name appears in the early chapters of this w nrk. Joy aiul exultation opened the year I 863, for its beginning marked the en- franchisement of most of the colored race on this continent, and a jubilant emancipation celebration was held at Corinthian hall on the 4tli of Jauuar\'. On the 1 1 til of February the P^agie Hotel was clcised, after ha\ing been kept open f)r fort}' \'ears. April was distingaiished b\' a religious revival in nian_\'-of the churches. St. i\rar\-'s hospital corner-stone was laid on the 28th of June. The first street car ran on the 9th of July. Our streets witnessed during this \-ear many a niilitar_\' funeral of one after another of those who fell in battle or died from wounds or e.\j)osure ; of those the most impressi\e was that, on the I 5 th of Jul)-, of Patrick H. O'Rourke, colonel of the One Hundred and Fortieth, who was killed at Gett\-sburg on the 2d. The hideous draft riots in New York called Events of 1864. 151 out the citizen soldiery to suppress them, and the Fifty-fourth left here to aid in the work on the i6th of July. Three weeks later the conscription took place here, beginning on the 5th of August and continuing for three days, during which 1,096 names were drawn from the wheel to fill the quota, from the city alone; the drawing was done by Robert H. Fenn, a highh- respected citizen who was totally blind. The 6th of August was observed as a day of thanksgiving for the national \'ictory at Gett\-sburg. No one who was in Rochester from the 14th to the 2 2d of December can forget the grand bazaar that was held in Corinthian hall during that week, for the benefit of the soldiers ; it was well at- tended throughout, day and evening, and the receipts were over $15,000. The necrological record for the year embraces the names of Rev. Dr. John T. Coit, pastor of St. Peter's church ; Isaac R. Elwood, the last clerk and attorney of the villlage, city clerk in 1838, clerk of the state Senate from 1842 to 1848, and secretary of the Western Union for many years , William C. Bloss, eminent as an Abolitionist and general reformer, member of Assembh^ in 1845, 4^ and '47 ; Willliam S. Bishop, formerly district attorney and member of the state Senate ; Samuel G. Andrews, who came here in 1815, was mayor in 1840 and 1856, county clerk, clerk of the state Senate and representative in Congress ; Rev. Dr. Calvin Pease, pastor of the First Presb\'terian church ; Silas O. Smith and his son, L. Ward Smith. The progress and effects of the war were plainh- visible by reason of the increasing number of pension agencies, which multiplied rapidly in the early part of 1864, and by the offering of high bounties to fill out the quota under the last call for 300,000 men, which had been increased to 500,000 long before the contingent demanded was obtained ; the county gave $300 to each recruit, the city gave an additional sum, each ward something further, and besides those was the immense amount frequently paid by individuals for substitutes. This brought into prominence the breed of "scalpers," the go-betweens or mid- dle-men, who took money from all parties, and cheated most of them ; as a natu- ral consequence of the swindling, "bounty-jumping" became disgracefully com- mon. Still, the dreadful conscription, which was again enforced elsewhere during the summer, was avoided in the city, and people were satisfied. The funeral of Major Jerry Sullivan, of the First Veteran cavalry, who was killed in a skirmish in Virginia, at the age of twent\--four, on the loth of March, took place on the 19th, the remains, after lying in state in the city hall, being borne to the Pinnacle cemetery by the Alert hose company and the "old Thir- teenth " (of the latter of which he was one of the original officers), the Union Blues acting as escort, and other military bodies joining in the procession. On the 27th of July the Fifty-fourth left for Elmira, under command of Captain Sellinger, to serve in guarding the rebel prisoners in camp there. The City hospital was opened and dedicated on the 28th of January ; the Brackett House was built during the summer. Rev. James Nichols, formerly a school teacher 152 History ok the City ov Rochester. and then a cliaplain in the arm_\- ; Anson House, one of the old pioneers ; Jason Baker, formerly countY treasurer ; Captain Daniel Lixmiis — one of the most prominent builders of earl}" days, who built the old jail in 1822 and the present jail (in cunneetion with Richard Gorsline) about sixteen years later — and Col- onel Eliphaz Trimmer, member of Assembly in 1S57 and 1863, died during the \'ear. As though the war tlid not ofler enough excitement, there were about this time two jihases of speculation that aniDunteil almost to popular frenz\' — the petroleum iuYestments and the Western L'nion telegraph stock-bu\-ing. As to the former fif these, it is difficult to name any one _\-ear as that most closely connected with the ruiimus enterprises that were engaged in, but [lerhaps 1864 will dc) as well as an\- other. Two years before that the oil fields of Penns_\'I- \'ania had gi\en unmistakable indications of the vast treasure that Ia\- beneath the surface of the grountl, -ind when the Noble well began tn pour f uth a steady stream of some two thousand barrels a day, the excitement, which w.is at first local, spread beyond the limits of that state, and especially through the western part of New York. ()ther flawing wells quickly followed, and then capital began to flow down fmrn Rochester to meet the gushing tide of oil, and to increase the production b_v boring in every sjiot where the peculiar appearance of the earth afforded the slightest ground for hope. Petroleum Center, a little place on ( )il creek, was built up almost entirely by Rochester money; the McCollum farm, and other large tracts of land, were purchased — those bought first being obtained fir low prices, but those taken later on being sold for im- mense sums — mail)- went down there from here to w i.)rk in an honest, industri- ous manner, attracted b_\- the high wages that were [laitl for da_\- labor, anil in one wa_\' or another a large pn.iportion of the families of this city were inter- ested in the development of the slipper)- fluid. A few fortunes were made, but a great many more were lost, and e\'en the wealth that was gained gener- al! v sta_\-ed with its possessoi' but .1 short time. The other bubble was that of the Wester?! Union telegraph stock. The headquarters of the compan}' were then in this citv, and on that account the foolish enthusiasm over its prosperity was almost confined to Rochester. In the early part of 1 863 the stock began to advance, and was soon so far above par that the capital was increased, in March of that year, one hundred per cent., in spite of which the appreciation continued at such a rate that in Au- gust even the doubled stock was sold at a premium, and the ad\'ance was not checked by the further watering of the stock, to the extent of one-third addi- tional, in December. I*',.\alted dividends declared out of questionable profits were accepted by man_\-, without close scrutiny of the concern, but most people were indift'erent to e\'en those shadowy reasons, and the majority of those who had an\- mone\' left from their operations in oil were eager to buy Western Union at an_\' figure, providing it was higher than that of the previous day. The Flood of 1865. 153 The end was slow in coming, but it arrived at last. In April, 1864, the highest point was reached ; toward the end of that month the doubled stock actually sold at $230 per share; a few thousand shares at that price were quietly put on the market, which broke under the weight, and the stock fell. Shortly after the turn another doubling of stock took place, on the iith of Maj-, with the hope of stemming the downward current ; the desired effect was produced by that or some other means, for the new certificates sold at par, or in that neigh- borhood, for the rest of the \-ear. What was called the "Western Union ex- tension" stock, issued for the purpose of carrying the line across Behring strait into Asia, was also a favorite and costly source of amusement at this time, until the proved permanency of the Atlantic cable obliterated it. Since 1865 that has always been known in this localit\- as "the year of the flood." After very cold weather and a hea\'y fall of snow a thaw came on suddenl)' in the middle of March; on the i6th some alarm was felt here, as there was quite a freshet up the valle)'; on the afternoon of Friday, the 17th, the accumulation of water began to appear here, the Genesee Valley canal was soon overflowed, then the Erie was unable to hold what was poured into it from the feeder, then the ri\er itself stretched be\'ond its channel and when darkness came on (and sta\'ed, for the flow of gas stopped as the works were submerged) the central part of the city was under water; all night long and through Saturday morning it kept rising, boats being used in the streets where the current was not too rapid to allow of navigation, to rescue people in danger and to supply the hungry with food; late in the afternoon the water began to slowly subside, but it was not till Sunday afternoon that the streets were entirely clear ; the gas supply did not recommence for several days, as many of the mains and other pipes were broken ; through travel on the railroad did not begin till long after that, for both the New York Central bridge and the Erie bridge up the river were swept away at an early stage of the proceedings, even rail- road communication was suspended for two days, as no trains could get into the old depot on the west side, while eastward the track was torn up by floods between here and Syracuse; the direct damage done to property could not be exactly calculated, but it was doubtless over a million dollars; with all the catastrophe and all the peril not a single life was lost. After it was over, the city commissioned Daniel Marsh, the engineer, to examine into the causes of the deluge ; he reported that it was due entirely to the encroachments on the river bed between the aqueduct and the upper falls, which made the channel too narrow for the outflow of water from a territory of twelve hundred square miles. About the same time the legislature named a commission of three, Levi A. Ward being the chairman, to investigate the causes and propose measures to prevent the recurrence of the calamity. Gen. I. F. Ouinby, who was selected as the engineer of the commission, made a thorough examination of the river between this city and Geneseo, and found that the openings in the 154 History of the City of Rochester. embankment of the Erie railroad over the flats from Avon westward were in- sufificient to pass the immense volume of water that came down the ri\er, the consequence of \\hich was the formation ot a lar^e lake extendiuLi hom the embankment southward as far as ( jeneseo. The water finall_\- rose hi;^di enough to o\erflow the eml_),mkment and sweep away, in a space of four hours, twehe hmidred linear feet of the same, i (.lisaster like that of 1865 cannot well take pi, ice again, at least from the s.ime cause. Gen. Lee surrendered on the 9th of April; the news reached here at nine o'clcick in the e\ening; an houi' later the fire alarm bell r.uig out the glad tid- ings that the war was entled at last ; the streets were instanti)' fillcel with i:>eople, the mayor read the tlisp.Uches aloutl from the ste[)s of the Towers bank and an iTii])romptu celebration on a grand sc.ile took ))lace, with fireworks, bonfires, salutes b\' the Grays, speeches and smging of patriotic songs b\- thousands of inharmonious and h,ipp_\' \'oices. Within a week rejoicing was changed to gloom; I'resident Lincoln was murdeietl on the 14th anti theie was mourning throughout the land; on the 19th, the da_\- of the funeral at Washington, all business places here were closed, ser\ices were hekl ;it noon in all the churches, at two o'clock the procession, unparalleled in numbers and \-ariety, with a funeral car, bearing a cenot;iph, in the midst, walked thiough the streets from the court-house sipiare, retuining to the ^ame; the oration was (lelivered b\' Ros- well Hart. i\Ir. Lincoln's I'emains jnissed through the cit\' at three o'clock on the morning of the Jjth; the milit.^ry turned out in full force and the gathering numbered, peril. ips, as many thousands as hatl witnessed the ai'rival here, more th,m four _\'eai's before, of the man who afterward so well fulfilled the nation's hopes th.it rested on him then. A grand tlenionstration of the I'Ynian br(itherhood took place, at the court-house, on the I 2th of .August: Judge Chumasero and othei's spoke. During the year the city lost, b_\' death, Thomas Kempshall, who had been a member of the first common council, mayor in 1837 and membei" of Congress in 1839; Moses Chapin, who came here in I 8 I 6, was one of the trustees of the \'illage and the first judge of Mon- roe count)-, and John C Niish, formerly cit)- clerk, county clerk and ma_\-or, successively. Considerable excitement was occasioned b)' the munler, on the 8th of March, 1866, of Jonathan T. Chtoii, a hackman, li\ing on Uni(jn street, whose bod}- was found in his stable, with his skull smashed in ; one man was arrested, but he prosed an alibi; no jutlicial trace of the murderer was ever found. During the last week in ALiy the general synod of the Reformed Presbx'terian church was held here ; the moderator was Rev. R. J. Dodds, a returned mis- Events of 1867. • 155 sionary from S)'ria. In the early part of Jtinc the I''cnians in tliis cit\- \\ere greatly exercised over tlie iiuasinn of Canada b}- some warlike nn-mliers i.f the brotherhood and the battle with the "Uueen's Own; " several went hum here, and those who did not go s\-nipathise(l with those who tlid. In the pi'iformance of that presidential feat known as "swinging around the circle," Andrew John- son, accompanied by Secretaries Sewaril and Welles, Generals (irant and Custer, Admiral Farragut and nther notables, reached here on September 1st, and gave an open-air reception from the balcniiy nf Congress Hall to a large crowd which was animatetl by curiosity rather than enthusiasm. There was a little misunderstanding in the Kei)ublican congressiniial cnnveiitinn this )ear, the result being that, while Roswell Hart receixed a renomination from one portion, Lewis Sehx- was made the canilidate of the othei' side ; the Democrats adopted the latter gentleman and he was elected. A slight attempt at a flood was made in the middle of h'ebruar)-, 1867, when the ice gorged at the piers of the Erie railroad bridge, throwing the water into the Genesee Valley canal, which o\-erflowed into some of the low-lying streets in the third and eighth wards ; the next ddv the cellars and basements of the factories on Brown's race were filletl ; there was a gooti deal of damage and more alarm, lest there shcnild be another calaniit_\- like that of two years be- fore. A board of trade was establisheil here on the 9th of March, with George J. Whitnc)- as president, Gilnian H. Perkins as \'ice-president, Charles H. Hill as secretar)' and K. N. Huell as treasurer; after li\-ing a sleeps- life for a few- months, it slowl}- expired. The "Black Crook" ran here, at the Metroi^olitai-i opera house, for thirty-six nights in the earl\- part of the year. Rist(.)ri played in "Queen Elizabeth" on the l6th of April ; e\-ery inch of room in Corinthian hall was filled, at a high price. On the lOth of May some boys found in the river at Charlotte the body of Louis Vox, a celebrated billiard player, who h.ul been missing since the 4th of the prexious December; he had undoubtedly committed suicide in aberration of mintl, mainly induced by chagrin os-er the loss of the champion cue of the L'nited States in a contest with Joseph Deery at Washington hall more than a \-ear before his disappearance. In the middle of Ma)- the Epi.scopal board of missions met here, presided over by Bishop Lee, of Iowa ; also, the general assembly- of the New- School Presbyterian church, Rev. Dr. Nelson, of St. Louis, moderator. Weston, the pedestrian, passed through here at mitlnight of Novenibcr 12th, i>n his walk from Portland to Chicago. Jacob Goukl tlied November r8th ; he was one of the \-illage trus- tees, and second mayor of the cit_\-, ap[)ointed major-general of artillery b_\- Go\-. Clinton, collector of customs inuler Jackson and \"an Hureii, United States marshal under Polk. Dr. M. M. Mathews, a niuch respected and beloxed ph\-- sician, died November 23d. Dr. Chester Dew-e\- died December 15th; he was widely known as a .scholar and an educator for more than half a century; a sketch of his life and serxices will be found in another part of this \-olume. iS6 History of the City of Rochkster. Witli tlie exception of deligiitful readinj^s from liis own works, b\' Charles Dickens, on the loaml nth of March, nothing; occurred in i SOS to interest the people of Rochestei- till Joseph Messner killed his wife, in a fit of passion, on the 13th of April, in the town of I'enfield ; he was tried here the next year and sentenced to be executed on the 4th of June, 1869; just bef)re that time came Gov. Hoftman Ljranted a rt„'prieve fir two weeks, then a writ of error was L^rantetl, and, after art^ument at the (general term, Messner was aijain sentenced t(j be h.uiLjed on the 1 uth of December; on the \ ery day before that date a sta\' was Ljnmted b}' JudL;e Grovei' ; after more than a year's dela\- the case was ar;_;ued before the court ot appeals, a new trial was ordered, which took place in the f illowin^ June, ,ind he was .iL;ain sentenced to meet his death on the Uth of AuLJust, 1S71 ; this time the jud,t;ment was carried into effect. While an eULjine on the (jenesee Valle)' road was standing still, a little south of the depv the l^piphany festival, on the evening of Januarv 6th, eight were killed outright and ne.irly fifty badly iniured ; the most frightful accitlent that ever happened in this city; the cause was .1 tlefect in the building", b_v which a brick pier supporting iriJii columns below the floor gavewav'; no jjerson \v,is censured by the coroner's jiirv. St. P.itrick's cathe- ilral was opened with gorgeous ceremonies on the 17th of March, b_v Hishop McOuaid, assisted b_v Hish.ip Ryan, of Buffalo, ami it Laurel Hill on the Sth of M,i\-, 1864, were held on the 19th of juiK' in this yeai' ; the funer.il services wei'e at St. Patrick's cathedral, and .1 Ioul; |)rocession of xeterails, with many other orean- isatious, followed the remains to the cemetei')'. Anioiie the tleaths of old citi- zens duriuL; the \e,ir wire those of Mbenezei' Kl_\-, aL;ed ninety-three, who, .ifter beiuL; connectL'd with ,1 bank at Cmand.UL^u.i from 1S14 to !.S20, came here in the latter \-e,ir ,ind opened ,1 brokei's office, which he kept h'om that time till a few d.iys before he died; . Anthoii)' antl other women of this cit)' were, on the 26th of December, held to answer for illes^al votinL,"^ in the eitjjhth warti at the previous election. Besides the death of Mr. Re)'nolds, mentioiied above — a sketch of whose life will be found in another ])art of this work — there were those of O. M. J-Jenedict, a prominent lawyer; Dr. L. C. Dolley, Isaac Post, a zealous Abolitionist in former years, and Henry Stanton, Lyman Hunger and James Riley, early pioneers of this place. i6o Ml in ■ !' •■ ■■■ di then -!-.v ■ .■ ./■ • 'J bill <>■ ,- ,|.- difln ■■._■■■ ■■ tion- - ■ in : , . whi ' cce ' . . ncN mill rem in c dow Hox coil pic. mc( the rcai mil .^()K^■ (11- 'II IK Criv ok Kikhkstkk. • ■/ r. evcr.lii;d''y rcco\ ci-cd : ih'f :■■■•] mothc ilcnoiistraiioi; w ,: ■ ' . .;aUL-ix-:i tlu; crowd with'i : :'*•:. .s'r\ ices of thi veteran . ;.i Zo;;aVi-s — \vhich had bi ;■ .luit In: traLi'edv clused u' - the S'vii'-ni'it) that investei: 'i-- r:l,a;,; I'n kiiepin;,'- of Mowar'.i ■ -1 •.: M- ' : I ■ ii'(i -itinns — it > ■ 1 1 '!;!.:< ncnt >lill I I << ■ the trial '■-. 11 apa at nigiu • ! ■ he eniissit)!! :>'■ •1 li'-c iiini. \\:i> taken from ■ i-r ,, ' .■.u\'^c E. Dar,.; , Acnty years an f e\|K, 1 li „ iha! i'.d lllrr ii' rile liriivi-rsitv, Hcliv i : those w i •liiere Dr. Little. I'.eir confineni ; le, incliidi r; I :],inii ' •' i h ■ Susan R. .Xntli c^:,^ ^C^<^^^ Completion of the City Building. i6r In pursuance of the system of education for the ver}- youn<^r_ which liad been found so satisfactor)- in the Ok! world, a "real school " was established in the earl)- part of 1873, beinf;- dedicated on the 14th of l''el)ruar\'. On the 28th of Ma>- the corner-stone of the new city hall, just south of the court- house, was laid with imposiuL; ceremonies, most of which were conducted b)- the Masonic fraternit\- — which turned out in full regalia and made a fine ap- pearance — and the ancient forms and rites of Masonry appropriate to impor- tant occasions of this nature were used ; Mayor Wilder made the opening ad- dress, the prayer was by Rev. Dr. Muller and the oration was delivered by Rev. Dr. Saxe ; various relics, ancient records, deeds, coins of the United States, etc., were deposited in the stone. Miss Anthony was convicted, at Canandai- gua, on the 19th of June, of illegally voting in the previous year .and was sen- tenced to pay a fine of $100 for exercising the assumed right of female suffrage. On the 29th of October the building of the Young Men's Catholic association was formall)' o])ened. Vincent place bridge, which was begun in 1S72, was completed in this year; it is 925 feet long and 1 10 feet high, from the surface of the water to the floor of the bridge ; the cost was about $1 50,000, borne b)- the city at large, with the exception of a small section in a remote corner; in 1874 the approaches to the bridge were opened, at an expense of $15,000, of which one- half was borne b\' the city at large, and the other jjart b\- the region more direct!)' benefited. The death record of the \'ear includes the names of Dr. A. G. Bristol, who came here at an earl)- day-; Robert M. Dalzell, who came in 1826, was for over a quarter of a centur)- a deacon in the First Fresb)'terian church and super- vised the building of all the flour mills that were erected in his time ; Thomas Parsons, state senator in 1867-68 and father of our present mayor ; Gideon W. Burbank, one of the early benefactors of the universit)- ; Dr. Michael Weigel, a respected German physician; Jolin Ha)-wood, who came herein 1819 and soon afterward opened a hat store on State street, which he kept fir more than fort)- )-ears, was the first treasurer of the Rochester savings bank and was often a member of the cit)- council ; Colonel Aaron New-ton, who came in I 8 17, kept a ta\-ern for man)- )-ears, beginning in 1818, on the spot where the Blossom Hotel ami the Osburn House afterward stood, and was one of the chief pro motcrs of the Old Pioneer societ)- ; Ebenezer Watts, aged ninet)--tw-o, also a settler of 1817, who for man)- )-ears had a hardw-are store on Buflalo street near Exchange street, and J[)en, but most of the others closed their front iloois. In .M.u'ch .i letter was received by the commissioners of Mount fiope, from the sheriff of Lincoln county, ( )ntario, sa\'ini; th.it some ot the records of oui' cemeter)' and (.it our city treasurer's office had lieen found at St. Catherine's; messengers were dispatched for them .md obtained them; the}- were found to be the cemetery records for eleven N'ears, tVom i S4(', to 1857, and the accmmts of the sinking fund for most of the same time; they had been in the custmly < if John B. Robertson at the timenf the burniui; of the l^aL;le liank block in iS^j, he being the comptroller .md hav- ing ch.uge ot' those hmds ; he h.id then .illegi'd th.it they were burned, but he h.id t.ikeii them oft' to co\-cr .1 defile. ition ofne.irly $40,000; a v.ist amount 1 if Confusion .is to Mount Hope lots had been c.iused b_\' the deportation. The sportsmen's national convention was held here in September. hi this _\-ear I'rof Swift beg. Ill to develop his skill in the i.lisco\er_\- of comets ; there were .III unusu.il nunibei' ot suicides, twn of which were bv juniiiing from Clariss.i street bridge; three corner-stones were l.iid — those of St. John's German Lu- theran .uid the hirst Ciei'iiian Methodist churches ,ind of St, Josejih's orpli.in .isylum — and theie were three dedications — those of the l'"ree Ac.idemy and the S.ilem I'.v.ingelic.il .md .St .Mich.iel's (C.itholic) churches. Recoi-d ni.iy be m.ide of the de.iths, in this )'e.ir, of .S.im Drake, .1 well known old llsherm.m, .1 very or;icle on .ill things pert.uiiing to the sport of an- gling, who v\ 01 ked here ,it his ti-.ide of book-binding as far back as 1826, in the same shop with \\'asliiiiL;ton limit, .ifterw.iid governor; of John AL French, a prominent iron-f uuuler, who held wirious otTices .md was more than once the c.mdidate of his part)- fir ni.ivor ; of Plinv M. liromle_\-, ver_\- popular in earl)- days as a c.inal boat captain .mil in Later ve.irs .is the landlord of the Osburn I louse ; of Isaac J-Sutts, a \-eteian journalist of twenty )-e.'irs' experience as ed- itor of the At/:rrtisi'i- and then of the Ci/ioii, in which he aciiuired ,1 great repu- t.ition, though, having .im.issed .1 f irtune bv investments, he left the profession .iboiit ten years before his de.itli ; and of Thoni.is II. Rochester, son of him for whom the cit\- was named; he c.ime here in 1.S20, built the old Red mill in Connection with his brother-in-law, 1 lai-vev .Montgomery; superintended the construction of the Toii.iw.ind.i r.iiho.id in 1.S54, was first cashier of the Coni- nierci.il b.iiiK, and mayor of the city in 1 .S jy ; he was throughout his life one of the most liigliK- esteemed citizens of Rochester. Events ok 1878. 163 The cit\' hall, tlien reccntl\- completed, was opened to the iniblic on the e\enins^' of Januar\- 4th, 1S75, b_\- a musical entertainment (tjixx-n b)' home tal- ent) in aid of the sufferers b_\' famine in the West — an auspicious opening, as dedicating the edifice to fraternity and human s)'mpath\'. The building cost $337,000, and was erected under the auspices of a commission appointed for the purpose, consisting, at first, of George J. \\'hitne\-, Daniel \V. Powers, Charles J. Hayden, George C. Buell and Jacob Howe, of whom Mr. Whitney resigned, and Lysander Farrar was appointed in his place. As a purely mili- tary display, the turnout at the funeral of General Williams, on the 29th of March, was probably the finest ever seen in Rochester ; after that part of the procession went tlie hearse, with the saddle-horse of the general, and then fol- lowed the ci\-ic escort, with all the ex-mayors then living, and' the different officers of the city government. During this year the people were much dis- turbed about the canal frauds, and the impending trials of contractors ; a mass meeting was held on the 9th of April, Judge Warner presiding, to strike hands with Governor Tilden in pushing on the cases to final punishment. The Lady Washington tea-part)', through two e\'enings in Ajjril, at the cit\' hall, for the benefit of the City hospital, was so attractive as to bring $2,000 to that insti- tution. By a gale of wind, on the night of April 29th, the Leighton bridge works at East Rochester were blown to the ground, and great injury was done to persons and propert)' in the cit_\'. Se\'eral burglaries were committed in the early part of the summer, antl in one case, where the house was not broken into, the thief climbed a tree, and w ith a fishing-pole, line and hook, caught a watch from the bedside of a sleeping man. The robberies were finally traced to one probable culprit, and on the 3d of Jul)' an officer undertook to arrest him ; he shot the policeman, but not fatally, and ran till he was stopped by John Trevor, a bank watchman, whom he shot with another pistol ; but Trevor, though so badl)' hurt that he died of the wound two da)'s later, had held on to the murderer till others secured him; it was John Clark, a desperado who had committed numerous crimes, and probably man)' murders else- where. He was tried in September, and sentenced tt) hang on November 5th ; his counsel, William F. Howe, of New York, made desperate efforts for a new trial, going before si.x Supreme court judges in different parts of the state, with a motion for a stay of proceedings and a writ of error, but in \'ain ; after a reprieve of two weeks Clark was hanged on the 19th of November. In this year the board of education passed a resolution prohibiting religious exercises in the public schools ; all the city clergy preached on the subject ; about •equally divided in opinion. On the 17th of September the first fast mail train, from New York to Chicago, passed through. A freight train, on the night of October 7th, ran off the track and dashed into the Central depot at the rate of fifty miles an hour, knocking down one of the piers and demolishing the wait- ing-room ; the engine then fell over, and the fire went out ; the engineer, 164 History ov the City of Rochester. William J. Vianco, and the fireman, yVntlrew G. Northrop, his son-in-law, were instantl}- kiileil, their bodies beiiiL; found under the wreck. I'lie i)bituar\- list of the )'ear is a liin^ one, containing the names of h'Jias I'ond, who was collector nf the port uiulei- President Taylor, elected sheriff in lS^4, and member of Assemlily in iSsy and 1 S60, and activel_\' connected in s in 1S54, chosen city treasurer for three consecuti\-e terms, proniinentl)' connected with military affairs for most ot his life, being, when lie died, major-general of the seventh dixision of the national guard, succeeding the late James S. Wadswdrth ; father Patricio B)-rnes, pastor of the Immacu- late Concejjtion church; Charles 1.. P.irtlec, formerly sherift"; David R. Barton, who .iC(|uireil a national rei)utation as a maker of edge tools; Dr. H. H. Hack- ett, of the theological semin,ir\-, one of the forenKjst Hebrew scholars of the count!-)-; i\. Carter W'ikler, ma_\'oi- of the city in 1S7J, after having been mem- ber of Congress from Kansas; Di'. Ilartwell Car\er, who always claimed to be the originator of the Pacific railroad, And William H. Hanford, who, in 1 S i o, settled at Hant'ord's Lantling with his relative, Frederick, from whom it was named. An unearthly din at the horn' of tweh'c ushered in the centennial of 1S76, "\e.\ing the drows\- ear of night" with the combination of all imaginable arti- ficial noises; the bells rang, cannon roared, torpedoes e.xplodetl, fish horns resounded, all the engines of the \e\s' York Central which could be brought together for the purjiose screami'd their loudest, the steam fire engines rattled down to the " four corners" on the fastest gallop of their horses, and every small boy who had been allowed to sta\- out of the house did his best to swell the tumult of discordant sounds. That ended the celebration of the historic _\ear until the Fourth of July, which was observed in a manner unusually hila- rious, but otherwise not remarkable, except that the Germans planted a Cen- tennial oak sapling, with much ceremon_\-, in P'ranklin square. At least three tleliberate murders were comnfittetl here during the \-ear — those of Louis Goni- menginger, a pcjliceman, b_\' P'airbcUiks; of Joseph Fr)-er, a Whitcomb Hotel porter, by Stillman, and of Catherine Boorman, near Hanford's Landing, by Victor Smith, but all the murderers escaped the gallows, the first two getting life imprisonment because they had prepared themselves for their work by be- confing crazed with drink, and the third one pleatling guilty by shooting him- self and dying in jail a few dav's later. Of the deaths during the )'ear were those of Samuel Hamilton, a retired merchant of former da_vs ; Horatio G. War- Repuhlican Statk Convention of 1877. 165 ner, successively lawyer, journalist and banker ; Samuel L. Selden, whose high judicial career is sketched in another chapter ; William F. Holmes, closely identified with the canal interests, and whose services during the cholera of 1852 have already been mentioned; Dr. Douglas Bly, of reputation as an inxentor of improvements in artificial limbs; Dr. H. C. Wanzer, well known in the ranks of dentistr\- ; Abram Karnes, a veteran banker, and L)-sander Farrar, an emi- nent counselor. The first part of 1877 passed away quietly enough, but in Jul\- the railroad strikes, which were the outct)me of the labor riots of the pre\ious month, broke out on the Erie road; the l*'ift)--f lurtli regiment was ordered to Hornellsville on that account; on the 22d the strike extended to the New York Central and Lake Shore roads and the ne.xt day was in fidl blast, so that there was a com- plete stoppage of traffic on the Buffalo division of the Central ; great excite- ment and alarm here, but no rioting or destruction of railroad property as else- where ; two days later the engineers and firemen went back to their work, and subsequently some of the most flagrant abuses which the insatiable greed of the Erie and the Central had inflicted on their employees were partially corrected. In the course of the summer the Rochester Yacht club, which had been organ- ised in the spring, built a club-house at Summerville, and had a regatta on the lake. The Republican state convention was held in the city hall on the 26th of September ; Senator Conkling, then at the height of his power, made a bitter personal attack on George William Curtis. On account of the starting of an idle rumor that the Rochester savings bank was unsound, there was quite a run on that institution during the last three days of the year, but it was checked by the prompt action of the bank in paying all depositors and by the display of more than a million dollars in greenbacks, which were piled on a hanging shelf over the principal counter ; the strength of the bank was not injured in the least, the only sufferers being those who by that means lost their interest for a month ; over half a million dollars were drawn out in five days, $266,546.82 being paid out on the 29th of December ; other savings banks were similarly treated, but in a less degree. During the year there died here Rev. Dr. R. J. W. Buckland and Rev. S. Emmons Brown, both professors in the theological seminary ; Samuel Chase, one of the oldest inhabitants, at the age of ninety-three; Mrs. Mary Anderson, one of the first seven communicants of St. Luke's church in 1817 ; Augustin Picord, aged one hundred and nine years, born under Louis XV., and a middle-aged soldier in Napoleon's "grand army;" Harvey Humphrey, formerly county judge and a man of great classical learning; Gen. William E. Lathrop, very prominent as a Mason ; e.\-Mayor John B. Elwood, of whom more will be said in the chapter on the medical practitioners ; Col. C. T. Ams- den, ft)rmerl\' cit_\' treasurer ; George W. Rawson, a justice of the Supreme court, and Rev. J. V. Van Ingen, a highly respected clergyman of the Episco- pal denomination. i66 History ok the City of Rochester. Kailniad cntcr[)risc sit^iiali^cd the (ipcniiiL; <>( 187S. fnv nn tlic j8th nf January llic last rail was l.iid cm tlic State Line mad (nnw the Ixncllester & I'itts- Ijui'l;) fi'im here U< S.d.ini.mca, cmineetinL;, b\' this nie.uis, the I'.rie witli the Atlantie & (ireat Western, besides (ipeniiii; up to this cit\' a fertile and [inpu- lous seetion of the enuntry, inaccessible tn us by threct cuniniunieatinn befurc tlien ; L;re.it celebraticm at Sal.inKinea th.it ilay, but a larL;er one, with immense excursion from here, (Ul the 15th (if tile fnllowing Ma)', after the riiatl hatl been bahasted. In consequence of the burning of a block on Exchange street, near the canal, on the 5th of April, by which one man was burned to death, tile wall of an adjacent building just north fell, on the 14th of June, thi'ee floors ciMsliing down into the cell.ir and pulling with them a great part of .mother block still further north ; Colonel M. II. Smith, projirietor of ,1 printing-oftice, was caught in the ruins, carried down into the cellar and fastened there with a hot kettle across his chest and dibiis piled aho\e; he was rescued with great tliffi- cult_\\ terribly burned and otherwise injui'ed, but finally reco\ei-ed, with the loss of the right arm. In bright davlight at some time before noon, on the iJtli of ( )ctober, tw enty-f >ur prisouei's in the jail, most of whom were burglai's, escaped by breaking a hole through the cell of one of them into llu- dungeon and tlienct' into the _\-,u'd; eight were ii'captured the next day, n the cmirt-liciusc steps, on the 8th of January, to the hiLjliest bidder, who was Walston H. lirown, of New York, \\ho paid $600,000 for it, reorj^'anised it and chan<;ed it into the Roches- ter & rittsljui'i; ; later in the same month the contract for the elevation of the Central railro.Kl tracks was siniietl by the citizens' commission and W'illiiim H. Vanderbilt. Copies of the revised New Testament were first sold here on the 2istofMay; 1,500 were bought by individuals on that day. Maud S., the famous tr(_itter, lowered, on tlie I ith of August, her own record and trotted a mile in 2:10], tlie fastest time ever made up to that hour. On the 3d of July pr"V "-'11)'-; ^_:-v !:;. ;^.! 7- . . - . . ■ ■ .1 1 '. ■ Inciv •, . ■-■ :'.•;,. (--;;!; ;^. i.. \v :\:: ii. V.. ■>;' tlliCiCO' " •■• .• , ■■ - . i , •■ •■C'".r.;;..J.i.-L'; ' ... J,lUrig-ecl it inUi l' ;. ' ' :•■ :■ •! th ■ s;iii\.' Ill ii.M, t,,. .:..•,. r:l:Lt for the . ' ', m: ] ■:■.'■■'•' '■ ■•I tin: ^\) cd No ^i , . i;st'"/' ^ .' ■'• W'-iC i) 'uv^ilt u\ ' ''■' fan (I.- I: ■■! :. ' ,- -I'd. oil I'll Iith l •■ ■ iiSu, ;;,. ^.\v[\ itC !;mIv 11. ,'.'••! 1 .i-tc-t Uv::': over n>, V :. . ; 'r'ir' '■•■^■ir. <">: ;■■;-:(■••-, '\, ., -.'.r..,:. u;-' i'' nli the i; :> j.:..:- ;. - tl: i:C:. .vh.- V'! ■: -I' r-hol ihc'duy '.... '. - '■ ,i ih.'i ■•■;;■ ;-i! f: '.i^ii* ol S; pu mbci •'■ !■. i , .:■-, -. c!.- the llsheries exposition in London in I SS3 ; in 1 S76 he was ap- jjointeti Unitetl States eonsiil at Mannlieini, liuleii, and occupied that position at the time of his death, wliich occun-ed in l-jigland, as he was on his way to return home. CHAPTER XXIH. 1 IIK <,KI;A r ( KIKHKA IIDN. I're|inrati.Mis f(,v llir Kvi-nl — SL-rvio-s in llu- ( ■liurclics ,,11 Siin.l.iy — I l|.rnin.i; S.ilill^- nn Momlny — Tlu' Liu-inry I'acrim-, — Tl„; I'yruioclniK I )i^|.lav — krci-|.li..i, ,,r CucsN — 'I'Iil- (ucat I'am.lc — Hk- llan.nu-l — 'llic 'I'Masl. — riiL- ( 1..s^-. "\T riTH perpetual announcements through the tlail)' press of the approach- \\ ing festival, no one in all this region was ignorant of the preparations that were nuide f>i' the appropriate celebration of Rochester's fiftieth birthday, and the popular expectations were raised so high that a fulfillment of them might well ha\'e seemed tlestructive of the vanit}' of human wishes. Hut so it was that all that had been ])romised was performed and all that had been louketl for came to pass, and the citizens of Rochcstei' were justK' satisfied with a triumph that has had no counterpart in this portion of the state. The anniver- sary tla_\'S were the 9th and lOth of June, but the observances realh' began on Sunda\", the 8th, with a deliver)- in most of the churches of discourses per- tinent to the occasion — in man\' cases reminiscent, in others jjrophetic. In the I'irst I'resbv'terian church, wheise societ_\- is the oldest in the cit\', the ser- vices were especially noticeable. In the morning i>lev. Dr. Tryoii lulwai'ds, who was installed as pastor of the congregation fifty \'ears ago — ami who is now- settled at Gouverneur, in this state — preached, by request, the same sermon which he delivered at his installation, and man_\' of his hearers at this time were able to recall the w-ords to which the)- had listened so long before. The evening services were conducted b\- Rev. Ur. F. iJe VV. Ward, now of Geneseo, whose connection with the old church also datetl back half a centur)-, for it was then that he was there ordained as a missionar)^ to Imlia. Monday morning was quiet enough, except as it was occupied b\- the uumic- ipal committee in the reception of invited guests from abroad lUid in putting the final touches on the decorations with which most of the buildings on all the business streets were profusely adorned. As the minute of noon arri\-ed the cit)- hall bell gave the intelligence that Rochester's semi-centennial birthday had begun; the booming of cai-inon, with fifty measmx-d notes, answered back the The Semi-Centennial Cei.eisration. 175 stroke, while for the succeeding liour the sweet chimes of St. Peter's church gave forth melodious sounds that were not wholly lost amid the diapason of the guns or the shrill discord from steam whistles. In the afternoon the liter- ary exercises were held, before an audience that filled the large room, to which admission was by tickets, given b)- the committee to all who asked for them. The walls were decorated with the flags of all nations, the Stars and Stripes occupying the greater space, and across the ceiling stretched alternate lines of red, white and blue bunting. On the platform were seated those who were to take part in the proceedings, the general committee, the former mayors now living and a large number of the old citizens who were voters in 1834. Soon after two o'clock Mayor Parsons stepped to the front of the stage and made a short address, beginning thus : — "Fellow-citizens: The event that calls us together todaj- is one truly memorable. Never again in the life history of most, so far as our own city is concerned, will a similar occurrence present itself. A half century hence, long after our children shall have as- sumed the municipal inheritance we leave them, those who are active participants or cjuiet 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 a.ssemble in a spirit of triumph or exultation. We have reason to rejoice, however, and have called in our friends to rejoice with us." Rev. Dr. J. B. Shaw, the \enerable pastor of the Brick church, then in\oked the divine blessing on the proceedings about to take place and gave thanks for all the material blessings showered upon the city during its existence and for its noble founders, "those conscientious and high-minded men, from whose ex- emplary lives has radiated an influence for good which has been felt through all the years down to the present time." The prayer being ended, the mayor read a communication from the town clerk of Rochester, England, containing a resolution passed by the council of that city, acknowledging the invitation sent by our mayor to theirs to be present at this celebration, regretting his in- ability to do so and congratulating our city on its growth and prosperity. Frederick A. Whittlesey then offered resolutions, which were adopted by the assemblage, expressing gratification over the missi\e from the ancient corpora- tion by the Medway to its youthful namesake, and requesting our mayor to transmit to the council of the former place a copy of all the proceedings con- nected with this da\- of jubilee. Telegrams were then read from Frederick Douglass, now living in Washington; from Mayor Banks of Albany, and from M. H. Rochester, of Cincinnati, conveying their felicitations and e.xpres.sing regret at their unavoidable absence on the occasion. The quartette of St. Peter's church, consisting of Mrs. Mandeville, Miss Alexander. Dr. F. A. Man- deville and F. M. Bottum, sang Oliver Wendell Holmes's Angel of Peace, with the accompaniment of the I'ifty-fourth regiment band, the whole music, vocal and instrumental, of this piece and others, being under the direction of Albert Sartori. 176 HIs■|(lR^• i>v THK Cri'v hf RuciiKsrKk. Cliarlcs E. Fitch was then introduced and gave an extended historical ad- dress, from which these extracts may be taken, the last one being his perora- tion: — •• It is a fact not. ptjrhaps, generally known, hut exceedingly interesting and descrying eni|iliasis, that the chief imimlse to the exodus of C'ulonel Rochester from Maryland was his aversion to the institution of human liondage. He could not bear the thought of rearing his family anii- Zouaves. The line being formetl, the parly were taken to the Powers Hotel, in the rotunda of which a reception was held, Ma_\-or Parsons delivering an address of welcome, to which the go\ernor responded; after which Ma_\-or Ldson and Mayor Low made brief acknowl- edgments. The noonday salute of fift_\- guns gave the signal f)r all the stores to close their doors, a measure that required no self-deiu'al, for at the ver)' time thousands of persons were occui)_\ing all the steps and stairwa)-s and windows on the route of the procession that was to be, antl thousands more were (lock- ing down to fill up any space not alread_\- taken. Patience was needeil, but good nature was param- Derick, Dr. V. B. Gallerx-, Dr. \\. M. Moore, J. O. Howard. Dr. J. J. A. Burke is health officer The common council is matle uj) as fwllows: First ward, Wm. H. Tr.ic)-; second ward, Martin Barron; thiid ward. Anion Bmnson; fourth ward, Charles Watson; fifth ward, Henr\- Knhlmetz; sixth ward, Flias Strouss ; seventh ward, Charles A. Jeffords; eighth w.u'd, John H. l-'ole_\-; ninth ward, F. S. Upton; tenth ward, James M. Pitkin; ele\-enth ward, Peter (i. Siener; twelfth ward, Henry Rice; thirteenth ward. Christian Stein; fourteenth ward, Jas. M. Aikenhead; fifteenth wani, J. Miller Kelly; sixteenth ward, John B. Simmel- ink. J. Miller Kell>- is president of the board. The b(.iard of education is as follows: ]'"irst wani, J. 1'-. Durand; second, J. (). Howard; third, Thomas McMillan; fourth, H. A. Kingsley; fifth, C. S. Cook; sixth, F. M. Thrasher; seventh, Milton Xoyes; eighth, T. /\. Ray- mond; ninth, W. J. McKelvey; tenth, C. S FUis; eleventh, Henr_\' Klein- dienst; twelfth, T. H. Maguire; thirteenth, F. C. Loebs; fourteenth, August Kimel; fifteenth, J. P. Rickard; sixteenth, V . H. \Mck. C. S. ICllis is presi- dent of the board. S. A. I'LUis is superintendent of schools. The debt of the city in June, 1S84, with the items of the various loans, is as follows: — Genesee Valley railroad loan re-issue ..1 $144,000 00 R. N . & P. K. R. loan . 150,000 00 R. iS; S. L. R. R-. loan 600,000 00 Arsenal site loan 8,000 00 Floating debt loan 2 1 0,000 00 City Hall Commissioners loan 335i°o° 0° Free academy building loan 1 25,000 00 Water works loan _. 3,182,000 00 Funding loan 1875 410,000 00 N umber 5 school loan ._ 20,000 00 Consolidated loan 100,000 00 $5,284,000 00 The Genesee Valley railroad loan is ])i'o\'ided for by excess of receipts from lease to the N. Y., L. F. and W. R. R. .ifter interest on the loan is paid. The arsenal site loan is [)rovided for b_\' $1,500 recei\'ed annuallv from the county of Monroe, for rent of the arsenal. The Tax Lkvv kc)k 1884-85. The tax levy for 1884-S5 is as follows: — For payment of notes authorised by the common council to su|)ply deticiencies in the following funds : — Water pipe fund - - $75,000 00 City propert)' fund . 8,000 00 Park fund . 2.000 00 Erroneous assessments _ . 633 58 Contingent fund 42,000 00 Highway fund _ .. 51 ,000 00 Health fund i. 3i5°° °° Police fund 21 ,000 00 Lamp fund 22,500 00 Fire department fund . 1 7,000 00 $242,633 58 For deficiency in estimate in tax levy of 1883-84 of the amount to be received from the executive board for surplus receipts over expenditures from water works 40 000 00 For interest on the bonded debt as follows: — At seven per cent, for one year $352,300 00 At four per cent, for one year _ 4,000 00 $356,300 00 Less amount to be paid in by executive board for surplus receipts over expenditures from water works 85. 000 00 271,300 00 For payment of 15 bonds Free academy site loan due January ist, 1884, at $1000 each 15,000 00 For payment of 50 bonds deficiency loan due January ist, 1884 : 50,000 00 Less amount of unpaid taxes prior to 1870, col- lected since the issue of said loan and placed to its credit ' 25,939 75 24.060 25 For erroneous assessments . - 4:442 60 For local assessments on city property 6,477 75 For lighting city 75>ooo 00 For support of poor... 20,000 00 For support of police 75'°oo 00 For contingent expenses 60,000 00 For board of health, including collecting gar- bage - 1 2,000 00 For city property . . _ - 4,000 00 For parks 2,500 00 For executive board, as per requisition 165,200 00 For support of common schools 226,399 °7 Total $1,244,013 25 The Municipal court was organised in -1876, taking the place of the jus- tices' courts which had formerly existed here. It is a court of civil jurisdic- 1 82 History of the City of Rochester. til HI, (ov tlic tiial (if actions tn the extent of $500. The first judges were John W. Deuel and (lecirye W. Sill, b<.ith ajipointed by Governor Tilden — the former for fi\e years, the latter lor six. In i8-or; H. S. Hebard, Jacob Howe, sr., com- missioners. 1867-6S. — Hcnr)- L. l^'ish, ma_\-or ; H. S. Hebard, Jacob Howe, sr., com- missioners. 1869." — lulward iM. Smith, mayijr; H. S. Hebard, (ieorge (i. Cooper, commissioners. 1870. — John Lutes, max'or; H. S. Hebard, George G. Cooper, commis- sioners. H. S, Hebard actetl as secretar)' t(.i the board to this date. 1 87 1. — Charles W. l^riggs, ma_\-t.)r; H. S. Hebard, (jeorge G. Cc)oper, commissioners. B. I'rank h.nos, clerk. 1872. — A. Carter Wilder, ma_\'or; H. S. Hebard, G. (i. Cooper, commis- sioners. B. 1'. Enos, clerk. 1873. — A. Carter Wilder, nias'or; G. G. Cooper, h'red. Zimmer, com- missioners. B. F. Enos, clerk. 1874-75. — George G. Clarkson, max'or; G. G. Cm.iper, l^Ved. Zimmer, commissioners. B. !•". Enos, clerk. I 876. -^ C<.)rnelius R. Parsons, ma)'or ; G. G. C(jopei', h'retl. Zimmer, com- missioners. B. E. Enos, clerk. 1877—79 — '-• '"^' Barsons, ma}'or; Ered. Zimmer, Henr\- C. Daniels, com- missioners. B. E. I'.nos, clerk. 1880—84 — C. R. Parsons, ma\-or; Ered. Zimmer, Jacob Howe, jr., com- missioners. B. E, luTos, clerk. Thomas J. Ne\-ille, clerk of the e.xecuti\-e board, has kindly prepared the fol- lowing " histor\- of the rise, [lower and pr(.)gress of the commission of public works, the executi\e board, the water commission, and the water-works and fire board " : — "The board of commissioners of public works was created by an act of the legisla- ture passed May 20th, 1872. The members of this board were made commissioners of highways and authorised to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties belonging to such commissioners in all the streets, lanes, parks, etc., of the city of Rochester. The authority to pass ordinances for public improvements, let contracts tor, sujjervise the con- strueiion ot, and eonfirn) assessment rolls of, such improvements was also given to said The Board of Commissioners of Public Works. 183 commissioners, which power was formerly vested in the common council. A. Carter Wilder, mayor, appointed Martin Rriggs, Wm. Purcell, (;eorge H. Thompson, Herman Mutschler and Daniel Warner commissioners of ])iil)lic works on May 28th. 1872. In 1873 Henry S. Hebard was appointed commissioner in place of Herman Mutschler, and Thomas J. Neville in place of William Purcell resigned, and in 1874 Jonathan E. Pier- pont, in place of Henry S. Hebard, whose term of office had expired, and Ambrose Cram in place of Daniel Warner resigned. In March, 1876, by an act of the legislature, the executive board was created, consisting of six members, three of whom were elected by the people and three were appointed by the mayor. The three members elected were Thomas J. Neville, Philip J. Meyer and V. Fleckenstein for the terms of one, two and three years repectively, and Henry L. Fish, .\mbrose Cram and C. C. Woodworth were appointed for corresponding terms of office. On the executive board was conferred all the power exercised by the commissioners of public works, except the authority to ])ass ordinances and confirm assessment rolls, and in addition thereto the control and man- agement of the fire and water works department was conferred upon them. In the chapter on the water works of Rochester will be found a sketch of the water board. In April, 1879, the executive board was bisected and the management of the street depart- ment was placed in a board of three members, viz., F. P. Kavanaugh and Ezra Jones elected and F. C. Lauer appointed, and the water works and fire department in the charge of a board of two members, V. Fleckenstein and C. C. Woodworth, which was known as the 'water works and fire board.' In 1880 the executive board and water works and fire board were united and a board constituted of three members was organ- ised. The law provided that members be elected by the people for one, two and three years. This board is now existing and has the care and management of the water works, fire and street department of the city of Rochester." It may be as well to give, in this connection, the names of the count)' offi- cers now serving. The city members of the board of supervisors are given in the following chapter. The county clerk is Henry D. McNaughton ; county treasurer, Alexander McVean ; district-attorney, Joseph W. Taylor ; sherifif, Francis A. Schceffel ; county judge, John S. Morgan ; special county judge, Thomas Raines ; surrogate, Joseph A. Adlington ; superintendent of the j)oor, George ¥.. McGonegal ; coroners — Dr. Porter Farley, Daniel A. Sharpc. Of the United States officials, the postmaster is Daniel T. Hunt, the col- lector of the port is Charles E. Morris and the collector of internal revenue is Henrv S. Pierce. HisT(»k\- OF THE City uk Rochester. CHArTl<:R XXV. rill', ( i\ II, I iM'. TIk- \illau>- T^l^l^•L•s - Hr- May.., ,— The H..ar.ls ..r Al.ki iirii — -I'lio Cily Ticasiircr-, — Tlic !'.> IIll' lu-,lKes— riiL- Cily Sii|i< rvis.ir^— IIk- SlierilT^ — I"1k- C.iuiUy I 'iLrk- — The Cuunly Tix-asui er.-, - ■n.c Slalc Scnal.iis— riR- .Mciiil .crs ..f Assc-mlily — I'hc Mrml.cis .jf C..ngix's-s. T W. names of the trustees of the N'illaye, chosen at its uicorporation in 1817, have been gi\'en above, and those elected in succeeding years are as foi- iSi.S. — • l'"rancis Iirown, Daniel Mack, l^verard I'eck, Isaac Colvin, Ira West. Moses Chapin, clerk ; h'rederick h'. Backus, treasurer. 1.519. — No election was held, the old trustees continuing in office. 1.520, — Matthew Broun, jr., Moses Chapin, William Cobb, Ciiarles J. Hill. I'llish.i Tax-lor. Moses Chapin, clerk ; F. F. Backus, treasurer. i.Sji. — M. Brown, jr., Moses Chapin, Warham Whitne}', C. J. Hill, Flisha 'I'ax-liir. M. ChajMU, clerk; F. I-'. Backus, treasurer. 1^22. — M. Brown, jr., jiresident ; R. Bender, C. J. Hill, .S. Melanct.m Smith, W. Whitney. H. R. 1-iender, clerk ; V. V. Backus, treasurer. 1823. — M. Brown, jr., president; Jacob Graves, W. P. Sherman, Abner Wakelee, S. M. Smith. Rufus Beach, clerk ; V. F. Backus, treasurer. 1824. — John W. Strong, president; W. Whitne_\-, Anson Coleman, Jona than Packard, Ashbel W. Riley. R. Beach, clerk ; F. F. Backus, treasurer. 1825. — M. Brown, jr., president; Phelps Smith, P'rederick Starr, William Rathbun, Gilbert PIvernghim. R. Beach, clerk ; P^. F. Backus, treasurer. 1826. — During this year and the ne.xt seven one trustee was elected from each of the five wards into which the village had been divided, the wards being represented in the order in which the trustees are named, as follows: William Brewster, M. Brown, jr. (presitlcnt), Vincent Mathews, John Mastick, Giles Boulton. Rufus Beach, clerk; P~. P". Backus, treasurer ; Raphael I^each, collec- tor. 1827. — Frederick Whittlesey, P^zra M. Parsons, Jonathan Child, P21isha Johnson (president), A. V. 'P. Leavitt. R. Beach, clerk ; John B. Pllwood, treasurer ; Stephen Symonds, collector. 1828. — Plbenezer Ely, P2. M. Parsons, Plphraim Moore, K. Johnson (presi- dent), Nathaniel Rcssiter. P". Whittlesey, clerk ; P". P^. Backus, treasurer ; D. D. Hatch, collector. 1829. — John Haywood, S. S. Alcott, Robert L. McCollum, E. Johnson (president), William H. Ward. Hester L. Stevens, clerk ; Seth Saxton, treas- urer ; Robert H. Stevens, collector. 1830. — William Pease, Joseph Medbery (president), Jonathan Child, Adon- ijah Green, Harmon Bissell. Samuel L. Selden and Isaac R. P^lwood, clerks ; S. Saxton, treasurer ; A. Newton, collector. City Civil List. 18 = 183 I. — Rufus Meech, M. Brown, jr., Jacob Thorn, Harvey Humphrey, N. Rossiter (president). A. W. Stovve, clerk; Ebenezer Ely, treasurer; Lester Beardslee, collector. 1832. — S. L. Selden, William Rathbun, J. Thorn (president), Daniel Tinker, Orrin E. Gibbs. A. W. Stowe, clerk; Eben. Ely, treasurer; Seth Simmons, collector. 1833. — William E. Lathrop, Eletcher M. HaiLjht (president), E. E. Marsh- all, D. Tinker, Nathaniel Draper. I. R. Elwood, clerk ; I^benezer Watts, treas- urer ; James Caldwell, collector. That ends the village government, for in 1834 Rochester was incorporated as a city. Mayors. — The first mayor chosen was Jonathan Child. His successors in office are as follows: 1835 and 1836, Jacob Gould; 1837, A. M. Schcrmer- horn and Thomas Kempshall ; 1838, Elisha Johnson ; 1839, Thomas H. Roch- ester; 1840, Samuel G. Andrews; 1841, Elijah V. Smith; 1842, Charles J. Hill; 1843, Isaac Hills ; 1844, John ,\llen ; 1845 and 1846, William Pitkin; 1847, John B. Elwood; 1848, Joseph Eield ; 1849, Levi A. Ward; 1850, Samuel Richardson; 185 1, Nicholas E. Paine; 1852, Hamlin Stilwell ; 1853, John Williams; 1854, Maltby Strong; 1855, Charles J. Hayden ; 1856, Sam- uel G. Andrews; 1857, Rufus Keeler; 1858, Charles H. Clark; 1859, Samuel W. D. Moore; i860, Hamlet D. Scrantom ; 1 861, John C. Nash; 1862, Mich- ael F"ilon ; 1863, Nehemiah C. Bradstreet; 1864, James Brackett ; 1865, Daniel D. T. Moore; 1866, S. W. D. Moore; 1867 and 1868, Henry L. Fish; 1869, Edward M. Smith; 1870, John Lutes; 1871, Charles W. Briggs ; 1872-73, A. Carter Wilder ; 1 874-75, George G. Clarkson ; 1876-77, 1878-79, 1880- 81, 1882-83, and 1884-85, Cornelius R. Parsons. Aldcniicn. — The following is a list of the members of the common council from the incorporation of the city to the present time, the second name given after each ward being that of the assistant alderman during the first four years/ after which two full aldermen were chosen from each wanl till 1877, when the representation was confined to one member : 1834. — First ward, Lewis Brooks, John Jones; second warti, Thomas Kempshall, Elijah F. Smith ; third ward, Frederick F. Backus, Jacob Thorn ; fourth ward, A. W. Riley, Lansing B. Swan ; fifth ward, Jacob Graves, Henry Kennedy. John C. Nash, clerk. 1835. — First ward, Hestor L. Stevens, William E. Lathrop; second ward, Matthew Brown, Hiram Blanchard ; third ward, James Seymour, Erastus Cook ; fourth ward, Joseph HaLsey, Nathaniel Bingham ; fifth ward, I. R. El- wood, Butler Bardwell. Ariel Wentworth, clerk. 1836. — First ward, Alex. S. Alexander, John Haywood; second ward, Warham Whitney, Joseph AUeyn ; third ward, Joseph Strong, Jonathan Pack- ard ; fourth ward, Manley G. Woodbury, Mitchel Loder ; fifth ward, William \\. Ward, David Scoville. P. G. Buchan, clerk. 1 86 History ok the City of Rochester. 1837. — I*"irst ward, H. L. Stevens, Kilian H. Van Rensselaer; second ward, S. II. I'ack.ird. W. I-iarnm Williams; third ward, Joseph Strong, John Hawks; rmirth ward, M. (i. \\'oodl)ur\-, Schuvlcr Moses; fifth ward, L. C. I-"aiilkner, Janu's Willianis. J. W. (iilbert, clerk. 1838. — l-"irst wartl, Abclard Re>-nolds, Stephen Charles: seconil ward, John .Allen, Isaac F. .Mack; third ward, Josc])h Strong;, John Hawks; fourth ward, I'.lias Pond, Matthew (i. Warner; fifth ward, S.iniuel (i. .Andrews, Orrin ]■■.. C.ibhs. I. K. I'llwood, clerk. 18^9. — I'irst- ward, .Abel.ird Reynolds, Stephen Charles; second ward, John .Allen, (leor.ije .Arnold; third ward, John C. .Stevens, Iv 1). Smith; fourth ward, l-'.lias I'ond, S W. I). .Moore; fifth wanl, S. (',. .Andrews, William Pit- kin. '['. 11 Ilainilton anil W. R, Montgomerv, clerks. 1840. — h'irst ward, Stephen Charles, Henry Witbeck ; second ward, (jeorge .Arnold, I. F. Mack; third ward, F.. 1). Smith, Henry Cady ; fourth ward, S. W. I). Moore, Porter Ta>-lor; fifih w.ird, 1). R. H.irtoii, Willi,mi J, Southerin. W. K. Montgomery, clerk. 1841. — I'irst ward, Henr\- Witbeck, Johnscin 1. Rubins; second ward, I. F. Mack, Lewis Selye ; third ward, llenr\- Cad\-, Joseph Field; fourth w.inl. Porter T.iylor, William W. Howell; fifth ward, W. J. Southerin, .Aar.m l-'.rick- son. W. R. Moutgomer)', clerk. 1842. — P'irst waril, |. 1. Robins, ll.niilin .Stilwell ; second ward, Lewis Sel>e, Joim Williams; third w.ud, Joseph Field, Henry Canipbell ; f lurth ward, W. W. Howell, George H. Henj.unin ; fifih w.ird, .Aaron l-'.rickson, N. H. Nor- throp. J. .A. Fastman, clerk. 1843. — P'irst ward, II. .Stilwell, S. Rich.irtlson ; second ward, J. Williams, I,. Selye; third ward, H. C.impbell, i'deazar Conkey ; fourth ward, (J. H. Benja- min, Moses 11 .Sew.ird ; fifth \\artl, N. H. Northrop, Joshua Conkev. .A. .S. Hcers, clerk. 1844. — l-'irst ward, S, Richardson, .Mfied ilubbell; second ward, I,. Selye, J. Willi.ims ; thirti ward, !{. Conkey, Simon Traver ; fourth w.ird, M. H. Seward, Thomas Kem])shall ; I'ifth ward, J. Conke\-, Rufus Kceler. .A. -S. Heers, clerk. 1845. — P'irst wartl, .A. Hubbell, .Abram \'an Slyck ; second ward. Pardon 1). Wright, Seth C. Jones; thirti waril, S. rra\er, I^verard Peck; fourtli ward, 'P. I\em])shall, John 11. Habcock ; fifth w.ud, Joseph Cochrane, Jared Newell; si.xth \\ard, L. .A. Ward, (ieorge Keeney ; seventh ward, Wm I. ll.mforil, Jer- enfi.di I lildreth ; eighth ward, John Hriggs, Fdwin Scrantom ; ninth ward, John l-'isk, Charles H. Coleman. Chauncc)' Nash, clerk. 1846. — P'irst ward, A. Van Slyck, .A. Hubbell; second ward, S. C. Jones, Samuel V. Witherspoon ; third ward, E. Peck, Charles Hendri.v ; Fourth ward, J. H. Habcock, Theodore R. llamilton; fifth ward, Jared Newell, Henrv I-"o.\ ; si.xth ward, Charles L. Pardee, 1.. .\. \\ ani ; seventh ward, J. Hildreth, William City Civil List. 187 G. Russell; eighth ward, E. Scrantom, Samuel W, D. Moore; ninth ward, George J. Whitncw t'harles Robinson. Chaunccy Nash and James S. Tryon, clerks. 1847. — ^"i''st ward, .\. Hubbcll, .S. Richardson ; second ward, .S. V. Wither- spoon, John Disbrow ; third ward, C. llendri.\, James M. Fish; fourth ward, T. B. Hamilton, Josepii Hall; fifth ward, H. Fo.\, Nathan H. Blossom; sixth w-ard, L. A. Ward, John Rees ; seventh ward, W. (\. Russell, L. Ward Smith ; eighth ward, S. W. D. Moore, Hatfield llalsted; ninth ward, C. Robinson, James Gallery. J. .S. Tryon, clerk. 1848. — I-"irst ward, S. Richardson, H. .Scrantom; second ward, J. Dis- brow, li/.vn Junes; third ward, J. M. F'ish, Wm. Churchill; fourth ward, Joseph Hall, John L. l-'ish; fifth ward, N, H. Blossom, Isaac Van Kuren; si.xth ward, Philander Davis, J. S. Benton; se\-enth ward, L. W. Smith, John Greig; eighth ward, H. Halsted, S. W. D. Mciore; ninth ward, J. Gallci-_\-, .Sebastian Zeug. H. I.. Winants, clerk. 1849. — First ward, H. Scrantom, John Dawley; second ward, F2zra Jones, S. B. Stoddard; third ward, W'm. Churchill, J. .S. Caldwell; fourth ward, J. L. F'ish, G. S. Copeland; fifth ward. 1. Van Kuren, N. B. Northrop; si.xth ward, Phil. Davis, Samuel P. Allen; seventh ward, John Greig, George T. F'rost; eighth ward, S. W. D. Moore, E. S. Boughton; ninth ward, Sebastian Zeug, Peter A. Smith. Newell A. Stone, clerk. 1850. — First ward, J. Dawle_\-, William 1-". Holmes; second ward, W. H. Wait, Martin Briggs; third ward, J. S. Caldwell, L. R. Jerome; fourtii ward, G. S. Copeland, T. T. Morse; fifth ward, N. B. Northrop, Joshua Conke}-; sixth ward, Phil. Davis, C. A. Jones; se\-enth ward, G. T. k~rost, Hiram Ban- ker; eighth ward, E. .S. Boughton, Henr\- L. Fish; ninth ward, Peter A. Smith, Henr}" .Suggett. J. N. Drummond, clerk. 1851. — F'irst ward, Wm. l•^ Holmes, Benjamin M. Baker; second ward. Martin Briggs, W. H. Wait; third ward, L. R. Jertjme, Anion Bronson; fourth ware], T. T. Morse, Schusder Moses; fifth ward, Joshua Conkey, J. K. Robert- son; sixth ward, C. A. Jones, Thomas Parsons; se\'enth ware!, Hiram Banker, J. H. Babcock ; eighth ward, H. L. l'"ish, H. Se\-mour ; ninth ward, John l-'isk, Lysander Farrar. FL. B. Shepardson, clerk. 1852. — First ward, B. M. Baker, Wm. 1'. Holmes; second ward, W. H, Wait, B. F. Giikeson ; third ward, .\mon Bronson, John M. French ; fourth ward, S. Moses, George Shelton ; fifth ward, J. B. Robertson, George B. Red- field ; sixth ward, T. Parsons, Michael F"ilon ; seventh ward, J. H. Babcock, F^dward M. Smith; eighth ward, H. Seymour, George G. Munger ; ninth ward, L. F'arrar, FIdgar Belden. Washington Gibbons, clerk. 1853. — F'irst ward, W. F. Holmes, Ambrose Cram; second ward, B. F. Giikeson, J. C. Marsh ; third ward, J. M. French, Anion Bronson ; fourth ward, G. Shelton, J. C. Chumasero ; fifth ward, G. B. Redfield, M. FJouglass ; 13 i88 History of thk City ok Rochester. sixth ward, M. Filon. Charles II. Clark; seventh ward. K. M. Smith. I'. V. Thaxer ; eit^hth ward. ('•. (i Mun,L;er. Daniel D. Lynch; ninth ward, I".. Hel- deii, H, SchiitTel ; tenth ward, Tiionias Parsons. W. (iibbuns, clerk. iS:;4. — I'ii'st ward, .\, Cr.ini. Ii.linson I. Robins; second ward, J. C. Marsh, .\ I Harlow ; third w.ird. .\ i^ronson. William Brcck ; fourth ward, J. C. Chum.isero, Cieort,'c Shelton ; fifth ward, M. Douglass,!".. K. Warren ; si.xth ward, C. II. Clark, .Michael l-'ilon ; seventh ward, P. P. Thax-er, Stephen diaries; eighth ward, D. D. I,_\'nch, William H. Moore; ninth ward, H. Sch(eftel, J. Hilton; tenth w.ird, T. Parsons, John Oiiin. W. Gibbons, clerk. 1S55. — first ward, J. I. Robins, hxlwin Pa n cost ; second ward, .A.J. Harlow, Martin Hriggs ; third ward, W, Rreck. Thos. C. Montgomery; fourth w.ird, C. Shelt<.n. J. M. W'inslow ; fifth w.u-d, ['.. K. W.irren, M. Doug- glass; sixth w.ir.l. .M. l'il.>n, C, II. Ckirk ; seventh w.ird, S. Charles, K. W. Sabin : eighth w.u'd, W 11. M.K.re. J,H, Heiinett ; ninth ward, J. Hilton, I.onis Bauer; teiuii w.ird, J. Uuin, John V. More)-. W. (iibboiis, clerk. 1856. — l-'ir-^t w.ird, ['. C. lulgerton, W. .S. Thompson; second ward, M;ir- tin Hriggs, (i, W. i'ar-ons; third w.ird. T. C. Montgomery, ,\dol])hus Morse ; fairlh w.ud. J. M. Wiii-^h.w, Ji.hn 1'. I..ic>-; fifth waril, M. Dougl.iss, M. .Mc- Donald; sixth w.ird, C. II. Clark, (leorgeCi. Cooper; seventh ward, IC W. Sabin, Channel)- Perr\- ; eighth ward, J. H. Bennett, H. 1,. Msh ; ninth w.ird, I.. B.iuer, Lewis Selve; tenth ward, J. L, .More), C. Dutton. C. X. Simmons, clerk. 1857. — hirst w.ird, W .S. rhom])son, J.icob Howe; second ward, (i. W. Parsons, lleman Li»imi^; thii-d w.ird, .\. Morse, .\. (]. Wheeler; fourth w.ird, 1, T. l.,ie\-, 11. S. jleb.ird; fifth ward, .M. .McDon.ild, P. M. Bromley; si.xth w.ird, Ci. (i. Cooper, J. Scliutte ; M.-\-enlh ward, C. Perr_\-, P. Cunningham; eighth ward, II. L, h'i-^li, ( )bed .M. Rice; ninth waril, L. Selye, John Lutes; tenth ward, C. Dutton, 'I'hom.is Parsons. L'. X. Simmons, clerk. 183.S. — hirst w.iril, Jacob Howe, W. .Mudgett. jr. ; secontl ward. Hem, in Looniis, Ci. W. Perr\- ; third ward, .\. (i. Wheeler, W. .\. Reynolds; fourth ward. II. S. llehard. C,. W. Lewis; fifth ward, P. M. Bromley, L. B. Twitch- ell; sixth ward, J. .Schutle. 1). W. Perr\- ; se\-enth ward, P. Cunningham, II. Billinghurst ; eighth ward, ( ). M. Rice. Henr_\- B. Knapp ; ninth ward. John Lutes, L. Sel\-e ; tenth ward, Thomas Parsons, H. S. P'airchild ; ele\-enth w.ird, 1. W. Philliiis, L. Bauer. C. X. Simmons, clerk. 1,859. — l-'irst w.ird. W. Miulgett, jr. ; W. P. Holmes; second ward, (i. W. Pen-)-, Belli, imin Butler; third w.ird, W. .\. Re\-nolds, William Hollister; fourth ward, ('.. W. Lewis, 11. S. Ilebard ; fifth ward, L. B. Twitchell, .X. C. l^radstreet ; sixth ward, D. W Perr\-, John C. Xash ; seventh ward, Henry (i. Moore, .Aaron h^rickson ; eighth ward, II. B. Knapp, .X. A.Stone; ninth ward. L. .Sel\-e, John Lutes; tenth ward, II. .S. Fairchild, G. Shelton; eleventh ward, L. Bauer. J. C. .M.ison ; twelfth waril, W. T. dishing, II. Billinghurst. P". S. Rew-, clerk. City Civil List. 189 i860. — First ward, W. F. Holmes, James Brackett-; second ward, 11 But- ler, U. A. Wo()dbur_\- ; third ward, W. Hollister, ICbeii N. Buell ; foiirlh ward, H. S. Hebard, 1. S. Waritii;; fifth ward, N. C. Bradstrect, Alexander Lon;^^- muir; si.xth ward, Alonzo Stearns, Gottlieb Goetzman ; seventh ward, A. l'".r- ickson, H. G. Moore; eighth ward, X. .\. Stone, Levi Palmer; ninth ward, I. Lutes, O. L. Angevine; tenth ward, G. Shelton, hVederick Vose ; eleventh ward, J. C. Mason, Christian Schaefier ; twelfth ward, H. Billinghurst, Patrick Barry. F. S. Rew, clerk. 1861. — First ward, J. Brackett, \V. F. Holmes; second ward, D. A. Wood- bury, B. Buder; third ward, E. N. Buell, John H. Brewster; fourth ward, I. S. Waring, H. S. Hebard; fifth ward. A. Longmuir, N. C. Bradstreet ; si.xth ward, G. Goetzman, Charles H. Williams; seventh ward, H. G. Moore, Jason W. Seward; eighth ward, L. Palmer, Daniel Warner; ninth ward, (). L. Ange- vine, M. C. Mordoff ; tenth ward, F. V^ose, S. B. Raymond ; eleventh ward, C. Schaeffer, John Cody; twelfth ward, P. Barry, George N. Hotchkin. N. A. Stone, clerk. 1862. — First ward, W. F. Holmes, Luther C. Spencer; second ward, B. Butler, George IJarling ; third ward, J. H. Brewster, E. N. Buell ; fourth ward, H. S. Hebard, C. M. St. John; fifth ward, N. C. Bradstreet, P. M. Bromle\' ; sixth ward, C. H. Williams, Joseph Hoffman ; seventh ward, J. W. Seward, H. G. Moore; eighth ward, IX Warner, H. L. Fish; ninth ward, M. C. Mordoff, Horace A. Palmer; tenth ward, S. B. Raymond, Louis I'^rnst ; ele\-enth ward, John Cody, G. A. Sidler ; twelfth ward, G. N. Hotchkin, Henry Hebing. C. N. Simmons, clerk. 1863. — First ward, L. C. Spencer, Ambrose Cram; second ward, G. Dar- ling, W^illiam C. Rowley; third ward, E. N. Buell, Daniel D. T. Moore; fourth ward, C. M. St. John. Wallace Darrow ; fifth ward, P. M. Bromley, E. K. War- ren; sixth ward, J. Hoftman, James O'Maley; seventh ward, H. (i. Moore, James Upton; eighth ward, H. L. Fish, D. Warner; ninth ward, H. A. Pal- mer, M. C. Mordoff; tenth ward, L. F^rnst, Alonzo Chapman ; eleventh ward, G. A. Sidler, Thomas M. Flynn ; twelfth ward, H. Hebing, Hamilton McOuat- ters. C. N. Simmons, clerk. 1864. — First ward, A. Cram, L. C. Spencer; second ward, W. C. Row- ley, S. A. Hodgeman; third ward, D. D. T. Moore, William H. Groot ; fourth ward, W. Darrow, G. S. Copeland ; fifth ward, E. K. Warren, N. C. Brad- street; sixth ward, J. O'Maley, Joseph Schutte ; seventh ward, J. Upton, Row- land Milliman; eighth ward, D. Warner, H. L. Fish; ninth ward, M. C. Mor- doff, H. A. Palmer; tenth ward, A. Chapman, William Wagner ;. eleventh ward, T. M. Flynn, G. A. Sidler; twelfth ward, H. McOuatters, H. Hebing; thirteenth ward, George P. Draper, Lawrence Sellinger. B. PVank Enos, clerk. 1865. — First ward, L. C. Spencer, A. Cram; second ward, Joseph Oual- 1 igO HiSTORV OF THE CiTY OF ROCHESTER. tn>u;4h, Gcnroc K. Harris; tliird ward, W. II. Cirdnt, William I loUistcr ; fourth ward, (i. S. C.'opcland, Stcplicii Kcminytoii; hftli w.iid, Martin Ht-bcrLjcr, \i. K. W'.irrcii ; si.xth wai'd, J. .Schiittc, Joscpli Bcir; seventh wai'd, R. Alilhman, WiUiani H (iiirslinc; ci-hth ward, U. L. I'"ish, (icorL^c TaNdur ; ninth ward, U A. I'.ihiur, W, 1). Calhstcr; tenth w.ird, W. W, turner, John (Juin ; ele\'cnth ward, Ci. A. .Sitllcr, T. M. I'd\-nn ; tweh'tli ward. If. Hcbing, H. McUuatters ; thirteenth ward, L. .SeUin^^er, (i. 1'. Hr.ipcr. W. V. Imios, clerk. 1866. — I'irst waril, .A. Cram, I,. L. Spencer; secunti wan.l, (i. ]'>. Harris, J. Oualtrminh ; third waril, W. Ilcillister, W. H. (irnrit; fourth w,ird, S. Rem- ington, John (ir.iham; tifth warii, I-',. K. W'.u-reii, William (niggcnhcim ; sixth ward, j. l-ieir, Herman Mutscliler; seventh ward, W. II. ( iursline, David Cope- land ; eighth ward, ( leorge Taylor, M. M. Hrow n ; ninth w.ud, W. D. Callister, James H. Kelly; tenth ward, J. (Juin, Cvrus ]•". I'aine ; ele\enth ward, T, M. ]eck, W'm. S. Smith; fifteentli ward, A. II. Martin, J. P. Rickard ; sixteenth w.ird, j. (ieor^e Baetzel, Win. \: BueH. W. 1'". Morrison, clerk. 1876. — I'irst w.ird, (i. W. Akli'idye, \V. JL Trac_\' ; second wartl, Andrew Nai,de, John M. Brown; third ward. 1). H. W'estbury, Thomas Peart; fourth ward, A. (1 Whitcomb, Nathan P.ilmer; fifth waril, II. Brinker, P'rederick Mor- hardt ; sixth ward, .S. ILiys, Willis (,'. Hadley ; seventh ward, h'rancis S. Hunn, G. A. Redni.m ; eighth w.irtl, John W. Martin, A. 11. Bennett; ninth ward, J. H. Kelly, P.. B. Chace ; tenth ward, W. Weklon, I'.dwin Huntington; eleventh ward, G. Fleckenstein, John l^ra^'er ; twelfth wartl, J. McCiraw, 2d, Benj. F. Thomas; tliirteenth ward, J. Nunnokl, I''. C Lauer, jr.; fourteentli ward, W. S. Smith, L. P. l-!eck ; fifteenth ward, >\. H. Martin, J. P. Rickard ; sixteenth ward, J. Geo. Baet/.el, Charles Plilbei't. I'",dward Angevine, clerk. 1.S77. — I'"irst ward, W. H. Trac_\- ; second ward, Michael H. I~itz,Simons ; third w.ird, T. C. Montgomer_\' ; fourth warel, G. Herzberger; fifth ward, V.. K. Warren; sixth ward, S. Hays; seventh ward, (i. ,\. Redman; eighth w.ird, J. W. Martin; ninth ward, \i. B. Chace; tenth ward, L. Huntington; eleventh w.ird, Nicholas Kase ; twelfth ward, John Donivan; thirteenth w.inl, P'retf C. Lauer, jr. ; fourteenth waril, W. S. Smith; fifteenth ward, J. Miller Kell}' ; sixteenth w.irtl, J. G. l^aetzel. Pxlward Angevine, clerk. I.S7,S. — First ward, W. H. Trac\- ; second ward, M. IP P'itzSimons; third ward, T. C. Montgomer)' ; fourth w.ird, G. Herzberger ; fifth ward, 1'.. K. \\'arren ; sixth ward, S. Ha\'s ; se\enth ward, Charles T. Crouch; eighth w.irLl, J. W. Martin; ninth warti, P".. B. Chace; tenth ward, P-. Huntington; eleventh ward, Rudol})h \'ay ; twelfth ward, John ])oni\an; thirteenth ward, Lewis P^delman ; fourteenth ward, W. S. Smith ; fifteenth ward, Joseph W. Knobles ; sixteenth ward, J. Ci. l^aetzel. lulward Angevine, clerk. 1.S79. — P'irst ward, W. IP Tracy; second ward, M. H. P"itzSimons ; third ward, I). H. Westbury ; fourth ward, L. M. Otis; fifth ward, E. K. Warren; sixth ward, Henr)- Hebing; seventh ward, C. T. Crouch; eighth ward, Geo. City Civil List. 193 Chambers; ninth ward, K. B. Chacc ; tenth ward, W. Mandeville ; eleventh ward, R. \'a)- ; twelfth ward, Philip Wickcns ; thirteenth ward, Lewis Edcl- nian ; fourteenth ward, D. G. Weaver; fifteenth ward. J, W. Knobles ; six- teenth ward, J. J. Hart. Edward Angevine, clerk. 1880. — First ward, W. H. Trac\'; second ward, M. H. FitzSimons; third ward, D. H. We.stbury; fourth ward, L. M. (Itis ; fifth ward, ()wen F. Fee; si.xth ward, Ifenry Hebing ; seventh ward, Ira L. Otis; eighth ward, Geo. Chambers; ninth ward, S. D. Walbridge ; tenth ward, \V. Mandeville; eleventh ward, John A. Felsinger; twelfth ward, P. Wickens ; thirteenth ward, Lewis Edel- man ; fourteenth ward. D. G. Weaver; fifteenth ward, J. M. Kelly; sixteenth ward, J. J. Mart. Lucius M. Mandeville, clerk. 1 88 1 — W. H. Tracy; second ward, Martin Harron ; third ward, D. II. Westbur)' ; fourth ward, H. S. Ransom ; fifth ward, U. V. Fee : sixth warker. 1S35.— J,,seph Medberv", Charles J. Hill, Jared Xewell. 1836. — First w.ud, Ahiltby Strong,'; second ward, Joseph Medbery ; third wai'd, Thomas H, Rochester; fourth wartl, Mlisha Johnson ; fifth w.irtl, I'disha W Strono. 1837. — j-'irst Wai'd, Lyman ]>. L.tni^w oi'thx' ; second ward, John Williams; tliird w.ird, ■]' II, Rochester; foiiith w.u'd, James \\ (ire;;or_\; fifth waril, J a ret! Newell, 18^8. — hirst ward, Thomas J, Patterson; second wartl, l-.lijah 1-", Smith; third ward, V.. 1), Smith; fourth wai'd, Thomas Kempsh, ill ; tilth ward, Horace ll(H,ker, 1839. — I-'irst ward, Alfred Iluhbell; secoiul ward, \\ F. Smith; third ward, I'A-erartl Teck ; fourth ward, J, W, Smith; fifth wai'd, Levi /\. Ward. 1840 — I-'irstward, A. llubbell; second ward, Seth C.Jones; third ward, James AT lM-,h ; foiiith ward, Willi. im Criffitli ; fifth wartl, L. A. Ward. 1 84 I . — h'irst ward, Tde.izar Con key ; second ward, John Allen ; third ward, J. AT h'i^h ; fourth ward, John Hawks; lifth ward, Rufus Keeler. 184J. — Fii'st ward, ]{. Conkex' ; secoiul waril, J. Allen; third ward, J. I\T l-'ish : tourth ward, Asahel S, ]5eei's ; fifth wartl, R. Keeler. 1843. — T'irst \\ ard, .S.imiu'l H, l)ewe_\-; second ward, William liuell ; third w.iril, Simon 'Tra\ei' ; fmrth ward, .Schuyler Moses; tifth ward, Teter W. Jenniiii^s. 1844. — hirst ward, John Haywtiod; second ward, William W. Alcott; third ward, Henry Cady ; fourth w;u'd, Robert I lai_L;ht ; fifth ward, V.. H. Stroni;'. 1845. — T'our new wards were added to the cit\' in this year, but the cit\''s representation in the boaril of super\'isors was not increasetl till l853,the divis- ion beini;' for ei;^ht years b)- districts, as follows: T'irst ward, Anibrose Cram; second and ninth wards, (Teori;e IT Miiniford; third and eighth wards, \\. F. Sniith ; fourth anti se\enth w ards, ATitthew d. Warner ; fifth and si.xth wards, P. W. Jenninij-s, City Civil List. 195 1846. — First ward, John Hax'wootl ; second and nintli wards, G. H. Alum- ford; third and eighth wards, .Samuel Miller; fourth and seventh wards, John Miller; fifth and sixth wards, William B. Alexander. 1847. — First ward, Johnson I. Robins; second and ninth wards, Joel W Milliner; third and eigluh wards, Zina H. Benjamin ; fourth and sexenth wards, John Miller; fifth and sixth wards, David R. Barton. 1848. — First ward, John Ha_\-wood ; second and ninth wards, J. P. Mil- liner ; third and eighth wards, William H. Cheney ; fourth and se\enth wards, Thomas B. Husband ; fifth and sixth wards, Philander G. Tobey. 1849. — First ward, John Haywood; second and ninth wards, John Crom- bie ; third and eighth wards, E. F. Smith; fourth and seventh wards, T. B. Husband ; fifth and sixth wards, Harvey Humphre\-. 1850. — First ward, Lansing B. Swan; second and ninth wards, J. Crom- bie ; third and eightli wards, James Chappell ; fourth and seventh wards, M. G. Warner; fifth and sixth wards, Mitchel Loder. 1851. — First ward, George Gould; second anil ninth wards, J. Crombie ; third antl eighth wards, C. J. Hill ; fourtli and seventh wards, James C. Camp- bell ; fifth and sixth wards, AF Loder. 1852. — First ward, John Whitney; second, Lewis Selj'e ; third, Nathaniel T. Rochester; fourth, Simon L. Brewster; fifth, Joshua Conke}- ; sixth, Rob- ert Syme ; seventh, William I. Hanford ; eighth, Zina H. Benjamin; ninth, W, Barron Williams; tenth, eleventh and twelfth, Hubbard W, Jones. 1853. — First ward, Abram Karnes; second, Ezra Jones; third, C. J. Hill ; fourth, Alonzo K. Amsden ; fifth, J. Conkey ; sixth, R. Syme; seventh, John Rigney ; eighth, Asa B. Hall; ninth, Daniel Gatens ; tenth, ele\'enth and twelfth, George Peck. 1854. — First ward, Thomas Kempshall ; second, William E. Lathrop ; third, Samuel Miller; fourth, y\lvah Strong; fifth, J. Conkey; sixth, R. Syme ; se\enth, John H. Babcock ; eighth, Henr\- L. Fish ; ninth, James C. Cochrane; tenth, eleventh and twelfth, Wm. H. Alexander. 1855. — First ward, Henr\- Churchill ; second, George Arnold ; third, C. J. Hill; fourth, Harvey Prindle ; fifth, I'hilander G. Tobey; sixth, Hiram Davis; seventh, J. H. Babcock; eighth, Henr_\- B. Knapp; ninth, Lysander Farrar ; tenth, eleventh and twelfth, James L. Angle. 1856. — First ward, John Ha)-wood ; second, George Arnold; third, J. Crombie; fourth, Edward Roggen ; fifth, N. C. Bradstreet ; sixth, H. Davis ; seventh, Aaron Erickson ; eighth, William Cook; ninth, D. Gatens; tenth, eleventh and twelfth, David Wagner. 1857. — First ward, W'ilham S. Thompson; second. John H. Thompson; third, William Churchill ; fourth, Hiram Smith ; fifth, J. Rigne_\- ; sixth, Robert R. Harris; seventh, Jarvis M. Hatch ; eighth, Sidney Church ; ninth, D. Gatens; tenth, eleventh and twelfth, D. Wagner. 196 History of the City of Rochester. 1858. — First ward, W. S. Thompson ; second, Hamlet D. Scrantom ; third, W. Churchill; fourth, James McMannis; fifth, William R. Giffortl ; sixth, J(jhn ('.. Wayner; sc\enth. Alex. W. Miller; ei-hth, S. W. 1). Moore; ninth, l-"nm- cis Brouii ; tenth antl twelfth, H. W. Jones; eleventh, Charles Wilson. 1859. — First waid, Henj. M. Baker; second, H. D. Scrantom; third, i\mon ]5ronson ; f<.)urtli, ( )cta\ius 1'. Chamberlain; fifth, Wm, W. Hrufi"; sixth, Geori^e C. Maurer; se\enth, M. C, Warner; eighth, Joel ll Bennett; ninth, (). L. Anyevine; tenth, II W Jones; ele\-enth, h'rancis A. Adelman ; twelfth, I'hilip J. Me_\'er. i860. — h'irst waril, H. M. Baker; second, J. H. Thonipson ; thirti, A. Bron- son ; fourth. William .McCarth\- ; fifth, William Carroll; sixth, I'Aan F\'ans ; seventh, Fdward AL .Smith ; eighth, Benj.imin Mcl-"arlin ; ninth, Thomas C. (iilman ; tenth, Louis l''.rnst ; ele\-enth, Jacob Waldele ; twelfth, L_\-man Mun- ger. 1861. — I'irst ward, I lamlin Stilwell ; second, Samuel M. Hildreth ; thiril, A. Bronson ; fourth, Wm. H. l^urtis ; fifth, W. Carroll; -,ixth, William Shep- herd; se\'enth, \i. AL Snfith ; eighth, II McFarliii ; ninth, T. C. Cilman ; tenth, Daniel B. Loder ; eleventh, Augustus I laungs ; twelfth, Alex. McWhorter. 1862. — I-'irst ward, 11. Stilwell ; second, Wm. C. Rowley ; third, A. Ikon- son ; fourth, (jeorge N. Deming ; fifth, Patrick J. Dowling; sixth, William Side}-; seventh, F2dwin Ta_\-|or ; eighth, B. McFarlin ; ninth, lohn II. Wilson; tenth, Henr)- Suggett : ele\-enth, .A. H.iungs; twelfth, Patrick Barr_\-. 1863. — i-~irst \\ar,ra Jones; third, .\. Bron- son; fourth, U.S. Redfield; fifth, P. Conolly ; sixth, C. H. Williams ; seventh, F. De W.Clarke: eighth, S. Lewis; ninth, L. Selye; tenth, A. II. Billings; eleventh, Chas. S. Baker; twelfth. A. .McWhorter; thirteenth, C. Widman ; fourteenth, S. .S. Partridge. 1867. — P'irst ward, Joseph Curtis ; second, George .Arnold ; thiitl, .A. Bron- City Civil List. 197 son; fourth, W'm. S. Kimball ; fifth, F. Conolly : sixth, Joseph Schutte ; seventh, J. VV. Seward; eighth, Daniel Warner ; ninth, I.. Sel\-e : tenth, George Hreck : eleventh, L. Bauer: twelfth, George V. Schaffer ; thirteenth, C. Widman : foui- teenth, John Stewart. 1868. — First ward, Charles H. Stilwell : second, John Barker: third, Thos. C. Montgomer)' ; fourth, J. C. Campbell: fifth, P. Conolly: sixth, J. Schutte; seventh, Porter W. Taylor: eighth, D. Warner; ninth, M. S. P'airchild ; tenth, Isaiah F. Force; eleventh, L. Bauer; twelfth, George Plllwanger : thirteenth, George P. Davis ; fourteenth, J. Stewart 1869. — P'irst ward, H. Churchill; second, Thomas T. Sprague ; third, T. C. Montgomer\- : fourth, James Kane, sr. ; fifth, William Guggenheim; sixth, Ouincy Van Voorhis : seventh, P. W. Taylor; eighth, M. J. Glenn ; ninth, C. S. Baker; tenth, D. C. Ellis; ele\enth, Thomas M. Flynn ; twelfth, Joseph L. Luckey ; thirteenth, Henr_\- S. Brown; fourteenth, J. Stewart. 1870. — First ward, H. Churchill; second, G. Arnold; third. T. C. Mont- gomery ; fourth, J. Kane, sr. : fifth, Michael Kolb ; sixth, Q. Van Voorhis ; sev- enth, P. W. Ta)-lor ; eighth, B. McFarlin : ninth, C. S. Baker ; tenth, D. C. Ellis ; eleventh, T. M. El}-nn : twelfth, J. L Luckey ; thirteenth, PVederick Loebs ; fourteenth, J. Stewart. 1871. — First ward. L, A Pratt ; second, T. T. Sprague ; third, T. C. Mont- gomery ; fourth, Lyman M. Otis; fifth, W. W. Brufif; sixth, Q. Van Voorhis; seventh, Frank N. Lord ; eighth, Charles P. Achilles ; ninth, Addison N. Whit- ing ; tenth, D. C. Ellis ; eleventh, Thomas Mitchell ; twelfth, John W. Deuel ; thirteenth, F. Loebs ; fourteenth, Richard H. Warfield. 1872. — First ward, Alonzo G. Whitcomb ; second, Charles A. Pool ; third, James L. Brewster ; (appointed by council in place of Wm. Carson, deceased); fourth, Ro}al L. Mack ; fifth, George J. Knapp ; sixth, Francis Boor ; seventh, George F. Loder ; eighth, Nicholas Brayer ; ninth, William C. Stone ; tenth, I. F. Force : eleventh, Geo. B. Swikehard ; twelfth, Henr\- Bender ; thirteenth, C. Widman ; fourteenth, Abram Boss. 1873. — First ward, Frank W. Embr}- ; second, C. A. Pool; third, Henry E. Rochester; fourth, John B. Hahn ; fifth, Heman S. Brewer; sixth, V. Boor; seventh, G. ¥. Loder ; eighth, Wm. F. Parr\- ; ninth, Thomas McMillan ; tenth, Bernard Haag; eleventh, Jacob Gerling; twelfth, William C. Barry ; thirteenth, Frederick C. Lauer, jr. : fourteenth, Chas. F. Hetzel. 1874. — First ward, Wm. F. Holmes; second, Ansel A. Cornwall: third, H. E. Rochester; fourth, J. B. Hahn; fifth, John Dufner: sixth, F. Boor; sev- enth, Chas. H. Webb ; eighth, B. McFarlin ; ninth, Frederick Miller (appointed in place of Horace W. Jewett, resigned) ; tenth, Douglass Hovey ; eleventh, J. Gerling ; twelfth, Nicholas Cutberlet ; thirteenth, John Nothaker; fourteenth, Wm. H. Dake ; fifteenth, John C. O'Brien ; sixteenth, Henry E. Boardman (last two appointed b}' common council). igS History of the City of Rochester. 1S75. — I'irst wanl. L, A. rr.itt ; sccoiul, C. A. P(ir^re \' .Schaft'er ; thirteentli, l'"rank X. Bradler; fourteenth, W. H, Dake ; tifteentii, Henry Khnk-hamnier ; si.x- teenth, (iciirt^e J. I-'arber. 1876. — ['"irst ward, L. A. Pratt ; second, James Day ; third, Chas. F. \\n-n\ ; fourth, James H Hayden ; fifth, Charles luiylert ; sixtii, Samuel Rosenblatt ; se\-enth, C. H. W' ebb ; eighth, William Wright; ninth, Cicorge W. Jacobs; tenth, Daniel Lowrey : eleventh, Jiihn (ireenwood ; twelftii, (i. V, Schatifer ; thir- teenth, (.)laf Oswald ; fourteenth, W. H, Dake; fifteenth, H, Klinkhammer; sixteenth, Ilenry l-i. McCionegal 1877. — I'"irst ward, L. ,\. I'ratt ; second, Hiomas Pr_\di- ; thiid, C F. Pond; fourth, J, K. Ha_\den ; fifth, C. I'lnglert ; sixth, William .S. p'alls ; seventh, C. H. Webb; eighth, W. Wright; ninth, G. W. Jacobs; tenth, I'lthan A. Chase (appointed in [ilace of .\. N. Whiting, tleceased) ; eleventh, Thomas McAnarney; twelfth, William Gibbs ; thirteenth, O. Oswald ; fom-teenth, W. l\ Dake; fifteenth, J, imes 11. Cnrran ; sixteenth, H, Ix McGoneg.il. 1878. — h'irst ward, L. A. Pratt; second, Michael M. Keenan , third, C. F. Pond; fourth, J. \\. H.ivden ; fifth, William lunerson ; sixth, W. S. P'alls ; seventh, Maxe_\- N. Van Zandt ; eighth, Leonartl Henkle ; ninth, G, W. Jacobs; tenth, Harvc}- C. Jones; ele\'enth, Reuben Punnett ; twelfth, W. Gibbs; thir- teenth, O. Oswald; fiurteenth, John J, Burke; fifteenth, J. H, Lurr.in; six- teenth, H. B. McGonegaf 1879. — I'irst wartl, Willi. im \\ . Can; second, ^L M. Keenan ; thirtl, l-"rank M. Bottum ; fourth, J, K. Ha_\den ; fifth, C. P'.nglert ; sixth, W. .S. F.ills ; seventh, George fleberling ; eighth, Maurice I,e_\'den ; ninth, (i. W. Jacobs; tenth, II. C. Jones; ele\enth, John Bra^'er ; twelfth, Conr.id Fisenberg ; thir- teenth, John .\. P. Walter; fourteenth, Thomas Cr.me ; fifteenth, J. H. Curran ; sixteenth, John W .Sti'oup. 1880. — First ward, James W. Clark; second, James Da)-; third, V. M. Bottum; fourth, J, IC Hayelen ; fifth, C(jnrad Bachman ; sixth, Joseph Hoff- man; sexenth, G. Heberling; eighth, Bernard ()'Kane; ninth, Martin [oiner ; tenth, II. C.Jones; eleventh, J. Bra_\-er ; twelfth, Philip Weider ; thirteenth, J ,\. P. Walter; fourteenth, T. Crane; fifteenth, .\nthony II. Martin; six- teenth, .Alexander Button. 1881. — P'irst ward, J. W. Clark; second, (k-orge Wait; third, F. M. Bot- tum; fourth, Charles Watson; fifth, C. Bachman; sixth, .\bram J. Capjion ; seventh, G. Heberling; eighth, B. O'Kane; ninth, M. Joiner; tenth, Henry I{. Shaffer; eleventh, J. Brayer ; twelfth, P. Weider; thirteenth, J. A. P. Walter; fourteenth, Thomas Gosnell ; fifteenth, A. H. Martin ; sixteenth, .A. Button. 1883. — I'irst ward, Dwiglit Knapp ; second, Conrad B. Denn)- ; third, F. County and Other Officers from Rochester. 199 M. Rottum ; fourth, C. Watson; fifth, George Caring (appointed in place of C. Bachman, deceased) ; sixth, WiUiam Perry ; seventh, Charles C. Meyer ; eighth, James P. TumiHty : ninth, M. Joiner ; tenth, George Weldon : eleventh, William \\'olz : twelfth, P. W'eider ; thirteenth, Stephen Rauber : fourteenth, T. Gos- nell ; fifteenth, Henry Kondolph ; sixteenth, John Vogt. 1883. — First ward, D. Knapp ; second, George B. Wesley: third, Thomas Peart; fourth, Charles B. Ernst; fifth, Roman Ovenburg : sixth, Valentine Hetzler; seventh, C. C. Meyer; eighth, James P. Tumility: ninth, M. Joiner; tenth, Bartholomew Keeler: ele\enth, W. W'olz ; twelfth, D. Clinton Bar- num ; thirteenth, Carl F. Gottschalk ; fourteenth, T. Gosnell ; fifteenth, John Foos ; sixteenth, Chaunce)- Nash. 1884. — First ward, E. F. Stilwell ; second, G. B. Wesle\- ; third, George Morgan; fourth, C. B. Ernst; fifth, George Caring: sixth, Abram Stern; se\-enth, C. C. Me_\-er ; eighth. J. 1'. Tumilit}- ; ninth, Frederick E. Conway; tenth, B. Keeler; ele\'entli, John Bra)-er; twelfth, D. C. Barnum ; thirteenth, James H. Brown; fourteenth, T. Gosnell; fifteenth, George J. Held: sixteenth, Oscar F. Brown. County officers do not properh* come within the ci\'il list of a municipal corporation, but, as Rochester is the county seat, and the county ofiicers are therefore located here, it seems better to insert them in this place with the year in which they went into office, and to give, as well, the list of supervisors from the city (as has been done above), and of state senators, members of Assembly and representatives in Congress, in all cases from the city alone. The count)- judicial officers — judges, surrogates and district-attorne\'s — will be found named in order in the chapter devoted to the bench and bar. Sheriffs. — 1 82 I, James Seymour; 1823, John T. Patterson; 1826, James Seymour; 1829, James K. Livingston; 1832, Ezra M. Parsons; 1835, Fllias Pond; 1838, Darius Perrin ; 1 841, Charles L. Pardee; 1844, Hiram Sibley; 1847, George Hart; 1850, Octavius P. Chamberlain; 1853, Chauncey B. Woodworth ; 1856, Alexander Babcock ; 1859, Hiram Smith; 1862, Jo.seph H. Warren; 1865, Alonzo Chapman; 1868, Caleb Moore; 1869, Isaac V. Sutherland (appointed in place of Moore, deceased); 1870, Joseph B. Camp- bell : 1873, Charles S. Campbell ; 1876, Henry E. Richmond ; 1879, James K. Burlingame; 1882, Francis A. Schceffel. County Clerks. — 1821, Nathaniel Rochester; 1823, I-Llisha Ely; 1826, Simon Stone, 2d ; 1829, William Graves ; 1832, Leonard Adams ; 1835, Sam- uel G. Andrews ; 1838, Ephraim Goss; 1841, James W. Smith ; 1844, Charles J. Hill ; 1847, John C. Nash ; 1850, John T. Lacy ; 1853, W. Barron Williams ; 1856, WiUiam N. Sage ; 1859, Dyer D. S.Brown; 1862, Joseph Cochrane 1865, George H. Barry; 1868, Charles J. Powers; 1871, Alonzo L. Mabbett;' 1874, John H. Wilson; 1877 and 1880, Edward A. Frost; 1883, Henry D. McNaughton. History of the City of Rochester. County Ti-cdsin-crs. — Xo record, sn far as can be ascertained, has been kept in any form, [)rintei-i or written, of the early treasurers of Monroe count)', noi' are tlleir names obtainable from the records of the board of superxisors, by whom the\' were elected before I 84.S. for the reason that those records are not in existence in their original form, nor can printed copies be found of more than a very tew of those ancient _\'ears — so that the list of supervisors above gi\en had to be made up in part from the original records (which are complete and well preserved in the cit_\' clerk's office) of the proceedings of the common council, which acted as a board of canvassers. The first treasurer was .S. Melancton .Smith, and after him were Frederick W'hittlesc}-, William S. W'hit- tlese\-, William McKnight and William Kidd, the last of whom held the office for six or eight \-ears. The first to be electetl by the people was Lewis Sch'e, who entered u[ion the office in 1X49 and again in 1855, after William H. I'er- kins had held it for the intermediate term. In 1858 jason Baker went in, in 1864 .Samuel Schofield, in 1867 (leorge N. Deming, in 187:; Charles !'. .\chil- les, in 1876 James Ilarris and in 1879 Alexander .Mc\'ean, the present incum- bent. Stdti- Siiiators. — No member of the state SeiKite was sent from either the village or the city of Rochester till 1844, when Frederick I'", liackus was elected, .serving for tour _\'ears ; the next was Samuel Millei', in 1848; the others were William .S. Bishop, in 1854; L_\-sa .\lartni, Suiifou 1'. Olcott. S. I,. .Merrill. Ciilhert E\- crnghim. James K. Livingston, John ('. Muini, Willi.un Rathhnn. bihii Haswood. [esse Congdon, Timothy Kempshall. Engine company nuiiihcr 2. — .Vnson House. I)a\is ('. West. Giles lloulton. H. Crandall. Dennis 1'. lirou n. Jose|ih 1'. King. I'"rederu k Starr. William liliss, .Miner Wake- lee. E. H. (Irover, Chaimcey Eaton. C. W. Barnard. E. S. Curtis. John T. Wilcox. W. G. Russell. .'Stephen ( 'harles. John Colby. X'olney Ghapin. Roswell Bush. Charles M. Dee. William .Atkinson. Jabe/. Rannew Joseph Halsey. Moses Barnard. Butler Banbvell, 'I'itfany Hunn. Jeremiah Williams. .Miner Ward. Hook and ladder compaii)-. — C. \. Van Slyke. I'helps Smith. E. J. Cummins, John ISingham. .-Vrchihald Hotchkiss, Daniel 'I'inker, Henr\ Bush. ISaniev Btish. |osiah 'I'ower. Nathan l,\nian. Phelps Smith, foreman. .\t the same time the president of the board appointed the first committee on the fire department, consisting of Vincent Mathews and William Brewster, .and .S.imuel Works w.is elected the first chief-engineer, a man of extraordinary activity, of perfect fearlessness and of great presence of mind, admirably adapted for such a post. Harve}- Leonard, proprietor of the " Merchants' L^xchange ta\ern," which stood where the Young Men's Catholic association building now is, was the first to be complained of for violating the ordinances, but he was let ofi' with a reprimand. The Vn.LAGE Fire Department. 203 The next year saw quite an advance in fire matters; the village trustees ordered the chief-engineer to purchase a new engine at a cost not exceeding $1,200 ; three months later Mr. Works, who must have been an officer of mar- \elous moderation in the expenditure of public money, reported that he had bought a new engine for $716, and also that he had expended $216 for 300 feet of hose. In October a new volunteer company was organised by those living in the second ward (Frankfort), with William Rathbun as foreman and 11 H. Rrown as assistant. It was mustered into service as fire company number 3, but the engine assigned to it was the little old one, bought ten \-ears before, while the new machine was called number 2 and given to that company, known b\- the name of "Torrent." The first inspection of the department took place in October, the engines and the truck being ordered to appear for that purpose in "Mumford meadow;" in the same month tlie trustees ordered that fire en- gine number I be located near the h'irst Presbyterian church, that engine num- ber 2 be placed near the blacksmith shop opposite Blossom's tavern on Main street (where the Osburn House stood in later years), and that number 3 ("Red Ro\-er") be housed near the intersection of Piatt and State streets. The oc- currence of fires was evidently carefully guarded against, for in this year Mel- ancton Smith, one of the fire wardens, reported that several stove-pipes in the lit- tle theater on State street were in a dangerous condition. The growth of the vil- lage rendered it necessary in 1830 to appoint an assistant to the chief-engineer, and the man selected was William H. Ward, who two years later succeeded Mr. Works as chief. In January, 1 83 1 , number 4 ( "Cataract ") came into existence as a company, with Joseph h'ield, Metcher M. llaight, Henry E. Rochester, Daniel Loomis, Levi W. Sibley and James K. Livingston among its members; later in the year compan_\- number 5 ("Rough and Ready") was organised, with Ashbel W. Riley, Selah Mathews, ICdwin Scrantom, Anson House and eighteen others on the original roll ; many of these must have dropped out within a few )-ears, for in 1847 number 5 disbanded as a compan)- ; the engine house was in the barn of A. W. Rilev in rear of Court street. In 1833 company num- ber 6 was organised, with its engine house in Pindell alle}-, but the members were so dissatisfied with the location that the trustees a year later removed it to Fitzhugh street (where the Alert hose now has its quarters), paying $150 for removing the old house and refitting it. Here old " Protection 6" was housed, with "Pioneer" hook and ladder company number i (afterward called "Em- pire "), until the final dissolution of the volunteer department, both the engine and the truck occupying the ground floor and having separate session-rooms up stairs. The original roll of number 6 had thirty-one members, among them William Ailing, A. J. Langworth\- (afterward chief-engineer), John Chris- topher and P'rancis M. Marshall. In the _\'ear before this the first little disturb- ance had occurred in the department, companies I and 5 having a serious quarrel over the possession of a new machine which had been made by Lewis 14 204 History ok the City urton and William Colb\- f.r the fifth. W. li. Ward was elected chief-engineer, with Theodore Chapin and Kilian H. V^an Rensselaer as his assistants; in Se])tember hi»ik and Ladder compan\' number 2 was organised with thirt\- members, and located on the east side of the river; $1,500 was put in the ta.x levy this _\-ear for the support of the fire department. A hose com- pany, called the ".Ktna," after the name of engine compan}- number I, was formed in 1835, with L. ]>. Swan, Ileman Loomis, George A. Wilkin and A. S. Wakelee among the members. Several disastnuis fires in 1S37 had aroused the citizens to a sense of the importance of increasing the efficiency of the de- partment, and in 1S38 a number of additions were made. Two bucket com- panies were organised, with George B. Benjamin, Justin M. Loder ami W. H. Enos among the members of the first, and S. W. D. Moure, Gabriel Longmuir and D. C. Ailing on the roll of the second; an engine, tub and hose company also came into being, with George W. Parsons and nine other members. "Storm/" now makes its appearance, the first engine company organised under the city charter, with Newell A. Stone, Henry Haight, F. W. Backus, Thomas Hawks and James L. Mlwood among its original members. Its name was not inapt from the first, and its restless disposition caused its disbandment within a _\-ear of its f(nuulatiear or two later as "Live Oak 8," being located on Alexander street, near Mount Hope avenue. "Champion 9," the last of the volunteer engine companies in date of organisation, was chartered in A])ril, 1848, and disbanded in July, 1853. The engine lay on Main street, between Clinton and Lancaster. The glory of the volunteer fire department has jjassed away, and its disre- pute has gone with it; "the noise of the captains, and the shouting," are no more ; order reigns, instead of discord, and conflagrations are extinguished without the disturbance of the public peace. In this city, as in other places, the excesses of many firemen brought disgrace upon the department ; not only were drunkenness and fighting the usual concomitants and consequents of every respectable fire, but the flames were often kindled by the hands that were to suppress them, and one incendiary fireman served a long term in state prison as the reward of his crimes. With all this, no bod\- of men ever existed that could show a brighter record of courage, of endurance, of brilliant heroism and sublime devotion to duty. Their virtues and their vices are bound together, and where blame is gi\'en, praise should go with it, hand in hand. As con- necting the old department with the new, three organisations of proved effi- cicnc}- and trustworthiness should now be mentioned — The Protectives, the Alerts and the Actix'es. On the evening of the 23d of August, 1858 — a few days after the general disbandment of the old volunteer department, which occurred after the fire that destroyed Minerva hall — in response to two calls made through the daily papers, a meeting of business men W'as held in the mayor's office, and another in the city clerk's office, one to organise what is now known as the Protectives and the other for the formation of a hose company. The Protectives perfected their organisation at once, the company — or association, as it was then called — having as an object for its formation, as im- plied by the name, and as set forth in the first article of its constitution, the removal of propert\- from burning buildings, or buildings in dangerous prox- imit}- to fire, and the protection thereof by an efficient and responsible guard during the confusion incident to such occasions ; also, the extinguishing of fires when practicable. The first officers of the Protectives (or Protective sack and bucket company number i, the explicit name of the association) were: George W. Parsons, foreman; William A. Hubbard, first assistant foreman; James Terry, second assistant ; Roswell Hart, president ; A. M. Hastings, vice-presi- dent ; George H. Humphre}-, secretary ; William H. Ward, treasurer, and Joseph B. Ward, director in the Firemen's Benevolent association. Their quarters were under Corinthian hall, on Mill street, and were provided for them by the city. They entered service wn'th an active roll of forty members. The apparatus of the company, a four-wheeled carriage, designed especially for their needs, was drawn b}^ hand, and from its peculiar shape it was at once 2o6 History of the City of Rochester. called "the hearse." In this carriage were carried a number of pieces of can- vas, several can\as sacks, and a large number of leatiier buckets, their onl\- means of fighting fire. The Protectives s6on proved themselves a worthy ad- junct to the department b\- the removal, in many instances, of complete stocks of goods. The guard also pro\ided for goods thus saved found favor at once with the merchants, who, previous to this in case of fire, were in quite as much danger of loss by theft as from the elements themselves. Continuing prosper- it\' favored the young compan\- for the next few years, until the war of the rebellion called for the very best members of such an organisation. The first to enlist were spared b\- the redoubled efforts of their remaining brothers, but. as member after member left to take the place of those who had fallen — and they were many — the compan\' commenced to falter, and for a period it could scarcely be said to li\e : at last, however, with the return of the survivors of that terrible struggle, new life was infused, and the compan\- found that their quarters were not suitable. In 1866 they purchased a lot on the northeast corner of Mill and Market streets, and erected a three-stor\- building thereon for their own use. ^larch 25th, 1S68, they were incorporated by a special act of the legislature. Xew appliances for extinguishing fires were now coming into use, and in 1870 two chemical fire extinguishers superseded the buckets, and from this time forward the company were enabled to compete with other branches of the department, owing to this valuable invention. For several succeeding years the compan\- continued to grow, and adopt such changes as were brought about by the im- proved system of the last decade ; two modern carriages had in turn superseded the old hearse, and the bunk-room, with its regular bunkers, was now an ab- solute necessity. Composed of the fleetest and strongest runners, midnight fires were now hailed with delight, and. while the desire to strictly obej- the call to dut\- was as strong as ever in their breasts, the love for their company, and the determination not to retrograde, caused these young champions of their city's welfare to accept not only the rivalry of other volunteer organisa- tions, but that of their greatest competitor, the paid department. In 1 88 1, the quarters of this company again proving inadequate for the realisation of certain hopes for the future, to further their plan they sold to one of their members the property then occupied by them, and moved into tem- porarj- quarters at number 17 Mill street, in a building owned by the Butts estate. Completing tiie purchase of a valuable lot on the east side of North Fitzhugh street, a short distance from West Main, with the proceeds of the sale of the Market street property, negotiations were commenced with the city for tlie erection of a suitable building, and the proper equipment of the same. Partially successful in their efforts, the city having decided to appropriate $10,000 for the erection of a house, the members felt that they could now look forward with certaint\- to the fulfillment of their fondest hopes, namely, the The Protectives. 207 establishing of the company on the plan of the insurance patrol companies of the large cities of this countr\'. We say they were only partially successful in their efforts, and for this reason. Estimates from the plans adopted by the company clearly proved that the appropriation was not large enough to com- plete the building, but in the following spring the city appropriated nearly $5,000 additional, which finished a building that is now regarded a model of beauty and convenience. Much still remained to be done, as the heating ap- paratus, plumbing and gas- fitting were not included in the builder's contract. The house must also be furnished in order to make it serviceable for the pur- pose intended. In this extremity the company decided to ask the insurance companies doing business in the city and also the business men to aid them, and in September, 1881, appointed a committee which issued a circular showing the record of the company from 1859 to date. By this act the company received from the insurance companies $1,136.25, and the business men attested their appreciation of the company's efforts in their behalf by subscribing the sum of $2,557.86, a total of $3,694.05, all of which was expended on the house and its furniture. May 25th, 1882, the company took possession of its new home and formally opened the same about a month later. The rapid growth of the city now demanded greater service from the company, and the executive board decided to furnish them with a patrol wagon and horses and two drivers and lay aside the hand carriage then in use. August i8th, 1882, witnessed the change from the old style to the new, and the company, not without regrets, gave up the rivalry that had heretofore formed part of their very existence. The following persons have held the office of foreman : George W. Parsons, Wm. A. Hubbard, Lyman M. Newton, \Vm. R. Brown, E. A. Jaquith, Dwight H. Wetmore, Samuel B. Williams, A. M. Semple, Henry D. Stone, L. H. Van- Zandt, J. H. Coplin, John Craighead, Herbert S. King, S. J. Rogers, Wm. R. Pool, E. B. Bassett, R. W. Bemish, A. M. Bristol, C. P. Dickinson, Frank W. Kinsey. The present officers of this organisation are :. Frank W. Kinsey, fore- man ; John R. Kelly, first assistant foreman ; Charles J. Allen, second assist- ant ; Albert M. Bristol, president ; Herbert S. King, vice-president; Edmund J. Burke, recording secretary ; Samuel B. Williams, financial secretary ; John T. Roberts, treasurer ; Rev. Wm. H. Piatt, chaplain. The present members of the company are divided into the honorary roll, requiring twelve years' service in the company, numbering seventeen ; an ex- empt roll of eleven, a roll of five associate members and the active roll of twen- ty-five members, in all fifty-eight members, with two drivers, who are hired by the city, and a steward paid by the company. In conclusion, a brief summary of the work done by this company will show the public on what grounds they have asked and received such substantial proofs of their appreciation. During the twenty-six years of their life as a com- pan\- they have responded to more than 1,700 alarms and have done duty at 2o8 History of the City of Rochester. ncarlv 1,400 actual fires, and rccoiils in jxisscssinii nf the t"iic niaisl)als antl the cunii)any show that the pn ipert)- sa\etl (ir reniii\'ed b\' the ihiect etinrls < it tlie compan)- amount to iiian_\- liundred thousand dollars — a remarkable showinL; of a remarkable company, standin;^ alone, as it does, the only company in the L'nited States performiuL; \'olunteer fire [jatrol dut_\', while not deri\inLj any benefit fi'oni the insur.mce comjianies. The members receive no conipens- of the \illage there had been a firemen's benevolent fund, to provide for the maintenance of the men during sickness and for the relief of the widows and orphans after death had taken away their nat- ural support. This fund was neither permanent in its nature nor constant in its amount, the money being raised from time to time, as occasion demanded, and the achisabilit)- of making it lasting and adequate to all calls upon it was be- ginning to be realised when Colonel Thomas S. Meacham, of Pulaski, Oswego count)-, offered to gi\^e the city a mammoth cheese, weighing several hundred pounds, which had been made in his dair\-, and which, according to his condi- tions, was to be sold at auction and the proceeds " to be set apart as a fund for the relief of the widows and orphans of firemen and for disabled firemen." The offer was gladly accepted and at a special meeting of the common council, held October 13th, 1835, the colonel presented the cheese. The nutritious article was then transferred to the corporation and sold in small pieces, the sum total obtained being $958. 27. This became the nucleus of the permanent firemen's fund, and to take care of it the Firemen's Benevolent association was organised the same year and incorporated in 1837. Ten years after its foundation the fund showed an increase of one hundred and fifty per cent., being $2,405.06, in 1856 it was $3,848.09, in 1866 it had mounted up to $10,246.18, in 1876 it had risen to $40,303.94, and on December 10th, 1883, it was $50,136.39. In only three years has there been a decrease — one of those being 1880, when $8,956.89 was paid for the monument — and during all this time large amounts have been disbursed annually for relief, aggregating more than $30,000, a per- petual bed in the City hospital, for the use of the sick poor of the department, has been purchased at a cost of $1,500, and other large expenditures have been made. In 1864 the association was re-incorporated under the name of the "Rochester fire department," in order that it might receive the two per cent. History (if the City of Rochester. (if tlic premiums paid ti) fcireis^n insurance companies, which tliosc organisa- tiniis had, before that time, ])aiil to the cit}- treasurer. The great da_\' of tlie association — or department, as it must now be called — was September 9th, 1880, when the montmient, above referred to, was unxeiled with impressi\'e ceremonies. All the firemen in tiie cit)', exemjjts as well as those in acti\'e ser\ice, turnetl out to do honor to the occasion, and \isiting companies, w itli their appar.itus, and accompanied in some cases by their own bands, were present from .\uburii, I'enn Yan, Ithaca, Iirockport, Lockport, and RratU'ord. I'.i., to join in the p.u'ade, and the solemn m.u'ch to Mount Hope. The structure st.nuls at the end of Gi'iive a\enue, in the soutli- western part of the cemetery, on a high ground o\-erlooking the ri\-er, and giv- ing a \-iew of some of the most beautiful portions of the cit_\-, two miles to the northward. l^'rom the center of a [il.itform, twent\'-f >ur feet antl three inches s(]uare. rises the monument to a height of fifty feet, made of X'ermoiit granite, without a blemish in it, and constructed entireh- b_\- Rochester workmen. ( )n the summit of the shaft is a figure eight feet nine inches high, that of a fire- man, we.u'ing a fire hat, with coat on the left arm, and standing in an .ittilude of rest; the words " I'ire department," on one of the bases, firm the onl\- let- tering on the work. The e.\ercises were opened with a brief speech b_\- An- drew M. Semi)le, the [iresident of the da_\-, after which Dr. H. C. Riggs, of St. Peter's church, made a prayer; Cornelius R. Parsons, the mayor of the cit\-, deli\-ered an address; then followeil, after music, an address by James II. KelK', a poem written fir the occasion b\' Mrs. J. G. Maurer, and read b\' l)r. Riggs, an address by Jolm W. Stebbins, and the benediction by Re\'. Bjion Holley, of St. Luke's The first officers of the association were: President, I'^astus Cook; \'ice- presidents, Peter \V. Jennings and William Blossom ; treasurer, John Williams; secretar)-, William R. Montgomer)- ; collector, vV. J. Langwoi'thy ; ilirectors, iMigine company number I, William S. Whittlesey; number 2, lulw.ird Rog- gen ; nimiber 3, Isaac Ilellems ; number 4, John T. Tallman ; number 5, IC. H. Wheeler; number 6, William Ailing; hook autl ladder nunibei- 1, William Ikewster; number 2, James Piradshaw ; hose number I, I leman Looniis. The different presidents from that time on were William lii'ewster, Mai'tin 15riggs, George Arnold, George W. Parsons, William K. Lathrop, John Craigie, George B. Harris, A. S. Lane, Joseph B. Ward, John Cowles, S. M. Stewart, Law S. Gibson, L. W. Ckirke, Thom;is II. Husband, Henry W. Mathews and Theron K. Parsons. The fillowing are the names of the chief-engineers, from their time of ser\-ice, and the names of the various assistants: Samuel Works, 1826-31 ; W. H. Ward, 1832 and 1834-35 ; Thomas Kempshall. 1833 ; Theo- dore Chapin, 1836: Alfied Judsoii, 1837-38 and 1840; P. W.Jennings, 1839 anil 1841; A. J. Langwiirth)-, 1842: George W. Parsons, 1843-44; T- ^^■ Hamilton, 1845, 1847-48 and 1850: S. M. Sherman, 1846 ami 1851-54; Notable Fires. 21 3 James Cowlcs, 1849: William H. Spruntj, 1855-56; Zachariah Weaver, 1857- 58 and 1868; George B. Harris, August, 1858-62 and 1865-67; John Mc- Mullen, 1863; P. H. Sullivan, 1864; Wendel Biiycv, December, 1868-69 and 1880; Law S. Gibson, 1870-79 and 18S1-84. Assistants, W. H. Ward, James K. Livingston, Theodore Chapin, K. H. Van Rensselaer, W. S. Whittlesey, Erastus Cook, Alfred Judson, P. D. Wright, Reuben A. Bunnell, P. W. Jen- nings, I. H. Babcock, William P. Smith, A. J. Langworthy, G. W. Parsons, T. B. Hamilton, George Charles, Thomas Hawks, S. M. Sherman, U. C. Edger- ton, George W. Burnap, John Craigie, James Cowles, J. P. Steele, Benjamin H. Hill, M. H. Jennings, James Melvin, William Mehin, W. H. Sprung, Ed- ward Madden, Valentine Shale, Zachariah Wea\er, John Cowles, J. \. M. W'eeks, S. M. Stewart, John R. Steele. John McMullen, Joseph Consler, Jo- seph Corbin, John D. Pike, Robert B. Randall, Joseph Franklin, Jeremiah Twaige, A. Galley Cooper, Friend W. Hines, John McMahon, Wendel Bayer, P. H. Sullivan, Thomas O'Brien, John Arth, James White, James Malcom, August Bauer, Charles Frank, Law S. Gibson, Thomas Crouch, Ralph Ben- don, John F. Goldsmith, John C. Connolly, Henry W. Mathews, Samuel Be- mish, Anthon)' Kassel, John O'Kane, James Plunkett. An organisation known as the Rochester Fire Engineers' association, con- sisting of ex-chiefs and ex-assistant engineers, was formed on the 28th of March, 1883, with the election of the following officers: George B. Harris, president ; Zachariah Weaver, vice-president ; H. W. Mathews, secretary ; Wendel Bayer, treasurer. Anything like a full description of all the fires that have occurred here would of course be impossible, and those that are named below are by no means the only ones which created excitement at the time or required hard work on the part of the firemen before they could be extinguished. Some of the mill fires have made a brighter blaze, and some of the burnings of lumber yards and wood-work manufactories have entailed more prolonged labor of the department, but the\- were not destructive of life nor did they bear away w ith them in their ascending smoke the memor\' of old associations. The first fire in the little village was on Sunday, December 5th, 1 8 19, when the build- ing just east of where the Arcade now is, containing the office of the Gazette, was burned; Edwin Scrantom, an apprentice of the establishment, was asleep there at the time and would have awakened only to a fiery death had not James Frazer, at the risk of his Hfe, burst through the flames and rescued him. The first fatality occurred December 21st, 1827, when Thomas M. Rathbun, of hook and ladder number i, was killed by a falling chimney at the burning of Everard Peck's paper-mill, on South Water street, where Charles J. Hill's flouring mill stood in later years. Only three alarms were given in 1836, and but two of those were for fires of any magnitude — Lewis Selye's engine factory and Jonathan Child's "Marble block," on Exchange street, just south 214 History of the City of Rochester. (if the ciiicil, ( >n the j6tli iif .\iiL;ust, i S40, (icnrL;c ]x IV-njciiiiiii .mil Jnhii Ivatdil, both tu-cniLii, were killed by a faliinL; wall at the biiniiiiL; (if the Curtis buildint;', nii Main street. Tiie okl Maiisinn Ilnuse, on .State street, built in lS2l,\vas burned February 2d, I S44. Ma\' 2d, I S46, tlie old stone block built by Her\e_\- ]''-l\- in 1S17 cm the corner of Main and State streets, where the l-iurns block was afterwarLl put up antl where the I'Jwood block now stands, was ilestroyed, ,iiul the Diiiicciat office, whicli eiccupied a p.irt of the buildintj, was ruinetl. In July, 1 S47, Cirace church, on the site of the pi'esent structure, was burned to the i^round. The destruction of "Chicken row," on the 31st of M.uch, 1S53, where the Rocliester sa\inL;s bank now stands, did not anmunt to much of a confla^jra- tion, l)ut it remo\ed a notoiious landni,u"k and formed the subject of con\'ersa- tion for almost a month, when it was put out of mind b)- the calamity inet of mineralogy, geology, and chemical substances, scientifically arranged; lectures and apparatus tor illustrating the sciences connected with the mechanical arts, aiul mutual instruction in el- ementar)- sciences as far as [iracticable." The origin of the institute was in a course of lectures tielivercd here in that }ear by Prof. ILaton of Troy, which must have been well supported, for at their close the managers found themselves in possession of a surplus of two or three huinlred dollars. This they resolved to devote to the establishment of a pub- lic library, which was accordingly opened in rooms on the corner of Main and Canal streets (now Water street); this was in the building formerly occupied by Franklin Institute. — Atiien/Eum. the Eagle bank. The affairs of the institute were conducted by a committee of seven, who were chosen annually. The first committee consisted of Rev. Joseph Penney, Rev. F. H. Cuming, Levi Ward, jr., Elisha Johnson, Jacob Graves, Giles Boulton and Edwin Stanley. At the commencement of the year 1827 the association consisted of about seventy members and had obtained a small cabinet of minerals, a library and several models of machines, and had be- gun a system of cultivating knowledge in the arts and sciences by lectures, experiments, and such examinations and inquiries as the means of the institute would admit of At that day the privileges of such an association were highly prized, as the fee of admission to membership was $5, subject to an annual tax of $2. Out of the Franklin institute grew the Rochester Athenjeum and Mechanics' Literary association, generally known by the shorter title of the Athena.'um, which indeed was its name at first and until it was consolidated with other or- ganisations. The following is from its annual report for 1859: — "Shortry after the foundation of the Franklin institute the Rochester Athenaeum was organised, in 1829, and, being incorporated in 1830, continued for some years. Its first rooms were in the Reynolds arcade. At this time the library consisted of four hundred volumes, and the papers received were eleven daily, four semi-weekly, and thirteen weekly. After that time it fell into a languishing condition, its books stored away and its members inactive. It continued thus until 1838, when, by a union with the Young Men's Literary association (which had been founded a short time before), new life was infused into it, and the two associations continued for some time to enlist the interest of our citizens. In 1844 (their rooms being then in Smith's arcade) the library consisted of 2,700 volumes. After some time, however, the interest in the association decreased, and in 1849 ''^ "''** deemed advisable to effect a coalition with the Mechanics' Literary association, which had been organised in February, 1836, and incorporated February 25th, 1839. This institution was in possession of a library of about 1,500 volumes. It had regularly kept up a series of weekly debates, and had also held several exhibitions or fairs of mechanical inventions, etc. The diploma awarded to exhibitors on such occa- sions is here presented, and was really a creditable production for the time, though as you will readily perceive, the locomotive is of rather a primitive construction. Immediately after the combination of the two societies, they removed to their rooms (in Corinthian hall building), and the first lecture before the association was delivered by Rev. J. H. Mcllvaine, on the 28th of June, 1849." On the 30th of August a new constitution was adopted — and the first elec- tion under it held in Arcade hall on the third Monday of September, 1849. Levi A. Ward was elected president to serve for the remainder of the year. In January, 1850, Mr. Ward was reelected for a full term. The good work done by the Athenaeum in the way of providing lectures during a long series of years is well known to most of our readers, who, by the purchase of course tickets, kept alive the institution, for the sums derived from the sale of member- ship tickets were by no means sufficient for that purpose. In the course of each winter, for year after year, the best lyceum orators in the country spoke to large audiences, and few of that class who had attained any eminence what- 2l8 MlSTOKV OF THE CiTY OF ROCHESTER. ever failed tube called upon or failed to respond. With regard to the number of volumes in the libr.iry any statement that coukl be made would be imperfect and unsatisfictiiry. In the time of its j^reatest prosperity the number was not far from 25,000, but, as the fortunes of the institution waned, the volumes grew fewer and fewer, many were borrowed and not returneil, man_\' were rendered worthless b_\- their constant usage, and the number now remaining' stored to- gether is about 17,000. The favorable lease under which the association had occupied the rooms in the Corinthian hall block expired in 1 87 1, when, rents having largel)- increased, application was made to the trustees of the Rochester savings bank for the use of the upper stciry of their building, located on the corner of Main and Fitzhugh streets. The reciuest was promptly acceded to and the association was granted the use of the rooms free of e.vpense, which the)' occupied for a few },-ears and then remc)\-ed, first to the court-house and then to rooms on I'itzhugh street. Here, in 1877, the usefulness of the association came to an end, the books and other documents passing into the possession of M. F. Re\-nolds and George S. Riley, the latter of whom at a later day trans- ferred his interest in the property to the former gentleman, b\- whom it has beer, transferred to the trustees of the I'ieynolds librar)-, i'uv the benefit <>( the cit)'. The follow ing are the names of the tlifferent presidents of the y\thenc'Eum asso- ciation : I S49 and '50, Levi i\. Ward ; I 85 I , George W. Parsons ; 1852, George S. Riley; 1S53, 11 R. McAlpine ; 1 854, Edward M. Smith ; 1855, John N. Pome- roy; 1S56, George G. Clarkson ; 1857-58 D. D. T. Moore; 1859, W. V. K. Lansing; i860, Ira B. Northrop; 1861, Charles C. Morse; 1862, John Bower; 1863, Ezra R. Andrews; 1864, Wm. A. Reynolds; 1865, Charles B. Hill; 1866, De Lancey Crittenden ; 1867, Edward Webster; 1867, M. M. FitzSi- mons ; 1868, Theron E. Parsons; 1869, M. H. EitzSimons ; 1870, Tliomas Dransfield; 1871, A. M. Semple ; 1872, C. E. Morris; 1873, J. II. Kell\-; I S74, Jonas Jones. The Central librai')- was established in 1863, by consolidating seventeen school libraries into one. Selections from these were made, and in addition a (i^w valuable works were purchased, making one thousand volumes, thus form- ing a foundation on which this library was built. It was first established in suitable rooms in Baker's block, on West Main street, anil in 1S75 it was removed to its present commodious quarters in the P'ree academy building, on Fitzhugh street. Mrs. \V. II. Learned was appointed the first assistant libra- rian in 1S70, and was succeeded in 1 881 b)' Mrs. Katherine J. Dowling, the l)resent incumbent. An annual state ajiprojjriation of $879 is devoted solely to the purchase ot books, ami so carefull)- and substantially have these been selectetl b}" the libr.uy ccimmittee every )-ear, that each classified division of volumes has grown in harmon\', requiring additional alcoves annually, until this library has to-day 15,000 volumes, mostlv works of fair literar\- value. It has ,1 patronage of five thousand readers, and for many )-ears was the only ^m^ Law Library. — The Y. M. C. A. 219 one open to the public for reference and circulation, and to-day vies in extent, variety and usefulness with older institutions of its kind. The Law library, though intended specially for the use of the profession, contains many works of interest, not, perhaps, to those classed under the in- definite head of "general readers," but certainly to bibliophiles and those who are able to appreciate the worth of a rare volume. It is a part of the law library of the court of Appeals, much of which is in the capitol at Albany, the books here being one-half of those that were left after the judges had selected what they considered necessary for their own use ; the other moiety of the un- cliosen volumes was sent to S\-racusc. The librar\-, which was brought here in 1850, has at present more than 10,000 books, the value of which is not far from $50,000, and man\' of these are of great worth on account. of their an- tiquity and their rarity. 0\er one hundred of them are printed in "black let- ter," and some of them arc more than three hundred years old — such as Brac- ton's treatise on the laws and customs of England (in Latin), published in 1540, and Fitzherbert's abridgment of laws (in Norman French), published in 1565 — while there are more than a dozen volumes of reports by Noy, Popham, Little- ton and other great lawyers, published in the seventeenth centur)-. The libra- rian is L. R. Satterlee. On March 17th, 1854, the young men of Rochester banded themselves in a Young Men's Christian association, for mental and moral improvement. This society struggled through a few years of many discouragements until finally it was disbanded. In the year 1864 the young men once more felt the need of some societ}^ where they might get spiritual improvement, and help their fel- low-men. With this purpose in \-iew the association was reorganised, with G. \V. Parsons as president and George H. Dana as corresponding secretary. From the lacK of zeal and energy the association lived only about six years. In 1875 the association was once more organised. This time, with good man- agement, it steadily increased, both in membership and in the extent of work. Of this organisation Horace McGuire was president, N. B. Randall correspond- ing secretary, and F. L. Smith general secretary. In 1879 George C. Buell was elected president, and has served the association as such to the present time of writing. From 1875 D. L. Ogden, H. J. Reynolds, F. R. Wardle and F. De S. Helmer have been the general secretaries. Mention has been made of the good management of the present organisation ; with zeal, tact and tenacity added to this, the work of the association has been brought before the public in such a manner that it is recognised as a public benefaction. To give an idea of this growth, the following statistics will speak for themselves: In 1880 the average attendance at the reading-room was 250 per week. In 1884 three hundred is thus far the average of one day. The year 1 880 saw but four meetings, which were attended by both sexes, and very thinK'. The present year (1884) all meetings but two were for young men only, with an average attendance of History of tup: City of Rochester. twice the number in fcirmer years. Evening classes, in different English brandies, are \ery well attentled, aiul great interest is exhibited. President, George C. Huell ; \ice-president, I'mf. A. H. Mixer; recording secretary, A. N. h'itch ; treasurer, C. F. Pond; general secretai-y, 1''. PJe S. Ilelnier; assist- ant secretaries, C. W". l-'urenian and lulward S. .Sinimcuis. The object of the \'oung Men's latlmlic associ.itinn is to cultixate a lo\e of nioralit)-, law and good citizenship among the _\'outh nf Rdchester, to combine the (.-lewiti'in of the mind with the (_le\elnj)ment of the both' b\' the alternation nf literary exercises with physical impiovement. The urganisatiim was eftected on the 25th da\- nf M.ircli, 1S72, b_\- the electidU nf the fnlldwing officers: President, Right Re\ . \\ J. McOuaid, 1). 1),; first xice-president, Charles FitzSinions ; second \ice-[)residcnt, John ( )(_lenbach ; treasurer, William Pur- cell ; corresponding secretar}-, V. A. Shale; recording secretary', John C. O'Brien. The association was incorporated the 3d of the following month, A nmnth before the organisation l^ishop McUuaid hail purchased, in his own name, but realK' as trustee fi.)r the future societ\-, the ground on the corner of West Main street ami Montgomer)- alle)', then occupied by the I'lxchange Hotel, for $:;o,000, the owner of which, C. B. Woodw.iril, refused an offer of $5,000 mo|-e befoic the papers wei'e dr.iw n up. ( )u the 4th of April the bishop transferred the [iropcrty to the association, and one _\ear later, when the old leases had expired, the erection of a buikling was begun, which was completed before the next ( )ct"ber. It is a sightl}' edifice, costing nearly $40,000, se\-enty-se\en and a half feet in front, eight)- feet deep, with a wing twent\'-six b_\- forty-two feet, and is f )ur stories in height, the upper floor being usetl as a gymn.isium and occupied by the .Athletic club, the one below that fir the purposes of the organisation, including the exercises of the Literary L'uion, and the other floors for offices and stores; its architect was A. J. Warner. There h.ive been few changes in its directorship, and its present officers are the same ,is given aboxe, except that Timoth)- Whalen is now the seccuul \ice-president and Dr. Richard Curran is the treasurer. ( )ne of the most pojnilar Catholic societies in Rochester at the p.resent time is the Rochester Literary Union, of which the following sketch was fur- nished by ¥.. J. Kell_\- : It was organised in the spring of 1875, with tweiit)-- five charter members. Its main object was to unite the Catholic >'oung men of the cit\' without distinction as to nationalit)'. The\- unanimously elected as their first president, William Purcell, who for two \-ears labored with the great- est zeal to make the organisation what it is at the present time, the representa- tive Catholic association of the cit_\'. Mr. Purcell was succeeded by James Fee, who during his term of office tlid much for the inipro\'ement of the association and b)- his liberality on man\' occasions e\inced the interest he took in the Literar\- LTnion. He was followed b)- William C. B.u'ry, whose administration was most successful. Mr. Barr)- h.is been succeeded b)- Patrick Mahon, Pat- The Cluk." — Furtnigiitlv Cluis. rick Cox, Patrick H. Magill (who scarcely had assumed his duties when he was stricken by death, mucli to the sorrow of the association), Patrick Cauley, Bar- tholomew Keeler, and Matthew Swan, the present incumbent. The Union has had to record the death, during its existence, of six members, who in their life- time were most active in their efforts to promote the welfare of the society. They are as follows : Thomas F. Alaher, Edward Maher, Edward Downey, Patrick Mahon, Patrick H. Magill, Timothy G. M. Fahy and Professor Francis H. Kennedy, who passed away much regretted by the association. "The Club" is the comprehensive and non-descriptive title of a literary organisation of high standing, which for thirty years has been in the habit of meeting in alternate weeks, except during the warm weather, at the house of one member after another, to Hsten to a paper read b\- one of the club, each in turn taking his part as the contributor for the evening, and the others taking uj), in regular order, the discussion of tlie article after its reading. The subject selected for treatment is in each case at the choice of the author, but naturally, as a general rule, in the line of his tasks, his thoughts or his studies at that time, and the names of the members will, of themselves, give to the readers of this chapter a fair intimation of the nature, at least, of the topics upon which the different discourses are founded. A preliminary meeting, for the formation of the club, was held at the house of the late Lewis H. Morgan, on the evening of July 13th, 1854, the first literary session being on the 7th of the following November. For several years past the club has been frequently called "the Pundit," but this appellation is disclaimed by those belonging to it. The following are the names of all who have been members, the first .six- teen being of those who are at present actively connected with it, the others of those who have died or withdraw^n from membership : — President M. B. Anderson, Prof A. C. Kendrick, Prof. A. H. Mixer, Dr. E. M. Moore, F. L. Durand, F. A. Whittlesey, Theodore Bacon, Prof. S. A. Lattimore, Presi- dent A. H. Strong, Prof. W. C. Wilkinson, Dr. W. S. Ely,. Prof. W. C. Morey, Prof. Howard Osgood, Oscar Craig, Dr. E. V. Stoddard, J. Break Perkins, Calvin Huson, jr., Rev. Dr. J. H. Mcllvaine, Lewis H. Morgan, Prof. J. H. Raymond, E. Peshine Smith, Prof Chester Dewey, Judge Harvey Humphrey, Prof J. N. Pomeroy, S. D. Porter, Dr. W. W.Ely, S. P. Ely, G. H. Ely, Prof S. S. Cutting, President E. G. Robinson, Rev. Henry Fowler, J. W. Dwindle, L. A. Ward, Rev. Dr. G. D. Boardman, Prof H. A. Ward, Dr. H. W. Dean, Judge H. R. Selden, Rev. Dr. Calvin Pease, G. H. Mumford, Judge G. F. Danforth, Rev. Dr. E. D. Yeomans, W. F. Cogswell, Robert Carter, Prof R. J. W. Buckland, Judge E. Darwin Smith. F"ollowing the example of the club described abo\e, a few persons in 1881 agreed upon the advisability of establishing a similar institution, and the mat- ter took shape a few months later, when the first session, without a preliminary meeting, was held on the 23d of February, of "the F"ortnightly" club, which formed its organisation by the single act of electing a secretary. Dr. Dewey, who has acted in that capacity ever since. While the Fortnightly has no or- ganic constitution and no by-laws of any kind, its customs are the same with lIis'i'oRV OF iiiF, Cnv OF Rochestp:r. those of the older bod)-. Its meetings are held every alternate Tiiesda\-, witli- out exeeptinn, IVnin the middle nf October tn the midtlle of May. ami at each an oriLjinal jiajier is re.uL The first members wei'e C. V.. hitch, M. W. L'ooke, Judge !•■. A. Macomber, Dr. C. A. Dewe)', Dr. Porter h\irley, Rev. N. M. i\Iann, Rnlx-rt Mathews, Re\-. Mynm Adams, Dr. C \i. Rider, J. 1'. Vanuim, Re\-. Dr. Ma.\ Lantlsberg, W'm. 1'". IV-ck. Since the beginning Judge Macom- ber has withdrawn and \V. 1'".. Iloyt ami Dr. Da\id Little have been elected in. There is another club of a nature simihir to th.it of the two just mentioned, the membership of which embraces persons of both sexes, but, as it has pre- ser\'ed its anon)-niity during all the years of its existence, nothing more can be said about it. The l^rowiiing club is another literary coterie, but its purpose is the discussion of the works of stand, iret I'.nglish poets, r.ithei' than the reading of original pajjers. The Shakespeare club was organised December 15th, 1865, m.nnl_\- through the efforts of Rev. l'~. W. Holland. Tw ent_\'-eight persons were enrolled as members at the first meeting. The a\ eiage atteutlance at present, liowever, is ab — The Celtic Clul) — The Commerci.al Travelers' Cluli — The Irish National i,eai;ue — The Civil Service Reform .Association — The Lincoln Club — The River- side Ruwini^ Club — The Canoe Club. TliV. Rochester Microscopical society was organised January 13th, 1879, by a few gentlemen interested in scientific studies. The question of organ- ising an acadeni)- of science was consideretl ; but it was deemed best to begin with that department in which the most interest was then manifested, rv'.r., mi- croscop)', and afterw;u\l extenil the scope of the societ)', if desired. The soci- ety grew rapitll)', and at the end of two )-ears w;is the largest organisation of the kind in the United States. March 14th, iS,Si,tlie suggested change was effected, the scope of the societ)- extendetl, its n.ime changed, and its constitu- tion and b)--laws re\-ised. Sections have been formed in several departments, and considerable work is being d(-)ne. The societ)- was incorporated May 14th, 1S81, as the Rocliester Acadeni)- of Science. The incorporators w-ere the offi- Academy of Sciences. — Rochester Cluh. cers of the academy for i88i: Rev. Myron Adams, president; H. F"ranklin Atwood, vice-president; Charles E. Rider, treasurer; Henr}- C. Maine, secre- tary ; Adelbert Cronise, corresponding secret.iry ; Samuel A. Lattimore, Wil- liam Streeter and Cyrus F. Paine, trustees. The object of the organisation is to promote scientific stud)- and research, and especially a thorough knowledge of the natural history of that part of the state of New York in the vicinity of Rochester, and to make permanent collec- tions of objects illustrative of the different branches of science. The following sections have been formed, since the organisation of the academy: .Vnatomy, astronomy, botany, entomology, conchology, hygiene, ichthvology, infusoria, literature, microscop)-, photography, taxidermy. I^ach of these sections is or- ganised with such officers as the members may deem proper, and regular meet- ings are held. The meetings of the academy are held in a large liall in the Ar- cade, which has been de\'oted to the use of the academy by the owner, Morti- mer F. Reynolds. The membership of the academy is nearly 300. Good progress has been made in the \-arious departments of research. Collections have been made b\- the sections of botan\- and entomology. The section of astrononi)- is well equi]5ped with instruments, and some excellent work has been done. The orbits of several binary stars have been calculated, the sun has been successfully photographed and systematic observations have been made. The section of botany has nearly completed a collection of the flora of Western New York. The section of microscopy has done much valuable work. The section of hygiene has organised a system of popular lectures on hygienic subjects that have proved very valuable. The section of anatomy has conducted lectures illustrated by dissections. The photographic section has done excellent work, both in field-photography and in micro-photography.^ The Rochester club was formed in i860, James Terry being the first presi- dent, and the rooms occupied at the beginning being over the present Bank of Monroe. A few years later a change of location was made to the EUwanger & Karr_\- block, on State street, and in 1877 a further move was made to the luxurious apartments that constitute the third floor of the Rochester savings bank building. The membership of the club, which was incorporated in 1869, is about 150, the number having been only slighUy increased for several years, as the club has been a strong one from its inception. The present offi- cers are: A. M. Bennett, president; H. H. Hathaway, \ice-president ; E. B. Jennings, secretary, and Levi F. Ward, treasurer. In October, 1882, a few gentlemen who were well inclinetl to whist formed an organisation called the Rochester Whist club, for the purpose of playing the game and improving themselves in it, the name adopted being descriptive of the general object. Rooms were taken in the Cox building, on the corner of Main and Water streets, but in a short time the membership had increased to 1 The sketch of the Academy of Science was kindly furnished by Henry C. Maine. 224 IllSldlvV l)K TlIK ClIV OK ROCHESTER. siicli an extent — parti)- b_\' the absorption of the old Audubon club — tliat larmier accommodations were needed aiul the association, in March, 1S83, moved tn the Howe buildinL;, on North l'"itzlui,L;h street. In the course of the last year a further expansion became nioie and more essential, and finall)-, in the earl}' part of this year, a secontl chaiiLje was made, the club takinij a lease of the tpiarters occupied up to that time by the Windsor club, which then dis- solveil. The suite of commndious ,uul ele^jant apartments, occup_\'inL; the whole front and other portions of the third floor of the I'dlwauL^er & Harry block, consists of se\en rc.xmis, which include a reception inom, a reading;- room, a billiard-room, a caril-room, an eatiiv^-rooni, etc. The club, in its purposes and its pursuits, has loni^ since outijrown the oriL,'inal desii^ns of its founders, but the old name is ret. lined .uid under that title it was incor[)orated at the beL;in- niuLJ of this year. It iiumljers, ,it present, about one hundred members. The officers for the\-earare: John Iv Morey, president; William Mud_L;ett, \ice- prcsident ; Homer J.icobs, secretary, and Willi.im K. Witherspooii, treasurer. The Phienix club was organised in 1872 as a society for the promotion of Social intercourse cUid .innisenu'nt .uiioni^ the Jews. It erected a costly build- ini; on North Clinton street, and was in ,1 Hourishiny condition until 1882, when it was deemed advisable to ilissolve the club, antl the buikliuL; was sold to the (.)dd l'"ellow's. A number (jf the firmer members of the PlKcnix club then banded together and formed the luireka club for the same purposes. They purchased the firmer Barton resilience and transformed it into a luxurious club-house. A large hall and a bowling-alle}' were added to the buililing, ami the societ}' is now in a prosperous condition. Ihe officers tor this _\'ear are: J. W. Rosenthal, president; A. J. Katz, vice-president; Benjamin Munk, secretar\- ; treasurer, J. Michaels. The Abelard club. — ( )nl\- Knights Templar are eligible to membership in this club, which was organised in 1S72 and incorporated in 1875. It num- bers more th.m one hundred .uul is one of the most influential (irg.uiisations of the kind in the cit\'. It has three rooms, well furnished, on an upper floor of the Powers block. The officers of the present }'ear are : Charles T. Crouch, president; Alfred H. Cork, vice-president; P. S. Wilson, secretary, and N. S. Phelps, treasurer. The Mutual club was organise|.osiiii)n at All.any — Work IVi^uii July 4th. 1S17 — Tlu- Canal 1 onipKu-.l ( ktohcr 24tli. I.S25 —Tin- Cian.l ( Vldaation — I'ailar-enit-iU of i1k- Canal — Cii-al Convrnlion ni llii- Cily — Canal Slali-lio — 'I'lu- Ci-nt-sn- \alK-y Canal. WIK) i)ri)])(isc(l. the V.vic canal)' The answer ti> that question, apijarentl)' so easy to be L;i\en. is ini])ossil)lL- of attainment. Like nian_\- other of the L;reat e\ents in the worUl's histoi'v, the project of the lu'ie canal w .is not a (letinite, episodical enterprise, but a L;ro\\th, a development from intangible, almost inaj.)preciable bcL^inninj^s in the mimls of men. The time i)f its concep- tion is, naturalU', etiuall)- indefinite, but if an}- period must be set let it be that i>f the last \-ear of the last eentur\-. TakiiiL; that as the date, Gon\erneur ^^>rris ma\- be said to be the oriL;inator of the idea, but his thoughts were so xague in the matter that he himself wnuld ha\-e been the last person to claim the re.d parentage of the scheme. In 1 Soo, wjiile on a tour to Niagaia falls, he became impressed with the naxigable capacities of the country and wrote to a l-'.urcppean correspondent : " ( )ne-tenth part of the expense borne by Britain in the hist campaign would enable shijis to sail from London through tlie Hudson river into Lake Lrie." In 1S05 he spoke to Simeon De Witt, then surveyor- general of the state, of the jiossiliility of tapping Lake Erie, but the probabilit}- is that he h